Cast: Owen Wilson, Emily Mortimer, Michael Caine, Larry the Cable Guy
Running time: 112 minutes
Cars 2 comes from the most successful animated studio there is. Over the last couple of decades, Pixar has produced some of the most engaging CGI (computer-generated imagery) animated films ever made and done it with a style and panache that has appealed to more mature audiences, as well as the kids that they were primarily targeted at.
The Toy Story franchise, Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles (my favourite), WALL-E and Up were all incredibly successful, and left an indelible stamp on the animated movie genre.
Cars 2, however, is not one of the studio’s better efforts and definitely doesn’t belong on the list above. Being from Pixar, it’s still well made, production-wise, but the movie is bereft of most of Pixar’s signature characteristics – warmth , humour, great characters, amazing animation and a great message. Kids will probably still enjoy this romp but it’s hard to see older audiences appreciating this middling effort.
The story follows the oddball relationship between Lightning McQueen (Wilson) and his buddy Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) the tow truck. McQueen enters the World Grand Prix, a series of races sponsored by the proponent of a new alternative fuel, after being goaded by an Italian Formula One car (John Turturro).
Mater accompanies him on this trip around the world, taking in Tokyo, Paris and London. Being a hillbilly American, Mater is like a fish out of water in these cultured locations and proceeds to embarrass his buddy McQueen but redeems himself later in the movie with acts of courage and ingenuity.
What follows is an incredible change in plot direction, straight into James Bond territory, when the dynamic duo gets embroiled in an international tale of espionage that threatens the existence of cars everywhere.
The problem in this sequel is that the focus shifts from McQueen to Mater, and while McQueen isn’t necessarily one of the more memorable Pixar characters created, Mater is even less so. He is annoying, and obnoxious, constantly mouthing off with not a single memorable line for the audience to savour.
As I mentioned earlier, kids will probably still enjoy his madcap antics but the development of his relationship with McQueen is stilted and disappointing.
Then again, the first Cars wasn’t the greatest either but it was a huge commercial and merchandising success, and since the resident animated film critic in the family, my nephew Adithya, gave it the thumbs up, who am I to argue? - Review by S.N.