This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Housepets have terrible short-term memory, and the makers of the shamelessly derivative animated tale "The Secret Life of Pets" must think moviegoers do, too.
Director Chris Renaud, who made the "Despicable Me" films, starts with the question "What do pets do all day when their owners aren't around?" — and the answer is remarkably close to what Pixar learned when it asked, "What do toys do all day when nobody's around?" in "Toy Story."
The movie introduces Max (voiced by Louis C.K.), a loyal dog to Katie (voiced by Ellie Kemper) who is upset when she brings home a new dog, Duke (voiced by Eric Stonestreet). The script, stealing liberally from the Woody/Buzz dynamic, sends the bickering pair far from Katie's New York apartment, and they must put aside their issues to brave a passel of stray animals (led by a psychotic bunny voiced by Kevin Hart) and get home.
Apart from a few funny sight gags and some good comic performances (including Jenny Slate as a love-struck puffball and Dana Carvey as an old hound dog), this copycat movie doesn't know any new tricks.
'The Secret Life of Pets'
Opens Friday, July 8, in theaters everywhere; rated PG for action and some rude humor; 87 minutes, plus a 4-minute short, "Mower Minions."