THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from directors Chris Renaud, Jonathan del Val and Universal Pictures is the continuing saga of what our pets do when we aren’t at home with THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2.

Max (Patton Oswalt) and Duke (Eric Stonestreet) are discovering the changes that life has in store for them. Mom Katie (Ellie Kemper) has fallen in love, married and brought little Liam into their lives. Happier than he has ever been, Max also suffers from being over protective of Liam!

Learning they are going on a road trip, Max and Duke end up on a family farm. Before going, Max asks Gidget (Jenny Slate) to watch his Busy Bee toy and protect it. Duke goes insane with excitement but Max is not as thrilled, especially after meeting the farms work dog Rooster (Harrison Ford). Rough and rugged, Rooster lets Max know that he needs to take his fears by the paws and give them a shake.

Snowball (Kevin Hart) has a visit from a puppy named Daisy (Tiffany Haddish) who tells him the story of a tiger being badly treated by a circus owner. She wants the superhero bunny to help free the big kitty. After a simple slip of the ball, Gidget is now on a mission to find Busy Bee and gets lessons in being a cat from the most unlikely place.

It is mischief, it is mayhem and they are our pets!

Oswalt voicing the pup Max is a perfect choice as he has the uncanny ability to bring an animated dog to life. Of course I will always love him as Remy but I have room enough in my heart for a little ball of charming insecurities named Max. Stonestreet as Duke is just as big as he wants to be with the heart of a puppy. He loves being with Max and loves his family. He has such a way with the world and just gives it his innocence touch.

Slate as Gidget is just flustery and dreamy with a brain that goes a million miles a minute. She is still keen on Max with hopes for a future and willing to start with Busy Bee. Haddish as Daisy does what she has always done, giving her character attitude.

Hart as Snowball has become a little more full of himself if that’s possible and once he puts on his mask – its all done folks. As things get more complicated, it’s a good thing he has Daisy to take up the furry slack.

Harrison Ford takes a shot at animation by playing Rooster, a working dog on a farm who knows a thing or two about how to handle himself. He is a little harsh on Max but its all with a goal in mind.

Other cast include Lake Bell as Chloe, Bobby Moynihan as Mel, Hannibal Buress as Buddy, Chris Renaud as Norman, Peter Holm as Chuck and Nick Kroll as Sergei, Dana Carvey as Pops.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 is a continuation of characters that have brought joy to both kids and adults. From the beginning, these characters led by Max have given us all something to think about when we aren’t at home!

Even though there are several stories going on at once and there doesn’t seem to be a connection, it gets away with it by being cute. In a theatre full of kids, all they know is that it’s funny, colorful, full of adventure, cute animals and a very cute little boy and that’s all that matters.

All of those things are very true so even though this adult might say blah-blah-blah, my granddaughter had her bag of popcorn, a juice box and wide eyes and that was all I needed to see it through her eyes. The parents were enjoying the chuckles as well as a few adult jokes slipped through.

So, as the school year ends and the kids have time on their hands, make it a fun and laugh filled weekend with THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2.

In the end – you gotta love ‘em!

MODERN FAMILY Brings Laughs and Love in Season 8 on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Now available on DVD is the Emmy Nominated zany family that has worked its way into America’s hearts as 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment delivers a MODERN FAMILY.

The Dunphy family is still living the life in New York and everybody wants to stay a little longer. The same might not be said for the hot sauce business when family is involved. Gloria (Sofia Vergara) is about to go ballistic when her sister takes things into her own hands.

Back home a new family moves into the neighborhood about the same time Jay (Ed O’Neill) is putting in security for the house. Worried that the new family might see his move as a bit racist, he takes his nervousness a bit too far. Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) have to rethink their open parenting a bit when Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) makes a comment towards a transgender boy.

Manny (Rico Rodriguez) is running for class president and Luke (Nolan Gould) is thinking about doing the same thing. Oh kids! Jay and Gloria are trying to help manner and make Claire (Julie Bowen) their manager and Haley (Sarah Hyland) is thinking now she wants her own company too.

