Cars 2 review - Pixar takes the checkered flag with this new sequel!

[DaddyB]

Everyone wonders, when will Pixar release a dud of a movie. When will it finally happen? Some secretly root for it to happen. Others even try to manufacture horrible reviews in hopes that their opinion will stem the string of successes that the little company from Emeryville has been creating since the 1980’s. This seems to be the summer of movie bashing for many movie critics, and as far as I’ve seen “Cars 2” has not escaped this.

I cannot not disagree more. “Cars 2” simply puts the pedal to the metal and succeeds where other sequels (and some other summer blockbusters) have not.

Pixar’s original “Cars” movie introduced us to a single-minded race car named Lightning McQueen who only thought of himself. Through a course of mishaps, he came to be introduced to the residents of a small forgotten town of Radiator Springs on the old Route 66. As he came to know the residents, he also came to find the heart of a true champion. In "Cars 2" we follow McQueen as he discovers what it takes to be a true friend when the pressures of the world (and a world-wide race) close in on him.

The whole Radiator Springs gang is back in “Cars 2” and Pixar has thrown in a whole lot of excitement as well. Consider the original “Cars” as the Indy 500: thoroughly fun and thoroughly American. “Cars 2” is the 24 hours of LeMans Grand Prix. Faster, more dangerous, and definitely international. There are a lot of new characters, which at some point may be too many for the very small children in the audience, but the storyline is full throttle and certainly worldwide, which requires a much larger cast of characters than the original.

I love that Disney/Pixar chose to create an international storyline for this movie when the International box office has heated up so much these past years. Consider that “Cars 2” was announced in 2008. But just recently Disney’s “Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” has scored just shy of three times more income at the box office internationally than here in the United States . When you consider that the “three times” is currently $220 million versus $735 million, the “Cars 2” plotline feels like a genius move especially considering that it was conceived in 2008.

Just a couple of short side notes. First, do NOT be late for this movie. Pixar created a “Toy Story” short that picks up where Toy Story 3 left off that is not to be missed. The short sets the mood to be reunited with old friends and to have a good, warm-hearted laugh together. Next, watch for the Pizza Planet Truck to appear TWICE in the feature movie. There’s also a nice little moment where Mater and McQueen mention the deceased Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman, who passed away in 2008) which I thought was touching (yet they found someone to voice the George Carlin’s character, Fillmore). Finally, no blooper reel after the credits, but stay seated to watch the fabulous animated production credits in the style of travel postcards.

Here are some images, concept art and video from Cars 2 - These images I haven't seen around very much:

Lightning McQueen's pit crew:


German 3D posters (none like this in the U.S.)



Interesting image, because in the film, Lightning McQueen is not in this scene!

Here is some concept art... I thought these especially cool (like I wouldn't mind the original artwork hanging on my wall, cool)

and:



and of course, some video:

Still hungry for more "cars 2" stuff? The you have gotta check out:
http://pixar.wikia.com/Cars_2

[DaddyB]

and here's DaddyB's daughter, dizgirl's tween-aged review:

“Cars 2” was wonderful movie. There’s new race taking place in 3 countries. A car named Sir Miles Axelrod makes a new biofuel and claims that it’s safe and makes up the World Grand Prix races. The races take place in Tokyo, Italy, and London. But while all that is going on there’s a top secret event behind it all. Spies are investigating this machine that looks like a video camera that does something to the new fuel that is claimed to be perfectly safe.

Then Mater is roped into the spy job. Mater must find out who is behind the crime.

But he wont do it alone! He has English agents Finn McMissile and Holly Shiftwell to help him along the way. I found cars to be a really nice movie. I think all kids must see this movie. The first “Cars” was great, but “Cars 2” I think is better!

[staystrong]

COOOOLLL!!! We can't wait too see it in Downtown Disney when we get there July 2!

[disneylover]

Yes! Thanks daddyB! My family and I have been eagerly awaiting this movie! We've been counting down! Your review makes me even more excited!! My boys are going to flip out! :)

[Disneyland_DHI]

Sad... This is the second most anticipated Pixar movie on my list and I'm probably not even seeing it opening weekend!! But... I am on Resort property this Sunday... Maybe if I talk my aunt and uncle into letting me go to DTD...

[ShrunkenNed]

Nice review, and nice to see the review from DaughterB as well!

I have to say there's lots of talk from critics about how this is Pixar's flop - yet lots of them also say the kids in the audience loved it. I wouldn't be so quick to call it a flop in that case!

[DaddyB]

I think the critics are loving creating a backlash against so many sequels this summer as a message to the Hollywood studio system. There is NO WAY this movie is a stumble or a flop. Is it a Toy Story 3? No. But does it tell a great story that is well put together with stunningly beautiful images? ab-so-lutely.

Sometimes I think critics forget that these are, generally speaking, KIDS movies. It's great if they're entertaining for adults too (and there is a LOT of humor that kids won't understand, like the Zen garden thing) but they're ultimately aimed at kids. My daughter absolutely loved this movie, much more than Pirates 4. I think mostly because she understood a lot more of the story and the humor (she's 11).

I can't wait to see the box office numbers, especially overseas box office, which I think this movie is solidly aimed at.

[crystaltink]

I've been teetering on whether or not I want to see this after hearing some reviews. But, it was on my list to see and I'd still like to see it! It's good to know from a fellow Disney fanatic that the reviews aren't what they seem to be. Thank you for posting!

[Ezra]

I just saw a piece titled
Everybody Hates Cars 2: Disney Cries Into a Big Pile of Money
It says a lot more about the reviewer than the film. So cynical!

[lpetiti]

It looks intersting. On the one hand, I was never a big fan of Cars (my least favorite Pixar movie), and I think Pixar could have done a spy genre movie without Cars. On the other hand, some of it does look pretty cool and as always, Pixar's animation is top notch.

[DaddyB]

So Sunday morning and reports are saying that it'll be $68million dollar opening weekend for CARS2. In an effort to downplay the success of the movie, I've seen reporting adjust the originals numbers for today's box office ticket fee (I've NEVER seen that before) and poo-poo the total by saying it's not as much as it should be when compared to Friday's numbers "and so word of mouth must have gotten out about what a stinker it is". Also explaining away the total box office cume by saying that "luckily for Disney, 11 year old boys don't read movie reviews".

Puh-lease.

[futureimagineer]

can someone tell me where my post went. if i broke a rule with it sorry, i didn't know

[Wedbliss]

...and what they fail to mention is that Cars 2 just had the fourth best June opening in history.

Of course, it's easy to play around with numbers and adjust for inflation. But if we do that then Gone With The Wind is the highest grossing movie of all time. Titanic would be 6th and Avatar wouldn't even make the top 10.

It must be a strange experience to work at Pixar these days. Sure, it's a dream gig for anyone in the film industry, but the pressure to maintain this winning streak can't help but affect people. After Toy Story 3, any Pixar film which fails to earn a billion dollars is some kind of terrible failure and stinging disappointment.

I almost wish Pixar could have an actual failure just relieve the strain there must be on the creative folks there.

[monkey4057]

Just saw the film.

DaddyB is right.


P.S. Where's the Pizza Planet truck?

[disneylover]

Well, I loved it! So did my husband and my three year old son. Will probably be going again to see it since I won free movie tickets. It was action packed and we were all entertained and laughing. Great movie! (I didn't notice the Pizza Planet truck either)