Lightning McQueen and Mater’s return is a departure from the laid-back tone of the first ‘Cars,’ but packs plenty of action and thrill to make for another Pixar win. Plus, Woody and Buzz are back in the first of many ‘Toy Story Toons.’

By Blake

Originally posted June 25, 2011.



     I admit that I scratched my head upon first reading the synopsis for Cars 2. International escapades? No Randy Newman music? Mater is a spy? These certainly didn’t sound like qualities of a sequel to Pixar’s 2006 film about a rookie race car who learns to slow down and enjoy life by taking a lazy sidetrip to an abandoned Route 66 town. I was worried—was Cars 2 taking things too far? Then I remembered we’re talking about Pixar (as in . . . Pixar) and reminded myself to, like Lightning McQueen, appreciate what’s in front of me for what it is, not for what I think it should be.

     Cars 2 is the amusement park attraction you hop on thinking you’re in for a tame ride that really turns out to be an adrenaline-pumping roller coaster. You first have to readjust your mindset to prepare you for the duration of the ride, and then you’re left to hold on tightly (or, more appropriately, throw your hands in the air) for the twists and turns that await.

     The film follows Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his Radiator Springs pit crew as they embark on the first-ever World Grand Prix, a multi-race competition taking place in the exotic international settings of Tokyo, Italy, and London. In the midst of the action, spies Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) mistake clumsy tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) for a fellow spy, and inadvertently involve Mater in a thrilling mission to catch some bad guys who are trying to rig the race.

Mater (left) with Holley Shiftwell.  Image copyright Disney/Pixar.

     The pace of Cars 2 is unexpectedly quick compared to the taking-it-easy vibe of its predecessor. The three international races serve as the film’s anchored points of reference in the middle of the spy-centric subplot. As the meat of the story, the racing sequences are exhilarating and gripping, providing a tractor-trailer’s worth of action and fun. The thrill-a-minute tone is thanks in part to the worldly score composed by Michael Giacchino, who brings the same excitement found in his score for The Incredibles to the table here. Some sequences can’t be described in any other way other than just plain cool.



You may read more Cars 2 thoughts--and a look at the first Toy Story Toon--after the jump.
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     As expected, Cars 2 is a true piece of art. Although the character animation is brilliant, what really take the stage are the exquisite sets. The Italy scenes in particular truly hit the film’s aesthetic value out of the park. The detail in the architecture and scenery feel authentic and genuine (someone in my family said it had shades of Epcot’s World Showcase pavilions).


     Character development is also exceptionally presented in Cars 2. Finn and Holley are strong individuals as newcomers and are both given a “cool factor” that make them welcome additions to the cast as characters the audience can root for. Even though about half of the returning characters stay behind in Radiator Springs and are therefore absent for most of the film, everyone is still present and accounted for, getting just enough screentime to show us a fun glimpse of their personality. (The only missing character from the original Cars is Doc Hudson, whose voice actor, Paul Newman, passed away in 2008. There’s a touching tribute to Doc and Newman in the film.) The characters that do join Lightning on his international adventure are the franchise’s quirkiest personalities: the Ferrari-obsessed Italian Luigi (Tony Shalhoub), Luigi’s pitstop-frenzied friend Guido (Guido Quaroni), military sergeant Sarge (Paul Dooley), and hippie Fillmore (Lloyd Share, replacing the late George Carlin). Though they all play second fiddle this time around, what we do see of them is pure bliss. Luigi slays me.


     And then, of course, there’s Mater. The true star of the film, it’s Mater and not Lightning McQueen who learns a life lesson and discovers himself in this chapter of Cars. Larry the Cable Guy is stellar as the voice of Mater, bringing depth and versatility to the soul of Mater’s character. Mater’s antics are displayed with lighthearted sympathy; you can’t help but cringe at what you know is coming next when the unsuspecting tow truck begins to chow down on a monstrous helping of wasabi. Towards the middle of the film I feel that Mater starts to be featured too prominently (it’s almost like, “Ok, we get it, he doesn’t know what he’s doing”). He’s a great character, but I’m sorry to say I was beginning to get sick of him. Perhaps a better balance of time divided amongst the rest of the cast could have smoothened things out.

     With Cars 2’s pumped-up fast pace comes a new level of sophistication where the spy-related elements of the plot are concerned. For the most part this goes over well, but at times things get a little complicated. The overall story is evident: there are some bad cars that are going to get away with some pretty dastardly deeds if Finn, Holley, and Mater don’t stop them. However, I had a hard time keeping up with the details and twists that the spies’ mission kept introducing. Part of what makes these more layered plot points a tad bit confusing is their delivery; a few times, important information is relayed either very quickly, or in the form of a joke, making it difficult to take in. There were several instances where I wish I could rewind so that my brain could process everything.

     Additionally, some of the technicalities of the plot are a bit far-fetched. It’s a stretch to believe that Finn and Holley wouldn’t realize that Mater isn’t putting on an act, that his clumsiness is real and not a cover-up. It also seems a long shot for Mater to so willingly agree to be part of Finn and Holley’s mission after meeting them only once, abandoning his Radiator Springs pals, no less. No, he’s not the smartest guy in the world, but would he really trust a pair of strangers so easily and with such risk at stake? Naturally these events must occur for the story to propel forward, but their execution is a little off.

     Regardless, Cars 2 is an overall worthwhile family outing, made even more of a value by the inclusion of the first installment in the exciting new Toy Story Toons series of shorts. These Toy Story Toons brilliantly allow the beloved Toy Story characters to continue to enthrall audiences with their signature charm and humor without going too far like another sequel might have done. In this first short, Hawaiian Vacation, Ken (Michael Keaton) and Barbie (Jodi Benson) have high hopes of joining Bonnie’s family on vacation to Hawaii, only to find that Bonnie ends up leaving her toys at home. To make up for the disappointment, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and the rest of the toys create their own mini-Hawaii right in Bonnie’s bedroom. As you can imagine, things get pretty zany.


     Hawaiian Vacation’s story moves along very fast, not because it’s action-packed but because there is a lot of ground to cover and a lot of characters to see in a limited amount of time. While the short does feel rushed, it’s great to spend time with these characters again. If this is any indication of what future Toy Story Toons will be like, then I cannot wait for more. The next of the Toy Story Toons debuts with The Muppets in theaters this Thanksgiving.


     Cars 2 brings forth a tone that is definitely different from its predecessor, but welcome all the same. It’s a bit disorienting to see Lightning McQueen and Mater involved in a death-defying spy mission rather than simple tractor tipping excursion.  The plot gets somewhat watered-down at times, and the feel of the film lacks a strong emotion pull that Pixar usually brings in amplified supply. However, once the vertigo passes and the story settles in Cars 2 (with the attached Toy Story short to boot) ends up being an exhilarating trip that’s well worth taking.




How do I rank Cars 2? (Bolded is my choice, and see if you can match each selection with a Cars character.)

• I want it out of my court room, I want it out of our town! Case dismissed.
• Turn that disrespectful junk off!
• Yeah, it was ok.
• Dad-gum! I liked it.
• Bellissimo!
• Kachow! It's excellent!

Cars 2 will most likely please:  Animation Fans  -  Racing Fans  -  Preschoolers (ages 3-4)  -  Kids (ages 5-7)  -  Older Kids (ages 8-10)  -  Tweens (ages 11-13)


Related BlakeOnline posts:

• Silver Screen Review - Up (posted June 3, 2009)
• Silver Screen Review - Toy Story 3 (posted June 21, 2010)
• Disney Talk - Branching Out (posted February 21, 2011)

By Blake; posted June 25, 2011.  All images copyright Disney/Pixar.