The Secret Life of Pets [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD]

Director: Yarrow Cheney, Chris Renaud Yarrow Cheney

Overview

This animated comedy from Illumination Entertainment asks the question: what do our pets do all day when we're not home? For the critters living in a Manhattan apartment building, the answer is: whatever they want! A terrier named Max (voice of Louis C.K.) regularly invites his friends to hang out at his place while his owner (Ellie Kemper) is gone, but his quiet life is upended when said owner also takes in Duke (Eric Stonestreet), a stray mutt whom Max instantly dislikes. Their feud eventually causes both of them to get lost in New York City, and as they work together to find their way home, they cross paths with a vicious bunny (Kevin Hart) who plans to lead a group of abandoned pets on a mission of revenge against humanity. Jenny Slate, Albert Brooks, Lake Bell, Hannibal Buress, Tara Strong, Steve Coogan, Dana Carvey, and Bobby Moynihan also lend their voices to the film, which was directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me 2) and Yarrow Cheney.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/06/2016
UPC:	0025192317200
Original Release:	2016
Rating:	PG
Source:	UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00
Sales rank:	16,016

Special Features

Blu-Ray Exclusives: ; How to make an animated film; Anatomy of a scene; ; 3 mini-movies; All about the pets; Animals can talk: meet the actors; Hairstylist to the dogs; The best of snowball and more!

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ralf Richter	Actor
Jan Josef Liefers	Max
Dietmar Bär	Duke
Jella Haase	Gidget
Stefanie Heinzmann	Katie
Martina Hill	Chloe
Dieter Hallervorden	Pops
Uwe Ochsenknecht	Tiberius
Olaf Reichmann	Tattoo
Christian Gaul	Reginald
Alexandre Desplat	Composer
Louis C.K.	Max
Kevin Hart	Snowball
Eric Stonestreet	Duke
Ellie Kemper	Katie
Lake Bell	Voices
Bobby Moynihan	Mel
Jenny Slate	Voices
Albert Brooks	Tiberius
Steve Coogan	Ozone
Hannibal Buress	Buddy
Dana Carvey	Voices
Chris Renaud	Voices,Voices
Sandra Echeverría	Voices
Jaime Camil	Voices
Bob Bergen	Voices
Jess Harnell	Voices
John Kassir	Voices
Danny Mann	Voices
Mona Marshall	Voices
Laraine Newman	Voices
Jan Rabson	Voices
Ken Schretzmann	Voices
Tara Strong	Voices
Tyler Werrin	Voices
Erik Haag	Voices
Sofia Ledarp	Voices
Fredde Granberg	Voices
Kodjo Akolor	Voices
Mikaela Ardai Jennefors	Voices
Allan Svensson	Voices
Bengt Järnblad	Voices
Özz Nûjen	Voices
Kim Sulocki	Voices
Thomas Giertsen	Voices
Cecilie Steinmann Neess	Voices
Dennis Storhøi	Voices
Christian Petterson	Voices
Hilde Lyrån	Voices
Håvard Bakke	Voices
Ingeborg Raustøl	Voices
Per Frisch	Voices
Per Christian Ellefsen	Voices
Jeppe Beck Laursen	Voices
Christian Greger Strøm	Voices
Philippe Lacheau	Voices
François Damiens	Voices
Michael Beattie	Tattoo
Willy Rovelli	Voices
Florence Foresti	Voices
Dorothée Pousséo	Voices
François Siener	Voices
Jean-Pierre Gernez	Voices
Jean-Baptiste Anoumon	Voices
Charles Pestel	Voices
Laurent Morteau	Voices
Mario Barth	Mel

Technical Credits

Cinco Paul

Ken Daurio

Brian Lynch

Simon Rich

Yarrow Cheney	Director
Janet Healy	Producer
Christopher Meledandri	Producer
Cinco Paul	Screenwriter
Ken Daurio	Screenwriter
Brian Lynch	Screenwriter
Simon Rich	Screenwriter
David Acord	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Ronni Brown	Sound Effects
Chris Renaud	Director

Editorial Reviews

Following in the tradition of the Toy Story series, The Secret Life of Pets takes a look at what happens when humans aren't looking. Rather than focusing on inanimate objects, TSLOP (co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud) turns the spotlight on our beloved animal companions, particularly "man's best friend": dogs. In addition to its easy charm and humorous dialogue (which will appeal to almost all demographics and age groups), this summer offering is also notable for an impressive voice cast that's been culled from various different subsets of the comedy world. Preeminent standup comedian Louis C.K. voices Max, a docile dog who lives with his owner Katie (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper) in New York City. Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet voices Duke, a much larger canine whom Katie brings home one day, and whose presence interrupts Max's life of blissful solitude and constant attention from his owner. Max and Duke begin to fight, and their feud eventually causes both of them to get lost in the city; to make matters worse, they end up captured by animal control following a squabble with some alley cats (one of the felines is played by Steve Coogan, a cult hero for his work on British television). Max's absence doesn't go unnoticed by his neighbor, a cat named Gidget (Saturday Night Live alum and alternative-comedy icon Jenny Slate), and she enlists the help of his friends -- the laconic dachshund Buddy (standup performer/alt-comedy actor Hannibal Buress) and the dim-witted pug Mel (SNL alum Bobby Moynihan) -- to find him. They are eventually joined on their quest by grumpy, pampered cat Chloe (actor and filmmaker Lake Bell), an intimidating fowl called Tiberius (Oscar-nominated actor/writer/director Albert Brooks), and an elderly, well-connected, somewhat incapacitated dog fittingly named Pops (sketch-comedy legend Dana Carvey). Even after they escape from temporary captivity, Max and Duke are forced to evade the clutches of a bloodthirsty rabbit named Snowball (Kevin Hart, one of the hottest comedy actors in the movies today), who commands an army of abandoned pets and is plotting revenge against both humanity and their animal brethren who have become "domesticated." All of the action takes place within the span of a single day, and the film comes up with a plot that convincingly fits into this narrow timeframe. In addition, TSLOP is almost as much of a love letter to New York City as it is to our pets, and the animation is clean and eye grabbing. Any studio can assemble comedians to read lines, but the consistently fun, often witty screenplay by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Brian Lynch makes sure that no one's time (including the viewer's) goes to waste. Hart in particular does terrific work: His excitable faux-rage has never been put to better use outside of his own standup specials, and he makes Snowball a fully realized character meant to be alternately feared and pitied. Bell and Carvey are excellent as well, as they portray two very different kinds of curmudgeons. And Slate, already well-known for her vocal work in the hugely popular comedy short Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, steals the show as the lovestruck Gidget, offering laughs for both kids and adults, as well as a strong, determined female hero for those looking for one. The film's pacing becomes an issue as it reaches the three-quarter mark, and it feels rushed at various points as it tries to wrap up its story line while keeping the runtime under 90 minutes. But for viewers willing to tolerate the movie's more harried final moments, belly laughs and some genuinely touching moments await. Pets have always managed to capture the hearts of their owners due to their loyalty and unabashed affection. The Secret Life of Pets manages to capture that spirit by imbuing its animal heroes with the gumption, faithfulness, and sense of fun that we all want to believe they still display when our eyes are turned away.