Trying to help Manny get into Julliard, Jay works with him to produce a video application to get the attention of the selection committee. Cam has a house guest that isn’t making either Mitchell or Lily happy but it’s Lily who is going to do something about it.

Halloween is here and the Dunphy family comes together to help Luke with his party bringing unexpected guest Rod Skyhook into the mix. With all the family madness Jay heads off to his favorite place, the country club, to unwind and take a minute. Finding out that Phil (Ty Burrell) wants to be a member isn’t setting too well with Jay. Claire thinks she is helping Alex (Ariel Winter) but it might not turn out that way.

The next family holiday is here as Thanksgiving brings Cameron his chance to do it up right. The first sign of trouble is when Haley announces she would rather spend the day with her boyfriend. All Jay can do is watch the family do what they do best – make him crazy. If running for the same office wasn’t enough, the winter dance brings Manny and Luke working together. Of course the parents are deciding their futures on the side as well.

Hearts and flowers are the order of the day but Claire thinks maybe a little magic is needed for her and Phil’s special day. Cupid is making his rounds as well when it becomes clear that Ben may have a tiny little crush on Claire!

Phil is looking to invest in some property and Jay is his target partner. That’s the least of his worries when Jay discovers that Gloria has hired a new handyman who seems to be handier than Jay would like.

It’s getting closer to wedding and time for Frank’s bachelor party with Phil waiting to meet the new family member. If he isn’t busy enough he also volunteers to play basketball at a charity game with two NBA players who aren’t going to baby him.

Frank’s wedding may have a 1920’s theme but it seems Phil gets it wrong when asking Claire to era dress up for the occasion with crazy results. Added to that it seems the couple is going through empty nest syndrome.

All of that culminates to graduation day for Manny and Luke which means the entire family gets together to celebrate. Of course if you think everything goes beautifully then you obviously don’t know this particular MODERN FAMILY!

Ed O’Neill and Sofia Vergara are hilarious together and it is mainly because as different as they may be, they are also absolutely perfect for one another. That means if these two can pull off a relationship then so can Claire and Phil, along with Mitch and Cameron. All of their relationships have their ups and downs yet these three couples remind us that it’s just one foot of love in front of the other to make it believable.

The kids are hilarious but at the same time fall in line with what kids all around me are up to. Of course some of their antics are exaggerated and I think some of it wouldn’t fly with parents I know but it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to watch. The relationships with the parents are at that point where the kids want to be older than they are and make grown up decisions. The parents seem to have other plans though.

Special appearances by Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Peyton Manning, Victor Garber, Charles Barkley, DeAndre Jordan

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The MODERN FAMILY Season 8 DVD contains the Special Features of a hilarious and must-see Gag Reel and Deleted Scenes.

Also included are the episodes A Tale of Three Cities, A Stereotypical Day, Blindsided, Weathering Heights, Halloween IV: Revenge of Rod Skyhook, Grab It, Thanksgiving Jamboree, The Alliance, Snow Ball, Ringmaster Keith, Sarge & Pea, Do You Believe in Magic, Do It Yourself, Heavy is the Head, Finding Fizbo, Basketball, Pig Moon Rising, Five Minutes, Frank’s Wedding, All Things Being Equal, Time Alone and The Graduates. That’s 472 minutes of family time!

MODERN FAMILY is a television show that has embraced the diversity and differences of families without forgetting that we all have craziness in our ranks. I love that the characters have relatibility about them because, honestly, I know someone like each one of the Dunphy’s in my own family.

Perhaps that is what brings us together to embrace this series. We do know these characters and we get to laugh, share and love their journey because it parallels our own. No one said life was easy but having family can make the difference between not having a family at all or adding MODERN FAMILY to our own. I’m thinking we just add the Dunphy’s to our own – happily!

The show continues to be a television favorite with their 10^th season starting Wednesday this fall on ABC.

In the end – they may be modern but they are definitely a family!