• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Eat Play Rock

Eat Play Rock

For all that rocks!

  • Home
  • Food
  • Music
  • Entertainment
    • Sports
  • Interviews
  • Travel
  • Tech

The Secret Life Of Pets {Starring Kevin Hart} Movie Review + Movie Theater Etiquette Tips

July 19, 2016 by Dawn McAlexander

The Secret Life Of Pets {Starring Kevin Hart} Movie Review #TheSecretLifeOfPets

I am such an animal lover. Every time I travel, I try to do something with animals – whether it be an excursion in another country to see capuchin monkeys or a zoo at home to see otters – animals are always a must see. As for my pets, I always try to imagine what they are thinking and how they interpret things going on around them in their everyday lives. I imagine my chihuahua, Puppy Mister, is a Latin Casanova who loves to say things like “Mi amore” and “Mi corazon, while he flirts with our other dog, Daisy Baby. Unimpressed by Puppy Mister’s flirtations, she mostly ignores him. But Puppy Mister thinks that deep down inside she really does find him adorable and is just trying to play hard to get. And perhaps he is right.

If you love pets the way I do then this is definitely the movie for you. If you don’t love pets the way that I do, this is still the movie for you. And there is something wrong with you. I kid. ๐Ÿ˜›

Have you seen #TheSecretLifeofPets yet? https://t.co/62SV4jjX9ohttps://t.co/PqvI9el85l

— TheSecretLifeofPets (@PetsMovie) July 13, 2016

The Secret Life Of Pets Movie Review

The Secret Life Of Pets, starring Kevin Hart, Louis CK, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate and Eric Stonestreet, shares what it’s like for pets from their perspective. They sit at home all day while their humans go to work, quietly minding their own business. Not. While the humans are away, the cats will play. And the dogs. And the iguanas, And the bunnies. And the birds. And on and on…

These animals have experiences and full lives, much like their humans, in an apartment full of different species of animal friends. They usually get into a little bit of mischief when their humans are away but nothing major. The Secret Life Of Pets catches the pets on an off day though, with the introduction of a new, huge dog {Duke} to a household with only a small dog {Max} and his human.

Unfortunately, Max and Duke do not get along well at all. Because of this, they find themselves in dangerous situations outside of the apartment and this is where their story of friendship begins.

Stop staring and head to the theater to see #TheSecretLifeofPets now!

A photo posted by The Secret Life Of Pets (@secretlifeofpets) on Jul 10, 2016 at 5:56pm PDT

My Thoughts

This is a really cute movie. I saw it on the same day as I watched The Shallows, so that was an interesting day. Naturally, I loved that The Secret Life Of Pets had a chihuahua in it. He was shaky just like mine and looked a lot like Puppy Mister, too, so that was pretty funny. I do wish the chihuahua was featured more, though. *Sniff*

I love Duke. What kind of dog is that? Wow! He is huge! My favorite pet was Max though. He was a little sweetie and I felt so sorry for him when Duke showed up. We had Puppy Mister before we had Daisy Baby and I wonder if he felt the same way when she was introduced. Animals have to adjust to so much and we just have no idea what they are going through sometimes.

I also loved the headbanging poodle. Ha! Rock on, you cute, white ball of fluff, you. Rock on!

This is a great movie for the whole family. We didn’t take any small children but there were tons of them in the movie theater. They all seemed to enjoy it. Also, there will be something else going on during the credits. We didn’t think there would be and heard a small piece of it as we were leaving the theater. So, you might want to stick around for that.

Now For The Soapbox On Movie Theater Etiquette

Please stop reading if you do not like soapboxes. If you do like soapboxes and would like to either comment on mine or get on your own, please read on and then share in the comments below.

*Gets On Soapbox*

I don’t often give advice about how to behave in public on the blog but I just wanted to share this. Jay and I got into the theater before the previews so that we could pick where we wanted to sit. This family of 3 came in as the movie was starting and asked us to move over one seat so that they could sit together. That put us right next to another couple, which wasn’t necessary. There were plenty of other places where this family of 3 could have sat together. We went ahead and moved to be nice. And, almost instantly, we regretted it. These parents let their kid run around the movie theater the entire time – totally disrupting our experience, as well as others’ I am sure.

