Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Animated pet tale falls flat; violence, mild language.
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Pets United
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 26 parent reviews
Based on 22 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is generally viewed as poorly made, with many labeling it as a waste of time due to its boring plot, unlikeable characters, and poor animation quality. While a few reviews mention some positive aspects, such as the villain's design, the overwhelming consensus is that it lacks creativity and fails to engage its intended audience, often being compared unfavorably to better films in the genre.
- bad animation
- boring plot
- unlikable characters
- low quality
- avoid watching
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Stray dog Roger (voiced by Patrick Roche) is wanted for thievery by the robot police of Robo City in PETS UNITED. He's used to living on the streets and doing things his own way, so he's unsure about taking on the robot pet, Bob (Felix Auer), who escaped the scrap metal pile and has attached himself to Roger. But Bob proves to be very useful at helping Roger escape the police, especially when the evil city mayor (Eddie Marsan) expels all humans and non-robots from Robo City and a handful of pets find themselves left behind. They include pampered cat Belle (Natalie Dormer), narcissistic poodle Ronaldo (Jeff Burrell), flirty pig Sophie (Teresa Gallagher), and fearful pug Walter (Harvey Friedman). When Bob sacrifices himself to the robot police to save his new friends, the pets put their own lives in danger to get him back.
Is It Any Good?
Pets United feels entirely familiar and yet strangely foreign at the same time; something is just a little off. A motley crew of animals sets out to save the day and avoid capture by stray-snatchers, much like in The Secret Life of Pets. A wise, bearded animal who looks a lot like Kung Fu Panda's Master Shifu offers guidance. A snooty and pampered female pet falls for a big-hearted scamp of a stray, like in The Lady and the Tramp. And so on. You'd think you could guess what was going to happen based on the references, but Pets United is not so predictable. In a children's film, that's not always a good thing.
The ending tosses out several competing morals related to respecting nature and fearing robots, but it's too little, too late after an hour and a half of action for characters that we mostly don't care much about. The European clichés could be off-putting, an unexpected rap song from zoo animals seems out of place, and one animal's obsession with beauty enhancements feels inappropriate for younger viewers. The ending also has a moment of vengeance that seems unsuitable. On the plus side, the animation is attractive, some of the characters have endearing foibles, and there are a few heartening or fun moments.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about other films that feature pets uniting to save the day, like Pets United. Did any of the animal characters remind you of others from animated films you've watched?
The evil robot posing as the city mayor can't stand imperfections or messy human emotions. What messages do you think the filmmakers were trying to get across about artificial intelligence or robots with this character?
What did you think of Robo City? What caught your attention in the animation?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 11, 2020
- Cast : Natalie Dormer , Eddie Marsan , Jeff Burrell
- Director : Reinhard Klooss
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : China Film
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Animals , Robots
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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