SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2

It was a bitter sweet moment for my daughter watching THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 at the movie theater. She was so excited to be invited to an advance showing of this animated movie before its official theatrical release on June 7. But this was also a movie that my daughter had planned on going on a special outing with her grandmother to see.

My mother-in-law has been the primary babysitter for my kids since they were infants. She loved watching the Secret Life of Pets on DVD with my daughter when carrying for the children over at our house. They watched that movie countless times together and it provided a special bond between the two of them! So when they discovered last year a sequel was coming out this summer they of course made plans for a fun time out on the town for the two of them to enjoy seeing the new movie together. Unfortunately, my kids' grandma unexpectedly passed away a few weeks after seeing the trailer for THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2.

Going to see the movie was an emotional experience for the whole family. Some tears were shed while watching show not because the movie was sad or bad but because it brought back some memories of my children's grandmother. After the movie, my daughter said to me "grandma would have like it" and smiled. That is probably the best endorsement I can give THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 is full of laughs and heartwarming moments. This sequel had a lot to live up to and it wasn't a disappointment. It is sure to be a candidate for my kids favorite movie of the year. In fact as we were leaving the theater my son asked if we could add it to our home video collection because he wanted to keep watching it over and over again. My daughter seconded that motion. Because of how enjoyable this film was to watch and the connection our family has developed with this movie franchise, THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 absolutely gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval.

The movie's story revolves around Max the terrier who 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 has several fragmented adventures for the rest of its cast of characters that divide them up through most of the movie. Yet it brings them all together in the end for an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Snowball the bunny evolves from the villain of the original movie to a super buddy to the rest of the characters in this film and his scenes were some of my favorite.



The Motion Picture Association of America gave a PG rating to THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 for action sequences and rude humor.  In my opinion this is a very family-friendly movie suitable for viewing by audience of all ages. That being said, the pretentious mommy blogger who sat next to us during the screening of the film had to leave the theater midway through the show as the two toddlers she brought with her were crying and screaming in terror about some scary looking wolves that were tumbling about chasing after Snowball in a scene. If you are taking really young children that is a heads up; though there were a lot of young kids in the theater who weren't phased at all by these wolves. Guess that is why parental guidance is recommended!

All in all we had a great experience watching this movie and THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 is well worth the cost of admission to see on the big screen while it is at theaters. For more information, head over to secretlifeofpets.com or follow @petsmovie on Twitter. If you are on Twitter, give us a follow too over at @Geekdad248