Pixar's first sequel to a movie that isn't Toy Story also happens to be their lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes by a good 40% , not to mention that the original film is the only film before this not be be in the 90's. Should this affect my decision? No, but it does scare me a bit.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, John Turturro
Directed by: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis (co-director)
The Positives:
- Bruce Fucking Campbell!
- I still found the world inhabited by the cars quite interesting and original.
- Cars die in this. Seriously. Pixar has no problem with blowing up race cars or drowning henchmobiles (I assume henchman cars would be called that.) It actually adds a bit of danger to the film.
- John Turturro made what could've and should've easily been a horribly annoying character quite entertaining, and I would actually liked to have seen more of him.
- These cars are alcoholics. In at least every scene with four or more cars somebody is drinking champagne or martinis. I guess that's why I like Pixar so much. They understand that just because a child sees an animated car drink alcohol doesn't mean they are going to set out to become drunkards.
- The action scenes are surprising well done. Gun fights and (of course) car chases are spread about the film quite nicely.
- Kudos to Pixar for having a hero (BRUCE CAMPBELL!) imply he banged the villain's sister and mother.
- The picture is gorgeous, no doubt about it, though the cartoonish vibe of the film undermines the beauty at times.
The Negatives:
- Do rednecks even like Larry the Cable Guy anymore?
- Some of the voice actors are not even up to par for a Dreamworks film.
- I'm surprised by how well the James Bond part of this film worked, and how little everything else did. It's not disjointed as much as it is unfocused.
- Dammit Pixar! You're too good for fart jokes!
- The times that the film actually tries to be laugh-out-loud funny fails in comparison to the little, more subtle jokes.
- 'Cars 2' feels like a rehashed combination of Pixar's better works:
- A colorful party of characters (The 'Toy Story' films).
- The main characters leaving the security of home to go on a great journey ('A Bug's Life', 'Finding Nemo', 'Up').
- Two rivals racing to see who is better at their jobs ('Monsters Inc.').
- Secret agents versus a league of evil ('The Incredibles').
- A French setting ('Ratatouille').
- The theme of renewable energy and a healthier planet ('WALL-E')
It pains me to give a Pixar film this low of a rating (I don't even know if I'd give any of their other films below an A, besides the first 'Cars' of course.) While it's definitely one of Pixar's worst, this film is not the harbinger of misery most critics are making it out to be. I had fun watching this, much more fun than I have watching a good portion of Dreamworks or Blue Sky's flicks, and dare I say, I actually think that this sequel is better than the original.
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