Hey there everyone and welcome to my latest Pixar review! Last time we started off talking about the start of the 2010s era with Toy Story 3 which was of course beloved by many. But then in 2011 things changed for the studio or at least how people came to talk about them as they released their first ever critical disappointment in Cars 2. Now the sequel to Cars was indeed a success for the studio (it’s among their lowest grossers domestically, but made up for that with a strong global total) but was declared to be their worst film by many fans and critics (although I’d argue the latter camp was more lukewarm than anything on it while it’s the former camp that especially thrashes it) and it didn’t help that it was a sequel to their least well received film and that it released after 4 critically acclaimed films from the studio (Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, and the aforementioned Toy Story threequel). Now if you’ve read my 30 movies I enjoy more than most list then you already know that I am a huge defender of this film as it was a childhood favorite that means a lot to me. However for this review I will be discussing less of the nostalgic reasons why I have such fond memories of this but more of the movie itself and the actual critical reasonings I have for liking it a lot as putting aside the nostalgia I think there is a lot to like about this movie that not enough people give credit for. With that said now let’s gear up and join the Radiator Springs gang around the globe as they get caught up in the world of espionage!
Things kick off with an exhilarating prologue which show cases British spy, Finn McMissile, infiltrates an oil rig run by evil lemon cars who plan on enacting a devious plan which could have major ramifications. He manages to narrowly escape faking his death in the process and we cut to Radiator Springs where Mater is ecstatic that Lighting McQueen is back after a long racing season. Lighting is of course happy to see him even if their activities together can get a little too crazy for his taste. His stay is short lived though as thanks to Mater, McQueen decides to compete in the World Grand Prix, an international racing competition which billionaire, Miles Axelrod, is using to promote his new alternative fuel, Allinol. McQueen decides to bring Mater along with him too and they head to their first stop in Tokyo, Japan, where Mater does prove himself to be a handful for McQueen. Things get weird for Mater though as an American agent has not choice but pass on crucial info to him and McMissle, and his new partner, Holly Shiftwell, mistake him for the agent. This leads to Mater getting caught up in the world of spies and now he, Finn, and Holly must stop the Lemons, and find out whoever is leading them and sabotaging the races before it’s too late!
Okay I might as well get some of the biggest issues with the movie out of the way first and one of them being is that this really does not work as a follow up to Cars. There’s a night and day difference between the two in terms of story, tone, and what each of them are trying to accomplish as this one trades in the racing centric plot line, and easy going pacing of the original for fast moving, high octane thrills. It’s frankly jarring how different the two are and it’s not hard to see why fans of the original were taken a back by this (as a kid though I didn’t seem to mind at all funny enough). Still while it may work as a sequel to the first, as it’s own thing which is a Mater centric spy spin off I find it to be incredibly enjoyable in that regard. While it does have it’s problems in that regard namely how the racing plot line at first does feel a little too separated from the spy proceedings as they mesh weirdly and it does affect the overall structure of the story, I do think as the movie goes along it does become less distracting. It moves at a nice pace and has a lot of energy to it that I enjoy and it really does work as a loving homage to the spy genre especially the 007 movies. Throughout the film there are a whole bunch of little details in terms of visuals, and feel that could serve as references to those movies and as a newer fan of that franchise I appreciate this movie more and I could see it being a gateway for the genre for younger audiences. The spy plot itself it well oiled as I like how ties into the race and it does feel like their are genuine stakes at play throughout and while the twist itself may not be the most surprising I do like the how, and why of it all. I also like how the film isn’t afraid to get dark at times and show the Lemons as a formidable threat (I’m shocked that this got away with a G-rating given the insanely high body count). Granted this can cause a bit of a tonal a whiplash when mixed with the more comedic elements of the movie though once the movie finds it’s footing I think it mostly works. In terms of the comedy itself well I always find myself laughing at a number of the visual gags and the situations Mater would find himself thrust into now that he’s working as a spy. They made for some amusing moments and there few outright groaner jokes as even the bathroom joke was actually pretty funny. The movie is even able to have a simple if nice, and effective message concerning being yourself and not being ashamed of who you are that made sense within the context of Mater’s arc and how he uses his specific specialties, and skills to solve the conspiracy showing the value people of different personalities can have. It’s a relatable message that gives the movies some heart and I like how Mater does come to learn from his mistakes as the movie goes on. My only little gripe here would simply be one interaction with Lighting that could imply that Mater would forget what he learned about staying yourself yet not getting to carried away so as to embarrass others but I still see what the filmmakers were going for nonetheless. It’s not trying to reach the lofty heights of other Pixar movies and honestly why should it? It’s setting out to be something different and accomplish different goals and I like it all the more for it.
