Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Max the terrier must cope with some major life changes when his owner gets married and has a baby. When the family takes a trip to the countryside, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his neuroses.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 is a serviceable but unremarkable animated sequel that splits its narrative across three loosely connected storylines, diluting focus and reducing emotional stakes. The Max-learns-to-be-brave arc is predictable, and the Snowball superhero subplot feels tacked on. Voice performances are competent and energetic, with Harrison Ford's gruff Rooster being a standout addition. Visually it matches the polished Illumination house style but offers little that distinguishes it from the first film or other studio animation. The ending ties threads together without much payoff, and the film overall plays as a safe, formulaic follow-up that adds little to the original's concept.