Review: 'The Secret Life of Pets 2' more of the same, not that it matters

Universal Pictures, 2019.

What's there to say about a movie like this? Kids will like it, adults probably won't. Even so, the money it's set to make for Universal will rain in like...well...cats and dogs.

Grade: C

If watching animals voiced by celebrities, going around on secret missions is your thing, than you're going to love "The Secret Life of Pets 2." As a film, it's an episodic follow-up to the hit first film, which brought in an astounding 368 million dollars in 2016. The original voice cast - featuring Patton Oswalt, Jenny Slate, Dana Carvey, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell and Kevin Hart as the rappin' bunny Snowball - is all back in action. Adding to the "fun" are new characters voiced by none other than Tiffany Haddish and Harrison Ford.

Seriously, what can be said? This time around, the pets go to live at a farm, attempt to break-in to a cat lady's apartment and try to rescue a snow tiger from a circus. Is this really what goes on when us humans are away? The clever "day-to-day" observations and humor work quite well, like when we get some scenes between the dog and his adjusting to having a new child around. These moments should be the center of the story, but instead this film series has a tendency to go off-track and into Nickelodeon-style-hijinks.  Whatever. The kids will most certainly be entertained.

"The Secret Life of Pets 2" isn't the sort of film that contains life lessons, or even teachable moments. It's mostly innocent, harmless fun. Put in another way: There have been better kid movies made that appeal in a greater way to adults. With no actual purpose and nothing substantial to do, look for this franchise to pop out another film every couple years like a dog in heat.

Grade: C

Genre: Family, Animated, Adventure.
Run Time: 1 hour 26 minutes.
Rated PG.

Starring: Patton Oswalt, Jenny Slate, Kevin Hart, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell, Harrison Ford, Tiffany Haddish, Dana Carvey.

Directed by Chris Renaud and Jonathan del Val.

"The Secret Life of Pets 2" opens everywhere on Friday, June 7th, 2019.