The one thing people tend to praise this movie for is it’s animation quality which is not a surprise given that it is Pixar and the first one had some pretty stunning animation as well. This one is able stand out visually from it’s predecessor also as there’s something about the colors that just pop out a lot more and it’s less photo realistic on the whole than both one, and even three. Still is a treat to look at though as I’ve always loved the car designs and movements for these movies and it is cool seeing more car types done in this style and I’ve always been partial to McMissle’s look since while he’s technically not an Aston Martin he sure as heck was inspired by one. I also enjoy seeing the creativity that was put into the spy gadgets and how a car would be able to utilize these different types of weapons which help in making the action unique. Speaking of which the action sequences are easily a highlight here as there are just simply exciting to watch unfold. John Lasseter just brings a lot of energy and intensity to these scenes as they are extremely well constructed. The opening oil rig set piece always gets me hyped starts things off with a bang while the street fight in an alley of Japan is brutal and shows “car karate” which is something I never knew I wanted. The climax is also a lot fun and very fast paced as time is literally of the essence and it was always interesting to see how the animators would try to center action around vehicles and how they would fight or use their weaponry. What also elevates these sequences is Michael Giacchino’s awesome score which is criminally underrated and one of my personal favorite Pixar compositions. It has Bond feel to it and I love it’s use throughout the film and has such a great build up to it. It’s a soundtrack I find myself humming to often (also really enjoy some of the songs in the film like Weezer’s rendition of “You Might Think”, and Brad Paisley, and Robbie William’s original song that plays in the credits, “Collision of Worlds”). However my favorite part regarding the technical aspects of this movie are the backgrounds and environments. That was already a stand out in Cars but here they travel to more places and as someone who has been to a couple of these places myself I am amazed at how the animators were able to capture cities like Tokyo, London, Italy, and Paris so well. They are all beautifully rendered and are just stunning to look at (from what I hear the London set was massive in it’s size and it shows). Goes to show how even Pixar’s lesser received fare can still pack a visual punch.
Much has already been said about how annoying people find Mater to be and how centering a movie on him is a bad idea. Personally though I’ve never minded Mater at all as I actually find him amusing and he never really got on my nerves here. It was fun seeing him in this situation as he is perfect candidate for a fish out of water scenario, Larry the Cable Guy seems to be having a lot of fun as this character and I did find him surprisingly relatable as can often be ashamed himself for well being himself and there are some emotional moments revolving around him that do pack a bit of a punch. I also like how he does get to prove himself time and again throughout the film like how he’s able to figure out the mystery. So yeah I did enjoy him here and I feel some people’s hatred of him is a little too much (though if you just don’t like the character and his sense of humor isn’t for you that’s completely understandable). As Owen Wilson’s Lighting McQueen well while he is definitely side lined for most of the movie (weird given how he is the poster child of the franchise) I did love seeing more of his friendship with Mater which was a focus of the film and I just really enjoy their dynamic as it’s easy to tell that they’ve developed a strong friendship with one another through their interactions and it is sad when they split up due to unforeseen circumstances (even if Lighting’s reactions to Mater’s shenanigans is understandable). Heck out of all of the movies this is one where we get to see them together with the most which is neat. As for the rest of the Radiator Springs Gang they are largely put to the sidelines and don’t get much to do even if I did like that bit in the end where they’re all fighting the Lemons and Fillmore and Sarge get a funny joke at the end. That was disappointing that they didn’t get much to do but luckily I felt the new characters made up for that. My favorite is of course Michael Caine himself as Finn McMissile who is a really cool character whose personality is a bit of an almagation of the different Bond actors (most noticeably Roger Moore, but also some Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton thrown in there) which is a nice touch and Caine is just perfect for this type of role showing how good of a Bond he actually could’ve been. Emily Mortimer is also very enjoyable as Holly Shiftwell bringing a sense of intelligence and she serves as a nice contrast to McMissile’s experienced veteran as the more tech savvy yet new to field rookie. I even like her relationship with Mater which was cute. I enjoyed seeing them play off one another and I’d be down for some sort of series detailing them doing spy missions as that would be fun. On the villains side of things I think the Lemons make for solid baddies who do have a clever and sympathetic motivation for doing what they are doing but also prove themselves to be intimidating threats when the occasion arises. Spoilers but the leader does turn out to be Sir Miles Axelrod a twist that isn’t completely surprising but I like how Eddie Izzard does a good job of making him seem like the nicest guy there is and I like the way he is revealed as the circumstances were weirdly amusing. The other major ones would be Thomas’s Kretschmann’s Professor Zundapp, who gives off major old school spy movie vibes and his two manical hench men, Acer (Peter Jacobson), and Grim (Joe Mantegna). As for some of the other side characters well John Turturro is a delight as McQueen’s new rival, Francesco Bernoulli, who get a lot of laughs, Franco Nero’s Uncle Topolino gets a nice scene with McQueen discussing what true frienship is all about, and while they both don’t get a whole lot of screen time Michelis’s Tomber (a french informant of Finn’s) and Bruce Campbell’s Rod “Torque” Redline (the American agent who runs into Mater) both leave an impression and are characters that seem to have a lot of history to them. That’s one of the joys of Pixar films, even when characters who only get a little bit to do still manage to catch my attention.
Putting aside the fond memories, Cars 2 holds up nicely as a fun fast paced spy adventure that never ceases to entertain me. It definitely has a number of issues such as it’s story structure, and tone feels uneven at times, the Radiator Springs Gang is underutilized, and it really doesn’t work as a sequel to Cars. Yet I feel it works much better as a stand alone film as it’s flow, and tone do improve as it goes along, it’s a nice spy movie homage, it can be funny, it has a very nice message, the animation is beautiful, the action is exciting, I don’t mind Mater as the main character, and the new characters stand out in some way shape or form. It may not be for everyone but I think it’s far from the disaster people claim it to be and I feel Pixar should stop being judged so harsh whenever a new film of theirs isn’t some emotional masterpiece. If they want to make a fun romp then let them and not gonna lie I wouldn’t mind them doing another one if they can make it work. It’s a movie I enjoy watching as it never ceases to put a smile on my face from beginning to end. With that said that’s a wrap for this Pixar review, look forward next time as we will head to Scotland to meet up with a Princess who just wants to be free!
Rating: B+
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