1. If you want to sit in a certain spot, get there early enough so that you can. Then others can decide whether they want to sit beside you or not.

2. Don’t feel that you are entitled to a certain place to sit just because you breathe. Or that you bought a movie ticket. I also breathe, I also bought a ticket AND I got there early.

3. And, finally, please watch your kids. I am not a babysitter and neither are the theater staff. Don’t let your child throw popcorn on the floor and leave it. That is rude. Don’t let your child run in and out of the theater. Who will you blame if your child gets abducted? Me? What if your child falls and gets hurt? Will you sue the theater?

I think next time I am asked to move when there are other seats available, I will either say, “I am not supposed to be out in public,” and give them the creepy face Bill Hader does on Saturday Night Live or I will start screaming, “NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOO! NOOOOOO!” like Michael Scott did when Toby returned to work on The Office. I think these are the only kinds of responses this entitled type of person will understand. What do you think?

*Gets Off Soapbox*

Back to our regularly scheduled blog, already in progress…

Have You Seen The Secret Life Of Pets? What Did You Think? Do You Have Any Tips On Movie Theater Etiquette That You Would Like To Share?

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: #TheSecretLifeOfPets, Bill Hader, Daisy Baby, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Kevin Hart, Lake Bell, Louis CK, Michael Scott, Puppy Mister, Saturday Night Live, The Office, The Secret Life Of Pets

About Dawn McAlexander

Dawn has been a music lover her entire life. She went to college in Boone, NC, an area that is rich in music and culture. She also worked as a radio deejay for 10 years and grew up in Southeastern, Va, a melting pot of different musical styles and traditions. She has been to more concerts than she can count in every genre you can imagine. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, Kenny, and their dog, Marley, and cat, TJ.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

    July 19, 2016 at 10:42 am

    We’re going to see Secret Life of Pets this weekend, and we’re all excited about it. Even my husband can’t wait to see it.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:21 pm

      I hope that you and your family enjoy it when you go see it. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Lesley says

    July 19, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    I really like Kevin Hart and this movie does look super cute. I think I’ll head to the theater today for some movie time with my daughter at something we both can enjoy.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:19 pm

      Yay! If you went to see it, I hope that you enjoyed it.

  3. Monica says

    July 19, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    I can’t wait to see this movie with my kids! It looks fantastic!

  4. Roxanne says

    July 19, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    I would recommend expecting there to be children at a movie rated PG. Parents can’t always control their kids, but they can remove them when the behavior becomes disruptive to other movie goers. I was very disappointed in the way this movie was marketed. There was a lot of gang life references and characters punching each other to get their way. None of that was in any of the previews I watched. So I was disappointed taking my 5 year olds to see it as their very first theater movie. ๐Ÿ™ I want a do-over. LOL

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:18 pm

      Oh no, I am sorry that you had a bad experience. I didn’t have small children, so I didn’t have that to worry about.

  5. Heather @ Country Life, City Wife says

    July 19, 2016 at 4:14 pm

    I have not seen this movie, but I really want to. I have a bearded dragon and a frilled dragon and I wonder what they’re thinking all of the time LOL!

  6. Ana Cristina Mariรฑo says

    July 19, 2016 at 4:48 pm

    I haven’t seen the movie but I am dying to! I love animals and I love kid’d movies. I recently watched Finding Dory and I died!! I love this kinds of movies and the trailer of The Secret Life of Pets made me laugh a lot. It is definitely in y “watch list”

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:16 pm

      I haven’t seen Finding Dory yet but hope to very soon. ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Terri Steffes says

    July 19, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    We saw the movie too! I was in love with it until the movie went in the sewer. Literally! I was hoping to see a bunch of different antics about pets at home. Anyway, I have to tell you, I had a similar experience at a ball game. My husband and I bought these great seats and we were sitting there so happy and a mom came over and said, I need you to trade seats with us so we can all sit together. My husband, the softy, said sure, and when we got to our seats, nope, they were not good. I wanted to go back and confront the mom but my husband said no. NEVER AGAIN.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:16 pm

      Oh no, I hate that for you. Some people just feel so entitled.

