It finally happened: Pixar made a mediocre movie. Cars 2 is the average of its two parts; a poor storyline and fantastic animation.
Want the general storyline for Cars 2? Watch a buddy spy movie and pretend Mater is the zany one. The majority of the movie is dedicated to Mater and his adventures while getting caught in the middle of the spy action. Sure, there’s a lesson about friendship somewhere in there, but it gets lost in the action. The most touching moment of the movie is the tribute to Paul Newman that occurs near the beginning. Since this is essentially a spy movie, it’s filled with guns, bombs, explosions, mines, and other gadgets. The cars are not limited to the somewhat playful wrecks of the first movie; this time, cars are crushed and killed in various ways. Destruction abounds, and I’m slightly surprised this passed as a G movie. I was able to follow the story, but I’m not sure my daughter was able to.
As disappointing as the story is, the animation is the polar opposite. The scenery as Lightning, Mater, and the Radiator Springs crew travel the world is gorgeous and incredibly detailed. The environments are immersive and the characters fit right in. The animation is really what holds this movie together. I’m sure I didn’t catch every reference to other Pixar movies, but there’s a nice reference to Ratatouille.
Cars 2 is more like a very long Mater’s Tall Tale than a true sequel to Cars. In my mind, this is a mediocre film and easily ranks as Pixar’s worst to date. The Toy Story Toon “Hawaiian Vacation” was a nice little story that was a bit of a throwback to what goes on while the child is away. It’s not Pixar’s best short, but it’s a good little piece. Overall, the whole experience watching Cars 2 at the theater was disappointing; Pixar definitely dropped the ball here. I’m hopeful Brave will be a return to form for the Emeryville studio.
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