THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 4K Blu-ray Review

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital HD)

Release Date: December 6, 2016

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Video: 1.85:1 2160p Widescreen

Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 Core), Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, English DVS 2.0

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special Features - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
The burning question: Does 4K suit these animal friends?

Reviewed by Gavin King

Hi, my name is Gavin and I love animated movies. Enough said. Yup, that's all you'll need to know about my movie tastes. I grew up with the genre, as most kids of my age did, but there was something special about anthropomorphic characters that just resonated with me and struck with me to age 14 - soon to be 15. I was born in the early 2000's, so, no, I didn't grow up with characters like Belle and Beast or the Iron Giant, but even the slightly more modern flicks such as Up still hold a place in the elementary-school childhood of mine, where I excitedly counted down the days until the film's theatrical release and annoyed my first grade teacher about it coming out in x days. I'm not as, well, for lack of a better term, infantile today as I was in my older years, but I've still got a truckload of animation DNA in me. Animation is in my blood, my heart, my brain, and my soul. I love the techniques, tricks, and odds and ends that go into each of today's great CGI-animated adventures - as well some hard-to-find but equally astounding uses of stop-motion, claymation, and, of course, the lovable 2D drawings. Many of my friends prefer the live-action film base, and while I undoubtedly love films from that type, animation has always been a get-go sort of mainstay for me. Recent additions to the genre like Big Hero 6, Inside Out, and The Lego Movie have earned a spot on my animated-movie hall-of-fame as some of the most heartfelt, funny, and downright terrific films to come out of what has been slumping to an irritating, boring splosh of uninspired retreads and dull, heartless sequels or follow-ups. The Secret Life of Pets earns a spot on that caliber. It's a hilarious, irresistible, and buoyant adventure about the lives our pets lead when we leave for school, work, or errands each day. It's the zenith of the perfect animated film. Beautifully animated, bursting with laugh-a-minute gags, and perfectly voiced, it's one of the best - if not, the best - films I've seen in a year of otherwise disappointing sequels and sluggish, uninteresting cash-grabs. It's a film that offers out huge promise for Chris Meledandri's Illumination Entertainment in the future, and one that gives strong proof that Chris Renaud is one of the finest, most engaging directors working in the animated movie industry today.

"Tiny dog?"

Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) is a Jack Russell Terrier who lives with his friendly owner, Katie (voiced by Ellie Kemper). The two go together like peanut butter and jelly, sunny days and baseball games... you get the idea. There's just one little problem; when Katie has to leave the Manhattan apartment the duo lives in every day, Max is sad! He misses loyal owner and wants her to come back home ASAP to play ball, cuddle up in bed, and just be together as only owner and dog can. Luckily, he's got his next-door-neighbor pet friends - apathetic, obese blue Tabby cat Chloe (voiced by Lake Bell), spazzy squirrel-hating pug Mel (voiced by Bobby Moynihan), cake-mixer-savvy Dachshund Buddy (voiced by Hannibal Buress), pipe-traveling Guinea Pig Norman (voiced by Chris Renaud), and high-flyin' Budgie bird Sweetpea (voiced by Tara Strong). One day, Katie finally comes home from her long day, and Max is super-duper excited to see his owner again... only to reveal a new dog?! That's right, Katie brings home a huge, sloppy Newfoundland named Duke (voiced by Eric Stonestreet), and immediately, Max isn't happy. Duke hogs Max's dog bed, steals his blanket, and eats out of his dog food dish. Max stresses his anger to Duke, and Duke doesn't appreciate Max trying to get his spot as the "top dog" back. But during a daily trip to the dog park, the big, gruff Duke snaps Max into the urban jungle of the Big Apple. They're soon caught by the (gasp!) animal control, and it looks like they'll be stuck in the pound forever, until... a maniacal bunny named Snowball (voiced by Kevin Hart) comes to save the day! However, Snowball's got other big plans. He's part of an underground crew known as the one and only Flushed Pets, a tribe of abandoned animals seeking revenge for their long-lost owners who neglected them. Back in the apartments, Max's neighbor, white, fluffy Pomeranian Gidget (voiced by Jenny Slate), soon notices Max's disappearance. She's got a huge crush on Max and would take a bullet to the brain for him. She riles up her new avian friend, Tiberius (voiced by Albert Brooks) and Max's pals - Mel, Buddy, Sweetpea, Chloe, Norman - and party-thrower, elderly Basset Hound Pops (voiced by Dana Carvey), to find and save Max through the hustle and bustle of New York City, all while Max and Duke go through many trials and tribulations to get back to the place they call home - and even become the best of buddies on the way.

