When it comes to animated films, talking animals is certainly not a new concept, but the idea of domesticated pets going on wild adventures when the owners are away becomes a fun driving force in the new movie THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS. Delivered by the same animation studio that gave us DESPICABLE ME and those lovable Minions, this wacky adventure is a little more grounded in reality, but nevertheless very funny. And if you like the Minions, you’ll be pleased to know it actually opens with a new short film featuring those lovable little yellow guys.

Max (Louis C.K.) is a very happy dog who adores his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper), and is more than content to wait by the door for her to come home every day. His only grievance is that she won’t take him with her each time she leaves. A cute little puffy dog across the way named Gidget (Jenny Slate) is obviously enamored with Max, though he doesn’t seem to care. He does find time to talk to an upstairs neighbor cat named Chloe (Lake Bell), who spends her days eating from the fridge and playing with stuffed mice. One day Katie brings home another dog named Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a big furry and somewhat clumsy street dog she hopes to make comfortable. Max is not happy about this, and tries to make himself the alpha dog in the home, creating an unhealthy rivalry between the two pooches. While being walked with several other dogs, Max and Duke get loose and find themselves in an alley with some creepy cats (including one rather hilarious one voiced by Steve Coogan), and those felines steal their collars. This becomes a big problem when animal control mistakes the two dogs for strays, and takes them in, but on the way they’re broken out by a deceptively cute little bunny named Snowball (Kevin Hart). This is only the beginning of some crazy misadventures for Max and Duke, who along the way must put their differences aside in hope of surviving the strange and dangerous outside world.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS doesn’t have what you’d call a straightforward story so much as it takes us through one goofy adventure after another, while bringing together several funny characters in the process. But the end result is solid fun that will keep you laughing, and in some instances flat out howling over the hilarity. A lot of this is thanks to the inspired voice casting. Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart get most of the dialogue, and play well off each other, and Jenny Slate is particularly good as the manic Gidget. Some of the other recognizable voices belong to comedic geniuses like Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, Dana Carvey and even Albert Brooks. The film is directed by Chris Renaud (DESPICABLE ME 1 and 2) and co-directed by Yarrow Cheney, and they manage to find a brisk and exciting pace that keeps things interesting and light enough to where the audience never has a chance to get bored. There’s a fun balance of pets doing silly stuff their owners would never imagine around the house, and then of course their wild adventures out in the open. I almost wonder if they could have done even more of the “at home” humor and managed to sustain the rhythm of the story, but all in all it’s a blast to watch.

Perhaps the only shortcoming or possible fault of THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS is the numerous characters to keep up with. There’s almost too many personalities and at times it feels like the scenes get a little cluttered with so many animals playing off each other, but this is such a minor gripe in a film that gets so many other things right. I was particularly impressed with the sound design and colors utilized in the production, giving the experience a very immersive feel, even without the advantage of 3D glasses. But most importantly, if you’ve ever been a dog or cat owner, this is definitely a movie you’ll appreciate, as there’s nothing quite as amusing as typical animal behavior… even when they’re just being themselves. This movie really gets that.

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