Cars 2

Rating: 7/10 (27 June 2011)

'Cars 2' (2011) picks up a few years after the original left off, with Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) winning 3 more Piston Cups since we last saw him win his first and has now been invited to participate in the new World Grand Prix. In this sequel, the attention is divided between McQueen and his tow-truck best friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), who is unwittingly roped himself into a top secret mission involving international spies.
Yes it is another Pixar sequel, and not the last from the highly regarded animation company with the follow-up to 'Monsters, Inc.' (2001), 'Monsters University' slated for a 2013 release. Is this a bad thing? Yes and no. While many commentators will argue that 'Cars 2' is the beginning of the sale of Pixar's soul, I tend to give the company a bit more credit than that. Not only have they created some of the greatest children's films of the past 20 years, but have created films that transcend the 'target' audience and leaves a lasting impact on audiences of all ages.
'Cars 2', it must be said however, is not their best work. In fact, it is probably one the least enjoyable experiences I have had out of a Pixar film. The important thing to note though is that this does not mean it was bad. Not at all, rather just lacking in comparison to the brilliance of 'Finding Nemo' (2003) and 'Toy Story' (1995). All in all, it was a good family film, with a particular emphasis on action. 2 long action sequences that bookend the film are brilliantly done and is some of the best high-speed work done in animation. Mater is extremely lovable, goofy character and complements the excellent voice work of Michael Caine as the international spy Finn.
Where I have issue with this film is the script. There are too many cheesy one-liners plucked from the last 30 years of children's action films and not enough slickness and wit that usually overflows from Pixar's scripts. There is also a lack of sentiment that accompanies the best of the companies films. 'Finding Nemo' for example, makes me, an 18 year old, cry, laugh and cry again all in the space in 90 minutes. That powerful use of emotion is not found in this film, at least not to a great degree.
However, that makes it seem a lot worse than it actually was. It was still a great film (certainly better than anything DreamWorks can put up), and it made my and my brother laugh numerous times.