The Secret Life of Pets is one of those rare breeds (pun intended!) of animated movies where it appeals greatly to both kids and adults. Children will laugh along with the pets' actions, laugh-a-minute moments, and wildly fun escapes from Snowball and his maniacal minions. The parents in the audience will likely get a kick out of the pets' jokes about how their owners treat them, e.g. in one scene where pug Mel tells the story of how his owner fed him a "small white pill" and how it made him woozy and gave him hallucinations. Director Chris Renaud keeps this in mind smartly and swiftly throughout the film, and pays a lot of homage to the way dogs act, cats react, birds tweet, and other iconic animal instincts. There's a great scene involving Max and Duke having hungry stomachs, and they notice a person sitting on a bench eating a sandwich. The two give the ever-adorable "puppy eyes", begging for the food. The movie interprets a lot of these fun little "typical pet" nods throughout the film, even with subtleties such as the way the characters walk or wagging tails. The film also explores some things the pets "secretly enjoy" whilst we're gone on our day jobs. They're hilariously executed, with one of my favorites being when Buddy the Dachshund uses a cake mixer as a massage machine.

Max looks in awe as his new girlfriend beats up some sewer animals.

Much of the success in The Secret Life of Pets comes courtesy of the film's terrific voice cast. Now here is a film in which the cast has a ton of fun utilizing their talents to great extent in an animated film and actually benefits the as a narrative and technical whole. Louis C.K. is exceptional as our main character, Max. He's lovably enthusiastic and works extraordinarily well achieving personality from the dog beyond the screenwriters' intentions. Much of the voice performances here come from comedians, and it shows. The benefit of their comedic talents helps them accentuate a hilarious likability that'll leave audiences having a difficult time picking which character they love best in the film. If there's one voice performance that really shines here among the myriad of talents, it's, in this reviewer's opinion, Jenny Slate as the adorable Gidget. Slate's shined in roles in films like Obvious Child, and it's really neat to see her transfer from raunchy adult comedy to family-friendly fun like this. She converts flawlessly. It's easy to mistake her being a veteran voice actress rather than a raucous comedy player. There's an irresistible voice crack to Gidget that just makes her such a lovable character. She's my favorite in the film and is sure to ace in 2018's The Secret Life of Pets 2.

The movie is a technical marvel from frame one. Illumination Entertainment seems to be getting better and better with each animated film they produce quality-wise, and The Secret Life of Pets is undoubtedly the best of the bunch. There's so much hard work and talent going into these productions that it's a large shame it gets unnoticed by general movie-watchers worldwide. But in the end, The Secret Life of Pets is what animated movies are all about. It's got plenty of heart and will leave a soft spot in even the most undemanding viewers. This especially tugs the heartstrings during the film's end which showcases all of the pets finally reuniting with their owners after a long day. It's arguably one of the most heartwarming animated movie scenes to ever hit the big screen in terms of the genre. Better yet, it's played to Bill Withers' wonderful song, Lovely Day. What's not to love? One could argue that the film borrows too much from Toy Story, but I actually believe this is one of the film's strengths; it's the 1995 film for a new generation, mixed together perfectly with exceptional character development, expert pacing, gorgeous visuals, and a marvelous score by Alexandre Desplat. Essentially, this is a film for everyone. Pet lovers will become obsessed with it. Kids will love it. Adults won't be disappointed. Animation gurus will laugh and cry. The Secret Life of Pets is my favorite movie of 2016 so far.


THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 4K Blu-ray - Video Quality

Now that I officially have my 4K TV set up, the big question remains: does The Secret Life of Pets look great on the ultra-high-definition format? Yes. It's not a huge step forward - to be fair, the film was finished on a 2K digital intermediate - but some details are clearly a bit finer, such as Max's almost leather-like dog nose, the typical animal fur, or even a windowsill Chloe is trying to get her fat self through in chapter two. We can now fully see Gidget's expression through her penthouse as she desperately tries to get the attention of Max as he climbs up the building's fire escape. There's also a bit more pronounced depth to the image. A good example is in chapter four when Gidget looks out her window to see Max and the other dogs being walked on the sidewalk.

The UHD also features some colors that are well-acquainted with the film itself and showcase some neat material for what UHD has to offer. Ozone's pink is a tad brighter and more natural-looking. Aerial views of the city showcase some uniquely natural lighting that makes the New York cities the film takes place in a bit more believable. The underground sewers in chapter eleven show off some excellent lighting that almost makes the sewers look like a highway tunnel in terms of lighting. Water in the lake is also improved in terms of color. It's a more natural blue rather than an ever-so-slightly gaudy one seen in the original Blu-ray release. Black levels in the sewer are appreciably deep and even a tad improved on the 4K release. No compression issues were noticed other than extremely minor aliasing, but it's so infrequent and could be a source fluke. This is by no means an absolutely gripping, totally mind-boggling presentation, but it's a very, very good first step into the arena of UHD - and not a bad starter disc for anyone new to the format.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 4K Blu-ray - Audio Quality

