MOVIE OFTHE WEEK #2 (6/24/11): CARS 2
KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Eddie Izzard, Sir Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Helen Hunt, Thomas Kretchmann, Tony Shaloub, Patrick Hobbs, Jeff Garlin, Brent Musberger, Darrel Waltrip and David Hobbs
WRITER: Ben Queen; original story by John Lasseter, Brad Lewis & Dan Fogelman
DIRECTOR: John Lasseter
WEB SITE: disney.go.com/cars/
THE PLOT: Picking up where the first film left off, Cars 2 once again stars the vocal talents of Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, now a championship race car driver who has won the last several Piston Cups. Hanging out in Radiator Springs with best friend Tow-Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy), girlfriend Sally (voiced by Helen Hunt) and the rest of his buddies, Lightning McQueen is living a good life.
Then the crew happens to see an interview featuring Miles Axlerod (voiced by Eddie Izzard) talking about his new fuel - Allinol - and the World Grand Prix, a three race series featuring the best racers in the world ... And Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro), an open-wheeled race car that drive the ladies wild (and his competitors nuts). Taking exception to Francesco's braggadocio, Mater inadvertently gets Lightning to enter the race that will serve as a showcase for Axelrod's new fuel source.
Meanwhile, Professor Z (Thomas Kretchmann) and his cohorts have a sinister plan of their own involving Allinol and Axlerod's World Grand Prix races ... But if the British intelligence team of Finn McMissle (voiced by Sir Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) has anything to say about it, they won't get away with it.
So what happens next when Lightning, Mater, Francesco, Professor Z, Finn and Holly start their engines on an international adventure to Japan, Italy and England? You'll have to get in your car and drive to the theater to find out!
THE TAKE: Let me be the first to say that the original Cars movie was like a Mustang or Camaro - loved by those who were really into it, but regarded as just OK by others. Actually, the first Cars was more like Hot Wheels in that while there are adults who enjoy them, it was best suited for those of an elementary age. While Cars 2 proves the franchise is still the most child-oriented in Pixar's long list of films, it does deliver a more adult-friendly turn for the 2011 model year.
With a maturity level that seems more akin to other Pixar films like A Bug's Life as opposed to public broadcast programs like Thomas the Tank Engine, Cars 2 adds in more humor and enhanced personality than its predecessor. Likewise, the plot is a bit more engaging this time out, thanks largely in part to the work of Caine and a dare-I-say inspired vocal performance by one Larry the Cable Guy. By adding a James Bond-esque element to the script and letting the Mater character grow a little more, the film has more heart and intrigue than the original, which was a heavy-handed in both areas.
Other than that, there's really not much more to Cars 2. As stated above, the humor is better - there's one particularly entertaining sequence involving Mater's experience in a men's restroom in Japan - but it still caters to those shopping in the juniors department more than the adults. Don't believe me? Watch the all-new, hilarious and sweet Toy Story short before the film and the difference between what makes one such an iconic, beloved franchise and the other a nice moneymaker for the Walt Disney Company couldn't be more apparent.
PARTING SHOT: While it's not going to join the championship ranks of other Pixar efforts like Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles or Toy Story franchise, Cars 2 proves its up to speed when it comes to kid-centric family entertainment.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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