Worth the wait. And Gidget ROCKS!

Rating: 7/10 (8 July 2016)

I note, happily, that some of the best character driven films of the past 10 years are animated: "The Incredibles", "Finding Nemo" and especially "Inside Out" (the real "Best Picture" of 2015) stand tall among a bounty of films where the plot serves the development of the characters and their relationships. Add "The Secret Life of Pets" to that list.
While not as good as the previously mentioned movies, "...Pets" holds its own: It is entertaining, gorgeous to look at and by the film's end developed in me a sincere affection for several of the characters. Especially Gidget, and I'll get to her shortly.
Opening with a spectacular animated sequence featuring New York City backed by Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" (the city might want to consider picking Swift's tribute as its new anthem) the Big Apple has never looked better. A smooth segue leads into an extended sequence which will be familiar and welcomed by anyone who has seen the trailer for the film. This is what we came for. Or at least me. I first saw the trailer a year ago (a preview before "Minions") and still fall out every time I see Buddy the Dachshund get massaged. This opening provides a satisfying, hilarious and comprehensive introduction to many of the main characters before the movie slowly starts losing its way.
The rest of the film is like many sketch comedy shows: There's a lot of material and it is uneven. There are many good, smart laughs:
Snowball the Psychotic Bunny: "From now on, YOU WORK FOR ME!"
Max: "That could be a fun challenge."
-and:
Pops (an aging Basset Hound): "Maybe you have time, but for me, every breath is a cliff hanger. So I need to take a short cut." Pops steps off the edge of a building!
Chloe (unperturbed): "Okay, so the short cut was death."
But there are a few scenes, such as a very dark and disturbing interrogation/initiation scene, that miss the mark by a lot.
For me, the second and third acts of the movie were made worthwhile by the character of Gidget, an adorable white ball of fluff with a heart of darkness. Again and again Gidget steps up and drops hell on anyone and anything that blocks her path to her UhmEr, Max. (An UhmEr is a person who you really, really like but about whom you are uncertain of the status of your relationship, as in: "This is Max, he's my Uhmmm...Errr"). Gidget is the focus of one of the best visual sequences in the movie: When the entire Flushed Pets Gang tries to capture Gidget and the rest of her rescue party, Gidget lets loose her inner Rottweiler in a sequence that owes a great deal to Tex Avery and Chuck Jones. Gidget finishes addressing this problem with an attitude of sincere appreciation for the co-operation of by-standers and victims alike that I found winning and upbeat, and almost made me choke with laughter. GIDGET ROCKS!
Aside from getting me to smile almost constantly from beginning to end, the greatest accomplishment of "The Secret Life of Pets" came near the film's close. No spoiler here, but a plot twist involving a major character reversal nearly undid a suspenseful scene until I flipped my switch from cynical to hopeful. I think kids, especially tween-agers will appreciate this scene because it reflects what many of them (if I remember being a tween-ager with reasonable accuracy) believe about friendship. There is a saying: "A stranger is a friend I haven't made yet," and this key plot development speaks to that profound desire.
The above referenced event also sets up one of the most satisfying moments in the movie's epilogue. Any "Tiny Toons Adventures" fans out there? If so, you'll probably recognize the homage to Elmyra, the over-enthusiastic pet lover of Tiny Toons fame. Here, Elmyra finally gets the pet that is perfect for her, and for we of the audience, it is a happy moment.
"The Secret Life of Pets" is not a great movie: I rate it 7 Stars. But it is a fun film with lots to laugh at, so much visual detail that multiple viewings on BluRay are definitely in order, and enough heart to make me glad I'm not too jaded to enjoy it.
OH! And like "Minions" last summer, my viewing of "...Pets" was preceded by a trailer for Illumination Films next big release, this winter's "Sing." I think "Best Animated Feature" could be in Illumination's future.