Review

Review Date: 26-June-11
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Cars 2 (2011)

The inevitable comparisons to Pixar's other films will likely result in Cars 2 being tagged as the clunker of the bunch. This sequel to the 2006 hit about a sports car who becomes a better, ah, person shows signs of slapdash writing in an attempt to make a quick buck. Yet being the lesser product of what is arguably the most successful studio in history doesn't necessarily mean horribleness, nor does being an uninspired kiddie flick necessarily mean failure. I know I tend to rate summer movies more leniently than others, but the fact is I found Cars 2 to be an enjoyably mindless matinee.

Admittedly, the strength of the picture is not its story. Almost as if they didn't want to make a sequel at all, the filmmakers ditched the American setting and concocted a mishmash of Speed Racer and James Bond flavored with the didacticism that marked the original. After a quick introduction to show that hotrod Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is sticking with his small-town friends, the action moves to Asia and Europe for a three-city rally that will determine whether McQueen or an Italian racer (John Turturro) is the fastest car in the world. Neither of them takes first place within the movie itself, however. The star of the show is McQueen's tow truck buddy Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), who comes along on the tour and drips embarrassing yokelness onto sophisticated situations. The resulting tension between McQueen and Mater sets up a recognition of the importance of friendship and the moral that no matter where you go, you should be yourself.

The James Bond stuff also involves Mater and most of the fun. The opening scene introduces sleek British spy-mobile Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), who is tracking the nefarious movements of a German scientist (ironically, one of those cute little European cars that seem like toys). This scene highlights the picture's strength: Cars 2 looks fantastic, with eye-candy locations and bursts of speed of both the Grand Prix and panicked-pursuit variety. McMissile teams with rookie agent Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer, her voice suggesting hair up in a bun that begs to be let down), who mistakes Mater for an American spy. He is pulled into their intrigues without fully comprehending what's going on, and together they battle the little German and some thuggish Gremlins and Pacers. None of this feels like the original Cars or has much to do with McQueen or friendship. But there's something to be said for anthropomorphized automobiles (and ships and planes) tooting around vacation destinations in the fluid world of Pixar animation.

Copyright © 2011 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.