LOGIN
REGISTER
RSS
HOME
This movie is critic proof!
It had to happen sometime: sooner or later, Pixar was going to definitely break its streak. And it’s no surprise, really, that it turned out to be Cars 2. The original Cars is widely regarded as the weakest film in the studio’s canon (scoring a normally respectable 74% amid efforts that routinely reach the upper 90s), and Cars 2 definitely puts too much weight on that sagging wall. It’s not strictly awful, but it fails to rise to Pixar’s sky-high standards; for the first time, we get a sense of “let’s just knock this out” instead of “let’s knock this out of the park.”
To be sure, it remains a joy to view, as director John Lasseter expands his universe of anthropomorphic vehicles to encompass the entire world. Ace race car Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) receives an invitation to compete in a global road rally taking place in Japan, Italy and England… allowing Lasseter to show us what lies beyond the cozy confines of Radiator Springs. He also hits upon an interesting wrinkle to the piece. Beneath the surface of the race lies a vast “conspiracy of lemons”: clunker models like the Gremlin, the Pacer and the immortal Yugo plotting great harm to the car world. The race is being run with an advanced biofuel in every vehicle, courtesy of sponsoring mogul Miles Axelrod (voiced by Eddie Izzard). If the lemons can disrupt the race, they can return the world to fossil fuels and assert their dominance in some frustratingly undefined way.
It’s a funny concept and it provides plenty of silly intrigue, especially when ace spy car Finn McMissile (voiced by Michael Caine) vows to bring them down. And that’s when the film’s serious trouble starts: he recruits Lightning’s buddy Tow Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) as his ringer to stop the bad guys. There’s nothing wrong with Mater (a sweet soul taken out of his element here); it just doesn’t make for a very compelling hook. Indeed, it rapidly turns Cars 2 into a by-the-numbers Hollywood plot, complete with mistaken identities, imbecilic pratfalls, and a pretty girl car (voiced by Emily Mortimer) who inexplicably falls for the resident screw-up. McQueen’s racing rapidly moves to the back burner, leaving the “hayseed in over his head” motif to carry the load all alone.
As if sensing the comparative fragility of his concept, Lasseter attempts to overload it with sound and lights. The racing scenes hold a lot of zip, and the vistas carry a strong gee-whiz factor with them as well. Cars 2 saves its real love for the sheer glut of vehicles on the screen, each one distinctive and carrying its own identity. Car aficionados often speak of their beloved vehicles as individuals, and Lasseter understands that concept implicitly. Whatever its narrative failings – to say nothing of the considerable logic holes plaguing it at every turn – this world never lacks for personality.
“Personality” is all it seems to have, unfortunately. The story eventually descends to the level of waiting to see which new automotive permutation Lasseter will toss at us next, while the characters quickly take a back seat to the copious imagery surrounding them. Coming from any other studio, that might be vaguely passable, but this one has set an unprecedented standard. We expect great things from Pixar, especially after the triumph of Toy Story 3 last year. Cars 2 lets the team down in a huge way: business as usual from a company that has always been anything but.
Pixar should stay away from sequels that are not direct to video. They were a great and "original" idea company. If they can't stay original then they have lost there edge.
Sorry Cast, but Toy Story 2 and 3 were great so I highly disagree. As for The Incredibles 2, meh. If they do it great, if not...no big deal. Personally I think Wall-e was the weakest of the Pixar films and Disney knows a cash cow when they see it. Cars merchandise alone demanded them to make a sequel. Yet with Pixar, I'm still sure that even their worse stuff will far surpass a lot of studio's best stuff. I know my kids will love it and we'll be there tomorrow with popcorn in hand.
The Toy Story sequels were good. I didn't think Cars needed a sequel, though. Monsters, Inc. was funny, so maybe the prequel will do ok. I'm all for their original material, but I still want to see a sequel to The Incredibles. I heard Brad Bird is considering it.
Yeah, the Toy Story series was excellent so the sequels work if they put their heart in it. I read where they made more on the merchandise for the original cars than the actual movie so maybe that is what they were hoping with this. Some merchandise money to put back to keep the company going. Hopefully they will hit a homerun next year with Brave.
Cars part one is huge snoozefest for me. I would never see this sequel!!
Regarding the review, whatever. Pulling out the old, "The original Cars is widely regarded as the weakest film in the studio’s canon" crap is tired and old. There's a reason Cars made 240 Million dollars and continues to be one of Disney's shining brands when it comes to toys, shorts, theme park attractions, etc... Kid's love it. It will be the same for Cars 2. Took my kids to see it and they loved it. The movie is loud and colorful and filled with action scenes and goofy kid humor. If that's not your thing, don;t go see it. But for those of us with kids and who are kids at heart... it was great.
I saw it this morning with my kid. He thought it was great and it didn't have any trouble holding my attention. I completely agree with pekstands statement "If that's not your thing, don;t go see it. But for those of us with kids and who are kids at heart... it was great." It may have helped becuase I read about how bad it was going to be before I went to see it.
Pixar should've made The Incredibles 2 instead. Oh how I wish and hope for a sequel to The Incredibles thats just as good or better than the first.