The Wasteland Reviewer

Pets on a Train (2025) Written Review

Did you enjoy Bullet Train? Would it have been better if all the characters were animals? That is quite the interesting proposal that was actualized by filmmakers Benoit Daffis and Jean-Christian Tassy. The aptly named Pets on a Train focuses on the story of some animal bandits who get stuck on a runaway train with a bunch of other animals. Vibrant, over-the-top, and silly, Pets on a Train is a family-friendly approach to this wild story. This animated action flick is speeding into theaters this weekend. 

How do Daffis and Tassy approach this crazy idea? The animation in the film is solid for sure (like a lot of Viva Pictures’ films that they distribute from around the world) but is not one that will “wow” you with the visuals. The film is certainly colorful enough, but the character designs lack the detail of other, larger studios. There is plenty of energy along the way at least as the film certainly leans into that “kid pacing”. Even when the story takes heavier turns or more somber ones, they only last for a minute or so before we are right back to the action. When you have a big, action-packed story condensed into 86 minutes, that is not a surprise at all. The tone of the film is a bit muddled unfortunately. The film attempts to have moments with real weight and stakes but the rest of it is so silly that it is hard to believe that anything of real seriousness will ever happen along the way. But at least the film works as a quick moving romp to enjoy for the whole family. 

Does the script do much heavy lifting along the way? When you look at the big picture, this is a simple story. The train needs to stop, and the animals need to slow it down. Simple. But there are plenty of threads swirling the central conceit. There are so many characters jammed into this film that it is hard to give them much time to be fleshed out (in an 86-minute film). The film has a fun approach to giving some of these characters a backstory with cutaway gags (including a hilarious one for the snake character in the film). There are some baseline elements that give the film a little bit more depth. These are not unique storylines, but they are at least effective. Our protagonist is a raccoon named Falcon (fun story behind that name) who must prove himself to be a good person instead of the criminal that everyone sees him as. The antagonist has a basic but clear motivation for his bad badger deeds even if most of the bite is overshadowed but silliness. There are certainly some extraneous elements (like the media coverage) that feel like they could have been easily cut from the film too. 

What type of voice acting do you get out of Pets on a Train? For many big budgeted, American animated films, we get celebrity casts with recognizable voices we can connect with already. Give it up to the team behind Pets on a Train to get actual voice actors who create characters instead of having recognizable voices. Each character feels like a specific voice that fits their character. These are animal characters, so it makes sense to lean into that when crafting the characters’ voices. The villainous badger has a deeper, more intimidating voice which makes him intimidate the characters until the film undercuts the character with silly gags. You might not know any of the voice performers by the end of the film, but they are quite suitable for the film. 

Is Pets on a Train a worthwhile experience to enjoy with the whole family at the theater? Daffis and Tassy crafted an engaging enough and inoffensive animated experience. The action is quite a bit of fun as it goes for explosions and such. There are plenty of silly gags and characters to enjoy along the way. The story is simple and there are some solid themes as well. This is not going to blow you away or be in any discussions of favorite animated films this year but it is a lean little flick for the whole family.