Cars 2
Watch Trailer Video Interviews with Michael Caine, Jason Isaacs & John Lasseter
Starring: Jason Isaacs, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Owen Wilson
Details: US/112mins G
Centring on the last film's comic relief, Mater (irritatingly voiced by American comedian Larry The Cable Guy), this one opens in full-on James Bond mode with Michael Caine voicing a slick, vintage Secret Agent car named Finn McMissile. Finn is on a dangerous mission, and Mater somehow gets caught up in the middle of it just as his best bud Lightning McQueen (a returning Owen Wilson) is competing in a globetrotting race against a cocky Italian Formula 1 car.
The main problem a lot of critics had with the first film was that cars just don't really lend themselves well to animated characters. They're not cuddly animals, or quirky looking humans and you can't help but wonder why there's a passenger seat. That said, Pixar generally has strong enough writers to endear you to anything - even Monsters. While this has some of the same problems as the initial outing, the focus here has shifted completely in the wrong direction to a character that surely won't travel well. Mater isn't that funny, and when he's fluked his way out of the fifteenth 'life threatening situation' you may begin to lose patience.
When it does work it does so during sequences; the animation is predictably impressive and the race sequences genuinely ferocious. Conversely that's a problem, because it feels like the main reason the film exists is for those cool scenes to happen, and it's this kind of attitude that doesn't seem very Pixar at all.
It was bound to happen sooner or later; Pixar have finally made a bad film. Given their previous brilliance let's assume they'll learn from it and move on.
Review by Mike Sheridan
Your Comments
sadiesarah
cant wait to bring my son to c dis film he loves lightening mcqueen and av to admit i really enjoyed d film myself .
Posted 16/05/2011 12:15:32
dairyfree
our card dvd's is worn out its watched that much great family movie, we're on the countdown for no 2 6 days......watch this space
Posted 16/06/2011 17:33:45
jocelyn
kids are so so excited about this film....don't care if critics slate it...i know my 3 will love it (as will i) have bought 3 cars dvd's over the past couple of years...kids keep wearing it out!!
Posted 17/07/2011 20:23:43
ShankillDublin
Have to agree with Mike here - the first movie was dreadful and thankfully the kids did not want us to get it on DVD. No talk of the sequel at home so hopefully I will never have to suffer it....
Posted 19/07/2011 14:30:03
ted29
Really bad movie, not a single thing for adults. It was panned by the critics for a reason. Dreadfull.
Posted 24/07/2011 17:16:58
foxy
i went to see this with my grand son and it was really good .A james bond spy type film with cars.It was better than the first film more action.
Posted 24/07/2011 22:31:18
Charredarmour
Well, I feel the reviewer is forgetting that this movie is aimed at children and makes no claims to be War and Peace. I know I would have blown up with excitment if Cars and Cars 2 had been out when I was 4!! Talking cars!! Brilliant!! Our two little lads are mad about Cars and looking forward to seeing Cars 2! Next you will be knocking the original Star Wars! Charredarmour.com.
Posted 28/07/2011 20:23:46
Eoin
What's the line from that Team America song about missing the mark more than Michael Bay when he made Pearl Harbour? Cars is probably the least apologetic "Kids" movie released by Pixar to date, I've seen it dozens of times due to the kids and, if I recall correctly, there's only a single joke 'for the adults' in it. (McQueen: "He won the Piston Cup. Mater: He did *WHAT* in his Cup?!). In terms of scriptwriting, sure, it's not at the same standard as the universally lauded Toy Story series but I'd argue it's certainly better than A Bugs Life or Ratatouille. Remembering that these are movies for children, there's a very easy barometer for how successful they've been at capturing the imaginations of little ones: merchandising. In this sphere, Cars stands toe-to-toe with Toy Story. Kids absolutely love it and there's a little boy's bedroom in our house that's almost a shrine to this movie! Maybe bring a kid next time you're reviewing a kids movie? Might help you to see it outside the microscope of the film critic?
Posted 29/07/2011 09:55:00
Lalaob94
I love Pixar films but Cars 2 really disappointed me. The animation was incredible but it didnt have a great storyline to back it up. It just wasnt as funny as the original Cars.
Posted 30/07/2011 13:40:48
iJason
I loved the 1st cars I'm a big fan of it and when i heard cars 2 was coming out i had to see it and when i did i really enjoyed it , was a funny film aswell and its one of them film that u cant wait to be over so i even have planes to go see it again.
Posted 11/08/2011 14:12:58
Me
Not as good as the 1st movie. My daughter who is 4 was asking 20 minutes from the end ofthe film is it over yet is it nearly time to go home? She just wasn't interested in it and i must say i wasa bit bored by the end.
Posted 18/08/2011 11:24:40
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