Cars 2

What makes Pixar so great is that their animated films are appealing to both adults and children. The films are sophisticated and charming, marrying profound thoughts with laugh-out-loud humor. Their latest release is Cars 2 and it comes off as something of a disappointment, especially when compared to the seemingly unending production line of masterpieces, the likes of Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, and Up.

A sequel to the 2006 original Cars, this latest vehicle-themed comedy switches its protagonist from racing star Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) to his simple-minded best friend Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). Mater accompanies Lightning McQueen to his next race: The World Grand Prix, which features races in Japan, Italy and England.

If the plot sounds confusing, it’s because it is. Cars 2 tries to do too much and the results make your head spin. The movie wants to be a clever spoof of the spy genre but the actual spoofing never quite materializes. Rather it gets bogged down when the movie focuses on the friendship between Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen, as well as on the mini-rivalry between McQueen and Italian racer, Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro). What is even more unsettling is that this movie is shockingly violent, with cars exploding all over the shop.

With all this globe-trotting, not enough time is spent in Radiator Springs, which is a shame. Cars, though not perfect, had such a winning small-town American feel that gets trampled on by this need to be bigger and better. Cars 2 barely even feels like it takes place in the same universe and it doesn’t help that the beloved characters from the first one arrive for two-line cameos and then are forgotten.

Also, the decision to make Mater the protagonist was not a smart one. He isn’t a complex enough character to carry the movie. The message of the movie is “be yourself” but it’s a little off-putting when Mater is shown to be so ignorant, childish and incompetent. He doesn’t really grow as a character either, unlike McQueen did in Cars.

While kids might enjoy the simple humor (Mater sings the State Farm jingle! Mater thinks wasabi is pistachio ice cream!), there really isn’t anything to take away from the movie. And with a running approaching two hours, the movie overstays its welcome, frankly. With sequels to Monster Inc., The Incredibles, and even potentially another Toy Story in development, we can only hope that this textbook example of diminishing returns is not indicative of the future direction of our beloved Pixar.

Comments

There are no comments.

To comment on this article login or register.

More Reviews

'At Any Price' Movie Review: Efron Carries Struggling Script

04/24/2013
'Oblivion' Movie Review: A Satisfying Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Adventure

04/19/2013
‘Jurassic Park 3D’ Movie Review: Celebrating Spielberg’s Heyday With A Modern Spin

04/08/2013
'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Movie Review: 'G.I. Joe' Barely Puts Up A Fight

04/03/2013
'The Place Beyond The Pines' Movie Review: 'Pines' Delivers Moving, Powerful Action And Emotion

04/01/2013
'The Croods' Movie Review: 'The Croods' Explores Life One Lesson At A Time

03/27/2013

CelebSelect

Danielle Panabaker's Top Pop Picks
- Favorite Band: The Avett Brothers
  
  "I'm really into the Avett Brothers as of late."
- Favorite Book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  
  "My girlfriends are I - we are very nerdy. We started a book club and the first book we read was Gone Girl."
- Favorite New Movie: Silver Linings Playbook
  
  "I thought it was a great film and I thought Jennifer Lawrence was incredible, you know those angry tears, I've certainly experienced that."
Paul Van Dyk: Current Favorites
- School of the Seven Bells
  
  The New York-based band unites Benjamin Curtis of "Secret Machines" and Alejandra Deheza. Formed in 2007, the duo is named after a mythical South American pickpocket training academy of the same name.
- Linkin Park
  
  The Californian rock veterans have come a long way since 'Hybrid Theory.' Back now with their fifth studio album in over a decade, 'Living Things' is one of Paul Van Dyck's favorite albums this year.
- Jupiter Jones
  
  The German punk rock band formed in 2002, but has already released several LPs, including an eponymously-named album in 2011.
- Depeche Mode
  
  The legendary Essex electronic band from the 80s remains a classic for Van Dyk. It was also recently among 'Q' magazine's "50 Bands That Changed The World!".
Cody Simpson
- Favorite Movie
  I'm still really into the Ocean's series. I got into them recently. I was always too young to watch them.
- Favorite Book
  This book called Contest by Matthew Reilly, he's an Australian author.
- Favorite Album
  Drake's Take Care — big fan of that
- Favorite TV Show
  The Mentalist
Styx's Lawrence Gowan
- Bossypants by Tina Fey
  
  "That’s got me laughing hysterically on airplanes."
- Making Mirrors by Goyte
  
  "I thought that was a tremendous record."
- The Artist
  
  "It really impressed me."
- Keane
  
  "They’re really strong."
90210's Michael Steger: My Favorite Stuff
- Favorite TV Show: Rome
  
  HBO's series starring Cirian Hinds
- Favorite Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
  
  "Either that or The Gypsy Kings."
- Favorite Book: The Fountainhead
  
  "Probably my favorite book of all time."
- Favorite New Movie: Attack The Block
  
  “It reminded me of The Goonies.”