  8. Beeb Ashcroft says

    July 19, 2016 at 5:36 pm

    I haven’t gotten to see it yet but can’t wait to take the kids and make a movie night out of it. Great review!

  9. Jeanine says

    July 19, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    This looks SO cute. My kids have talked about it a few times so I can’t wait to get them out to see it. I think it will be so much fun for them, and myself! We just love animals and have so many pets. It will be great!

  10. Amy @ Marvelous Mommy says

    July 19, 2016 at 7:03 pm

    My girls can’t wait to see this movie, and I’m pretty excited to see it too! It looks hilarious, and I love Kevin Hart!

  11. Toughcookiemommy says

    July 19, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    I love that the animal characters in this movie have full lives like people. It’s a great way to make them seem more lifelike and credible to the audience.

  12. Val says

    July 19, 2016 at 8:40 pm

    The animals in this movie just look so funny. I must check this out when it’s released. I bet it has quite a few giggle worthy moments!

  13. tp keane says

    July 19, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    I can’t wait to see this movie. We’re actually going tomorrow. My 11 year old and 8 year old can’t wait. Sounds so funny.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:13 pm

      I hope that you enjoy it when you see it tomorrow. ๐Ÿ™‚

  14. Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says

    July 19, 2016 at 8:48 pm

    I saw the trailer of this movie and I thought it’s really hilarious. I still need to see it.

  15. Liz Mays says

    July 19, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    I haven’t seen this but I thought the trailer was cute. It’s crazy that people don’t have some sort of common understanding of movie theater etiquette lol!

  16. Cynthia @craftoflaughter says

    July 19, 2016 at 10:00 pm

    I am so anxious to see this movie! We have seen the preview several times and each time I get more excited. Hopefully this weekend! I have always wondered what my pets do when I’m out! I agree with your soap box. Some people have no manners and are raising their children to be just as rude,

  17. Carolyn says

    July 19, 2016 at 10:19 pm

    That is so weird that they would ask you to move when there were other seats. Some people have no sense of personal space or manners. I have started avoiding movie theaters because of all the noise. I can’t wait to buy this move so we can all watch it at home as many times as we like. I think everyone in our family will love it.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:12 pm

      I thought so, too. I would NEVER do that if there were other seats available. *shaking my head*

  18. Toni | BoulderLocavore.com says

    July 19, 2016 at 10:20 pm

    I can’t wait for this movie! We love animated movies with a great lesson!

  19. Toni | BoulderLocavore.com says

    July 19, 2016 at 10:21 pm

    We love animated movies with a great lesson! Kids and adults alike will surely love this! Can’t wait!

  20. Blythe Alpern says

    July 19, 2016 at 10:30 pm

    I completely agree with your soapbox. People seem to think the movie theater is their living room, it’s not. This is why I usually wait for kid’s movies to come out on DVD or Netflix. Can’t wait to see The Secret Life of Pets. It looks so cute.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:11 pm

      It really was good. I think I will buy it when it comes out and watch it again from the comfort of my home. ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. Jamie says

    July 19, 2016 at 11:15 pm

    We saw this movie and loved the pets and the humor, but we thought some parts were just a bit too serious for little kids and to be in an animation. Just our opinion that they kind of dragged the movie out. I completely am with you on the etiquette!

  22. Debra says

    July 19, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    My animal loving children are going to absolutely love this movie. We can’t wait to go see it as a family!

  23. Melisasource says

    July 19, 2016 at 11:33 pm

    I really enjoyed Secret life of pets. I agree that it was great for the whole family/anyone and if you haven’t seen it, you should!

  24. Nikki Wayne says

    July 20, 2016 at 1:22 am

    I am an animal lover but I don’t own any due to allergic reasons. I like to see this movie with my hubby and son.

