“CARS 2”
A Pixar Animation Studios Film
Story by John Lasseter, Brad Lewis & Dan Fogelman
Screenplay Written by Ben Queen
Directed by John Lasseter with Brad Lewis
*** (three stars)
While nothing could keep from the release of a new film from the Pixar Animation studios, I have to admit that I was a bit less than enthused about seeing a sequel to “Cars” (2006). While that film certainly was not anything I would ever consider to be a bad movie, aside from its first third I found “Cars” to be woefully beneath the level of all of the other Pixar motion pictures. Look, dear readers, I can appreciate the messages of slowing down, smelling the roses, honoring friendships and interpersonal connection as much as anyone else but did it really have to be predictable slog through the simplest and most corn pone homilies of small town life that went out of the window with the likes of “Doc Hollywood” (1991)? Just when the film needed to find its emotional center, hone it and bring it to the surface in the same rapturous fashion that has been elicited in all of the other Pixar features, “Cars” just sat motionless. Lightning McQueen’s adventures, such as they were, in the mythical small town of Radiator Springs, felt like an interminable pit stop. The more I wanted him to leave the town, the longer he just stayed there and when he finally did leave, I just didn’t care what happened next.
Thankfully, “Cars 2” avoids such pitfalls by being consistently light on its feet and it moves at a much quicker pace than its predecessor. Additionally, as the arc of Lightning McQueen’s story has been essentially completed, Director John Lasseter wisely gave this sequel a jump start through a stylistic change by making this sequel more of a spy film as well as shifting the focus to the antics of the lovable misfit tow truck Tow Mater. While these changes have resulted with a film that I enjoyed considerably much more than the original and is a solid piece of entertainment overall, it unfortunately still falls far below Pixar’s best achievements. Even so, weaker Pixar is better than most of what is released in our theaters these days, especially films designed for and geared to children and families.
“Cars 2” opens in excellent style as we find ourselves in mid-adventure with super spy Aston Martin Finn McMissile (voiced by the inimitable Michael Caine), who is feverishly on the trail of the insidious Professor Zundapp (Thomas Kretschmann). As McMissile engages with his pursuit, we are also reunited with our heroes from the previous film as Lightning McQueen (again voiced by Owen Wilson) returns to Radiator Springs for summer vacation after winning his fourth Piston Cup race in a row.
After an afternoon of small town hijinks with Mater (Larry The Cable Guy), Lightning takes in an evening date with girlfriend Sally (Bonnie Hunt), which the insecure Mater cannot help but to crash. While exiting to obtain beverages for his friends, Mater stumbles upon a television announcement of the new World Grand Prix, a race through Japan, Italy and England organized by former oil tycoon Miles Axelrod (Eddie Izzard) as a means to promote his new product of renewable energy. The televised special also features an interview with Italian racecar Francesco Bernoulli (a terrific John Tuturro) who openly taunts Lightning McQueen’s non-involvement with the race to the point where an angered Mater calls in to the live program and volunteers McQueen’s racing services. Lightning McQueen accepts the challenge and upon a suggestion from sally, he decides to allow Mater to tag along for the ride.
Upon arriving in Japan, the two storylines converge and collide as Mater is mistaken to be a super spy in deep, deep, deep, deep undercover by McMisile and his lovely assistant Holley Shiftwell (voiced warmly by the charming and raspy Emily Mortimer) and is subsequently recruited for their secret mission. Yet, most importantly to Mater, there is the issue of his treasured friendship with McQueen, which threatens to be irrevocably damaged due to all manner of Mater’s public faux pas that embarrass, irritate and anger McQueen and ultimately costs McQueen the first race of the World Grand Prix.
As with all of the other Pixar films, “Cars 2” is a dream to regard visually. It is a stunningly mounted production that again made me blink twice as I exited the movie theater, viewed all of the cars in the parking lot and jokingly wondered to myself just what they may have been talking about as their humans sat indoors. The racing sequences zoom across the screen with nearly psychedelic vibrancy and the locals of Japan, Italy, England and radiator Springs are designed and presented with immaculate and impeccable precision down to the smallest pebble of gravel. Eagle eyed viewers will also be able to spot meticulously placed visual references to past Pixar films (I saw two) as well, which does indeed add to the fun.
