Movie reviews: The Secret Life Of Pets 2, The Silence
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (PG)
The sequel to the 2016 animated family comedy is a valiant attempt to recreate the humour and heart-warming antics in the first movie but falls short with its cliches and predictable plot.
Jack Russell terrier Max (Patton Oswalt) now has to cope with the new presence of a baby in his life, after his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper) gets married. He finds himself adorably attached to the boy and develops a fierce desire to protect him.
The Secret Life Of Pets 2 is a pared-down version of the original, with a simple message at its heart: Even pets have to find their own courage.
It is perfect for children but adults may have to stifle a yawn or two.
RATING: 2.5/5
- LYDIA GAN
THE SILENCE (PG13)
The premise of this horror thriller seems to be a blatant rip-off of last year's far superior A Quiet Place. It follows a family trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world with monsters who hunt by sound. Unlike A Quiet Place, there is a deafening lack of tension here.
The Silence focuses on a father-daughter pair (Stanley Tucci and Kiernan Shipka), with the girl's deafness being uniquely suited to this new world order. What should be the emotional core falls flat, with her story only vaguely alluded to and a lack of any meaningful progression in their relationship.
The Silence also suffers from questionable script decisions. For some reason, it decides to introduce a religious post-apocalyptic cult mid-way, taking away precious time in an already brief 90-minute flick that should have been spent developing likeable characters.
RATING: 1/5
- JOHN TAN
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