  25. jill conyers says

    July 20, 2016 at 3:26 am

    If the child was being disruptive and disturbing others I would have said something to the manager or to the parents directly.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 20, 2016 at 5:37 am

      Yeah, I thought about it. I did that once, years ago, and the manager didn’t do anything, and I had to miss part of the movie to do it. So, I just try my best to ignore it now.

  26. Amanda Love says

    July 20, 2016 at 7:41 am

    It’s one of the most awaited film this summer because, well, the concept is really interesting. It’s awesome that you enjoyed the movie and it’s really something worth watching with the kids during this summer. It’s the perfect movie for a day or night out with the family!

  27. Ann Bacciaglia says

    July 20, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    We are so excited to go see this movie. The kids have been watching the trailer over and over.

  28. Crystal says

    July 20, 2016 at 1:53 pm

    You got asked to move?!?! What? That’s craziness. People can be annoying, but with a movie this cute it’s worth dealing with them. The kids & I really enjoyed it.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 21, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      Yep. I was shocked. Especially when I looked around and saw all these other places to sit. I think we just agreed to move because we were so shocked they asked that we didn’t have time to think about saying no, lol.

  29. Reesa Lewandowski says

    July 20, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    I really have been wanting to see this movie with the kids, but this is not the 1st review where I heard ppl saying it had a lot of darkness to it!

  30. Krystle Cook says

    July 20, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    We have seriously been waiting on this movie since we heard it was coming out. It looks so adorable.

  31. kristin says

    July 20, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    My girls really want to see this movie, it looks super cute/ Great post!

  32. Kelly Hutchinson says

    July 20, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    This post is so ironic for my family. My husband took my kids to see the movie and they said a baby cried through almost the whole movie. It was so distracting, they almost left before the movie was over.

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 21, 2016 at 2:34 pm

      That is awful. What is wrong with people? I saw a movie recently where a baby started crying, too. Fortunately, they got the baby quiet down pretty quickly, though.

  33. Yvonne Sowell says

    July 20, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    This is the most anticipated movie in my house! Well for me at least. Haha! Cannot wait to go watch it this weekend!

    | yvonnesowell.com |

  34. Nicole Escat says

    July 20, 2016 at 9:22 pm

    This movie seems like funny and I bet this movie for my son, because he laugh so hard when he watched the movie trailer and I’m just amazed. Can’t wait to watch this movie this coming weekend.

  35. Jennifer Henry-Novich says

    July 21, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    This is such a cute movie! We loved it and will definitely be rewatching in the future.

  36. Erin says

    July 21, 2016 at 10:40 pm

    I actually saw this movie with my mom and sister and LOVED it. Seriously. So so good. I’m taking the kids to see it tomorrow and will definitely be following the etiquette tips!

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 22, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      Awesome that you loved it and awesome that you will be respecting those around you. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  37. parpar de real says

    July 22, 2016 at 11:56 am

    Such an interesting movies for my kids. Glad you share this I bet this is so fun.

  38. Codi Lynn says

    July 27, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    I want to see this movie soooo bad and your review just confirmed it! We saw the preview when we took the kids to Finding Dory and I think they are going to love it and also naturally love the chihuahua in it as their Grammy has one they love to snuggle

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      July 27, 2016 at 5:27 pm