This 4K release also features the same Dolby Atmos track from the original 2D release of the film. Don't dare underestimate the aural power of The Secret Life of Pets's Dolby Atmos lossless soundtrack, which - for an animated adventure not bursting with explosions or laser guns - gets pretty damn forceful at times. The film starts off with Taylor Swift's hit song, "Welcome to New York", and it sounds fantastic. The entire stage is complimented with aggressive treatment of the musical number that takes full advantage of the fronts and surrounds. This goes with the film's other uses of iconic songs, particularly Stayin' Alive and No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn, which completely wrap the soundstage with exceptional clarity and some deep bass notes as well. That bass kicks in on a number of great moments, a real highlight being the beginning of the film in which Leonard's stereo blasts heavy metal music. Surround activity is an absolute highlight on this track. Sweetpea the Budgie flutters from one side to the other. Dogs and cats laugh and party at Pops' place. Katie unlocks the apartment door. The film's sound mixers have done a remarkable job at taking full advantage of the soundfield - and the overheads - and giving the onscreen elements a lifelike, immersive element. Environmental atmospherics are impressively robust and outstandingly detailed. A New York City dog park springs to sonic life with the sounds of dogs barking, people talking, and light traffic passing. The Flushed Pets' sewers envelop the viewer into the environment with water dripping, pipes creaking, and character reverberation. Even lighter, less audible background noises such as apartment room noise are still effortlessly detailed and widely presented to create a pleasantly realistic experience. Of course, dialogue is constantly crisp, clear, and ultra-sharp, skillfully prioritized throughout the stage, even enjoying moments where their voice is all over the stage. This is an exceptional, utmost flawless soundtrack that does the film's fun sound design prodigiously well - and offers further proof that Illumination isn't fooling around with transporting a viewer from the home theater to the environment the film takes place in.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 4K Blu-ray - Special Features

Note that special features are not available on the 4K UHD Blu-ray. They are only available on the included original Blu-ray disc.

- The Humans That Brought You Pets The main people behind the film explain a bit about the movie - Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, Chris Renaud, Yarrow Cheney, Brian Lynch.

- Animals Can Talk: Meet the Actors The voice actors behind the film are interviewed about their roles, and show their performances in the recording booth.

- All About the Pets Animal Trainer Molly O'Neal and voice actors Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart take a peek at some real life animals.

- Hairstylist to the Dogs Pet groomer Jess Rona and Eric Stonestreet groom some dogs to make them look spiffy, but especially, cute.

- How to Make an Animated Film is a brief but interesting look at the processes that make The Secret Life of Pets the animated film it came to be to this day.

- Anatomy of a Scene is a piece that takes a really interesting look at the technical aspects of what goes into a rendered product of the movie.

- The Best of Snowball "It's like a club, but with bitin' and scratchin'!"

- "Lovely Day" Lyric Video is a fun little lyric video to Bill Withers' classic song.

- Hot Dog Sing Along A karaoke-like sing-along to that gleefully trippy sausage land song.

- Fandango - Brian the Minion on Pets consists of three parts. Three minions watch clips from The Secret Life of Pets, while Brian the Minion tries his best not to be distracted by their trademark silliness. Things... let's just say don't end up too well for our buddy Brian.

- GoPro - The Secret Life of Pets is a spot of the pets mimicking what real life people do with GoPro cameras.

- Sing Movie Trailer Fun fact - I saw this at a Saturday morning screening! My opinion on the movie, you ask? That'll have to wait for the Blu-ray review.

- 3 Mini-Movies include the following:

Norman Television The Guinea Pig, Norman, watches what he thinks is TV through the air vents in the pipes he walks through. Really, it's just other rooms in the apartment building.

Weenie Poor Timmy the tiny hot dog is picked on! But with the help of the land's mayor, he'll learn that it's okay to be a Weenie.

Mower Minions was actually released theatrically before The Secret Life of Pets. The minions want to buy a high-tech blender, but in order to raise the money, they mow lawns at a seniors' house. Things... predictably go awry.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 4K Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

The Secret Life of Pets is a perfect movie that's likely to entertain all ages. It's filled to the brim with excellent voice performances, wonderful animation, hilarious gags, and a consistently joyful sense of irresistible positivity the film thrives on. It's a film that goes to show that Pixar isn't the only great animation studio in business today and embraces the Illumination standard that it's okay to be silly. However, it's also a film that speaks out to pet owners everywhere. This is a film that lovingly showcases the themes of togetherness, even if they're non-human. It's a remarkable film from start to finish and colorful fun for all ages to enjoy. Universal's 4K UHD Blu-ray is quite nice. Are non-4K viewers missing out on this movie? A little bit. It's a mild but noticeable improvement on the regular 1080p Blu-ray, sporting finer details and more natural colors that fits the film very well. The audio mix is very aggressive and is sure to leave a smile on all audiophiles' faces. The supplemental package doesn't disappoint, too, offering up some brief, but largely entertaining and informative. I'll just say it again: The Secret Life of Pets is my favorite movie of the year so far. If you're a newbie to 4K like me, The Secret Life of Pets isn't a bad place to start. The Secret Life of Pets absolutely deserves my highest recommendation.