Conceptually, I do have to say that “Cars 2” is a very well executed spy film that is surprisingly complex and in many ways, this film was even better than many of the James Bond films that obviously inspired this project. I also really appreciated the environmental issues that were subversively inserted into the framework of the characters and storyline. And although there is much that I enjoyed about “Cars 2,” and again, I found it to be much more entertaining and satisfying than the original, it just didn’t send me to that place where Pixar transcends mere movies and becomes magic.
Frankly and overall, “Cars 2” feels like nothing more than an indulgence of John Lasseter’s gleeful gear head fantasies and more power to him as he is the head of Pixar and can do whatever he wants to do with his studio. In many respects, that sort of artistic self-indulgence is a quality that I admire greatly. But, again, it does allow for some people to potentially feel a bit left out of the proceedings…like myself. For whatever reasons and despite the glorious imagery these artists place into their films, I guess I just do not find cars, in and of themselves, to be compelling characters. At least, not as compelling as neurotic toys, showbiz insects, playful monsters, a perpetually fearful clownfish, a culinary rat, superhero families, lonely robots, and traveling octogenarians.
For much of their existence, Pixar has only had to compete against itself. But now, I am feeling that with films as extraordinary as last year’s “How To Train Your Dragon,” competition from other animation studios threaten to take their crown. Yet, this is the sort of competition that could spark true revolutionary works within the animation genre, with greatness arriving in surprising packages again and again. Somehow and for whatever reasons, Pixar is now spending its time with sequels…good sequels but sequels nonetheless. It is a decision that could begin to make Pixar seem as if they are beginning to tread water by revisiting familiar characters instead of unfurling tales to treasure. I guess I’m just nervous that Pixar is very slowly becoming safe and predictable when I would hope for them to keep pushing the boundaries of the genre as they have done so wondrously with films like “Ratatouille” (2007), “Wall-E” (2008) and “Up” (2009). Even the traditional short feature before “Cars 2” is another good but decidedly ho-hum return to the well as we receive another episode with Woody and Buzz.
As I said in my review of last year’s “Toy Story 3,” a film I found to be a hair overrated, the wizards and creative forces at Pixar have more than earned the right to kick back their heels a bit and just make an entertaining film for entertainment’s sake. But, for me and I would gather for many fans, the films in the Pixar catalog that have endured the greatest in our hearts have been the ones with the utmost depth and the furthest reach.
For all of its incredible sheen and technique, there was not terribly much at the core of “Cars 2” for me and it left me a little cold. There wasn’t that extra dimension that has made 10 of the features in Pixar’s oeuvre so memorable, designed to revisit again and again and for children to grow with instead of dispose of. Yes, we have Mater and McQueen’s friendship at the heart of the film but Pixar has handled this material often and much better. Yes, the messages of being yourself are more than worthwhile but the way it was presented felt to be a little trite when most of their films tend to be a tad more hard fought, challenging and sometimes wrenching and at other times, euphoric.
What else is “Finding Nemo” (2003) but an exploration of the deepest, darkest, primal fears of parenthood? Or “The Incredibles” (2004) as it explored a man’s mid-life crisis? Or “Ratatouille” as that film went so far as to explore the nature of art itself? Even last year’s “Toy Story 3,” despite some minor issues I had with it, delved artfully and even painfully into the cycle of life. “Cars 2” has nothing on its plate that is this provocative and I guess I missed that quality.
But as I have stated before, weaker Pixar features are still better than most films being released as the passion and artistry cannot be denied in any way. “Cars 2” is a good film, just not a great one. A shame for an animation studio that consistently releases great material.
I guess I’m just waiting for the creative artists of Pixar to blow me away again, something I am more than confident that they will achieve.
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