      I have one that I love to snuggle, too. Chihuahuas are great snugglers. ๐Ÿ˜€

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Search Eat Play Rock

2024 EatPlayRock.com Concert Calendar

  • Dan + Shay / Greensboro Coliseum / Greensboro, NC [3/2]
  • Peter Frampton / Steven Tanger Center / Greensboro, NC [3/3]
  • Sam Hunt / Greensboro Coliseum / Greensboro, NC [4/5]
  • Dustin Lynch / Salem Civic Center / Salem, VA [4/12]
  • Needtobreathe / Coastal Credit Union Music Park / [4/26]
  • Stephanie Quayle / Summerfield Farms / Summerfield, NC [5/8]
  • Mammoth WVH / Harrah’s Casino / Cherokee, NC [5/10]
  • Barenaked Ladies / SummerLark / Winston-Salem, NC [5/11]
  • Staind & Seether / Bon Secours Wellness Arena / Greenville, SC [5/12]
  • Morgan Wade / Harvester / Rocky Mount, VA [5/15]
  • Tyler Reese Tritt / Tin Roof / Raleigh, NC [5/17]
  • Hangout Music Festival / Gulf Shores, AL [5/17-5/19]
  • DelFest / Cumberland, MD [5/23-5/26]
  • Pure Prairie League / Festival In The Park / Roanoke, VA [5/24]
  • Charles Esten / Neighborhood Theatre / Charlotte, NC [5/31]
  • Chris Young / Carrington Pavilion / Danville, VA [6/1]
  • Carolina Country Music Fest / Myrtle Beach, SC [6/6-6/9]
  • Kane Brown / PNC Arena / Raleigh, NC [6/7]
  • HARDY & Travis Denning / PNC Pavilion / Charlotte, NC [6/14/24]
  • Rockie Lynne / Carolina Freedom Festival / Kernersville, NC [6/15/24]
  • Steve Miller Band / Steven Tanger Center / Greensboro, NC [6/16/24]
  • Elle King / Dr Pepper Park / Roanoke, VA [6/20]
  • Telluride Bluegrass Festival / Telluride, CO [6/20-6/23]
  • Outlaw Music Festival / PNC Music Pavilion / Charlotte, NC / Charlotte, NC [6/22]
  • Alanis Morrisette / Coastal Credit Union Music Park / Raleigh, NC [6/27]
  • LeAnn Rimes / Carowinds / Charlotte, NC [7/5]
  • Bret Michaels Parti-Gras Tour / Carowinds / Charlotte, NC [7/6]
  • Foreigner & Styx / PNC Music Pavilion / Charlotte, NC [7/13]
  • FloydFest / Floyd, VA [7/24-7/28]
  • Pam Tillis / Village Park / Kannapolis, NC [7/26]
  • Sam Hunt / Coastal Credit Union Music Park / Raleigh, NC [7/27]
  • Old Fiddlers’ Convention / Galax, VA [8/5-8/10]
  • S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Fest / Koka Booth Amphitheatre / Cary, NC [8/7]
  • Train & REO Speedwagon / Coastal Credit Union Music Park / Paleigh, NC [8/9]
  • Maren Morris / The Ritz / Raleigh, NC [8/10]
  • Dogstar / The Ritz / Raleigh, NC [8/13]
  • Dan + Shay / PNC Music Pavilion / Charlotte, NC [8/16]
  • Lily Rose / Coyote Joe’s / Charlotte, NC [8/23]
  • Mountain Music Festival / Gatlinburg, TN [8/23-8/25]
  • Bush / Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre / Charlotte, NC [8/26]
  • Jason Aldean / Greensboro Coliseum / Greensboro, NC [8/29]
  • Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper / PNC Music Pavilion / Charlotte, NC [9/11]
  • Travis Tritt / Steven Tanger Center / Greensboro, NC [9/13]
  • Meghan Trainor / PNC Music Pavilion / Charlotte, NC [9/15]
  • Hootie & The Blowfish / PNC Music Pavilion / Charlotte, NC [9/19]
  • Melissa Etheridge & Jewel / Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre / Charlotte, NC [9/21]
  • Carolina Classic Fair / Winston-Salem, NC [10/4-10/13]
  • Stephen Pearcy / Dr. Pepper Park / Roanoke, VA [10/17]
  • Nelson / Newton Performing Arts Center / Newton, NC [11/8]

Sites We Love


Meet Dawn…

Dawn has been a music lover her entire life. She went to college in Boone, NC, an area that is rich in music and culture. She also worked as a radio deejay for 10 years and grew up in Southeastern, Va, a melting pot of different musical styles and traditions. She has been to more concerts than she can count in every genre you can imagine. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, Kenny, and their dog, Marley, and cat, TJ.

Footer

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2026 ยท Eat Play Rock