Directed by: John Lasseter, (3/5).
Entering Rialto having watched the trailer for Cars 2, I just wanted to see the familiar characters of Cars back in the American west for a wee trip of nostalgia. But the trailer had scared me. After all, how many times have blockbusters turned out to be far better than expected, then failed in their sequels? Cars 2 was surely doomed for the same fate.
Or not. It turns out that once again Pixar has produced a film that really does fit snugly in the 'for all ages' category. Starting in Radiator Springs, all your favorite animated automobiles embark on a world racing tour to Japan, Monaco, and London. Combining a pretty obvious (yet somehow always enjoyable) secret-agent plot, with a healthy dose of the ‘now kids, always treat your friends nicely’ lesson, this was a nice film for reawakening the plot-fascinated child in you and not having to think for once.
There was also a large amount of animated foreign scenery, which somehow always looks better than real-life footage of the same cities. The markets of Paris were that much more enticing when the tourists and gypsies were replaced by Mater (the protagonist), fascinated by huge markets selling miscellaneous car parts. Then in the other cities, there were cars wearing everything from Japanese Kimonos to English Beefeater hats.
Of course, the film included every cliché that child-friendly films seem to, but you're expecting that anyway, so to randomly quote John Cleese – "that don't come into it!" It was also quite contemporary, with one of the central foci being a raging debate about alternative fuel. Plus Michael Caine has a totally sweet secret agent voice. Having said all this, the film has been under fire from most critics. I disagree with them overall, apart from the fact that there's potentially way too much of the hillbilly Mater, who never shuts up yet also never has a memorable line.
I would have liked to have seen more of the hippy wagon too. He was sweet.
Cars 2
