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Parents' Guide to

The Secret Life of Pets 2

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Sequel reduces dark comedy, ups laughs, keeps rude humor.

Movie PG 2019 86 minutes
The Secret Life of Pets 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 71 parent reviews

wolfgirl83
wolfgirl83 Adult
April 13, 2022
age 15+

Not For Your Children’s Ears

The only bright spot of this film was Harrison Ford. The movie falls short in everything else that we loved about the first film. There were absolutely no big laughs and the message seemed dull and tired. What angered me the most was the usage of the word “pi$$”. It was as if the writers were trying to appeal to adults by sneaking this word into the dialogue, but news flash, children’s movies are labeled that way for a reason. IT’S MEANT FOR CHILDREN! Don’t waste your time.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
Firefly D.
Firefly D. Parent of 8 and 10-year-old
June 14, 2023
age 5+
See all 71 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2, dog Max (voiced by Patton Oswalt, replacing scandal-ridden comic Louis C.K.) is consumed with worry about protecting his owner's toddler from danger. This leads to a visit to a relative's farm, where Max is challenged to face his fears. Meanwhile, outspoken bunny Snowball (Kevin Hart) believes he's a superhero and joins forces with shih tzu Daisy (Tiffany Haddish) to rescue a tiger named Hu from a cruel circus owner.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (71 ):
Kids say (58 ):

This animated sequel is basically a reworking of City Slickers, but that's the beauty of making movies for kids: Old stories are all new to them. At the farm, Max -- who's full of anxiety about the baby's safety -- meets gruff, tough older dog Rooster (Harrison Ford), who herds cattle with ease and isn't having any of Max's overcautiousness. Parents will get that the film is contrasting different kinds of parenting, but to make it more kid-relatable, Max says that the lesson is about embracing change -- even though that message doesn't exactly match up with the story.

Meanwhile, the pets who are left behind get involved in two different rescue missions, which are even lighter on messages and heavier on humor. Pomeranian Gidget (Jenny Slate) must recover a coveted toy from a nest of cats, which means going undercover as a feline -- complete with training from the aloof and seditious puss Chloe (Lake Bell). The other team is led by Snowball (Kevin Hart), who, believing he's a superhero because his child owner dresses him as one, is given a mission by a new dog, shih tzu Daisy (Tiffany Haddish). Haddish proves once again that she's the perfect foil to Hart, and their chemistry creates lots of laughs while also showcasing their unique sense of teamwork. People who watched the original The Secret Life of Pets generally fell into two camps: those who loved it and those who found it to be average (and maybe a little too scary). This sequel is a slight departure and most likely will result in those camps switching their opinions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how parents choose to allow their kids to play: Do parents let kids run loose and face potential injury, or do they rein them in to make sure they stay safe? What are the pros and cons of each approach?

  • How do Daisy and Snowball use teamwork to save Hu? How does Gidget prepare to recover the toy? Do you think teamwork is used in that scenario? Why or why not?

  • At the end of the film, Max says, "you never know what life is going to throw at you," and that you can deal with it by "running away from it" or "run at it." What does he mean? Have you faced any big choices?

  • How do Gidget and Daisy separately show perseverance? Why is that an important character strength?

  • How does this movie compare to the original? Which do you prefer, and why?

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