Cars 2

Rating: 5/10 (23 September 2012)

The first film from Disney and Pixar was good fun, I may not have originally thought of watching it, but I'm glad I did, and I was certainly looking forward to seeing whether the sequel would be as much fun as the original, especially after seeing a couple of trailers for it. Basically, back in the world where cars are the population, there is a spy plot, where British secret agent Finn McMissile (Sir Michael Caine) has gathered some information of suspicious oil reserves, and he needs an undercover agent to join him and his assistant Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) in the mission to see what's going on. Meanwhile, Piston Cup four-time racing champion Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) has returned to Radiator Springs, and he has got himself a place to race in the World Grand Prix, thanks to his good friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). The event is to promote Allinol biofuel, being promoted by green power advocate Sir Miles Axlerod (Eddie Izzard), and the race goes to Tokyo where McQueen will go against his challenge Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro). Originally American spy Rod 'Torque' Redline (Bruce Campbell) was meant to be completing the spy mission, but he is compromised by the henchmen of Professor Zündapp (a Zündapp Janus 250) (Thomas Kretschmann), but he manages to pass the gathered information onto Mater, so the British spies mistake him as their contact, and while racing McQueen overhears their conversation and is distracted in the race to lose. The next race moves to Italy, and Mater has fallen out with McQueen, and McMissile and Shiftwell tell him everything they know so that he will carry out their mission, to investigate Allinol biofuel, which has been suspended for the final race in England, but McQueen is still using it despite this. After getting the British spies into trouble Mater realises his foolishness at times, and he has to save his friend when there is an assassination plot, involving a bomb that will detonate if he gets too close to his friend, but it was not Zündapp who set the bomb. Eventually as the bomb countdown clock nears the point of explosion the true lead villain reveals himself as the one who can deactivate it, Axlerod is the mastermind, and in the end he and his whole organisation are arrested, Mater gets a knighthood from the The Queen (a Rolls Royce Phantom) (Vanessa Redgrave) and a date with Shiftwell, and he and McQueen have fun racing in various places around the world. Also starring Bonnie Hunt as Sally (a 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera), Cheech Marin as Ramone (1959 Chevrolet Impala Lowrider), John Ratzenberger as Mack (1985 Mack Super-Liner), Jason Isaacs as Siddeley, Tony Shalhoub as Luigi (a 1959 Fiat 500), Lewis Hamilton, Joe Mantegna as Grem (an AMC Gremlin), Peter Jacobson as Acer (an AMC Pacer), Brent Musburger as Brent Mustangburger, Richard Kind as Van and John Lasseter as John Lassetire (a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck). The voice casting is still as good as before, there are certainly more recognisable talents and cameos, including new additions Caine and Mortimer adding some intrigue, the story is a little wonky and sometimes too much to get used to, but the James Bond style stuff is fun enough, the characters are all likable, especially Mater who gets a more starring role, it may not be as much of a highlight as the first film, but for the family it is an alright animated comedy. It was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. Worth watching!