Avery's Review
Do you happen to be a college student looking for resource material to aid in the writing of your paper on corporate money-grabbing? If so, this movie is for you. If you are a small child looking for something to entertain you on an otherwise dull (and it may still be) Saturday, this movie is for you. If you are looking for a movie with any depth at all, go see a Dreamworks movie instead.
Honestly, it pains me to say it, but Cars 2 is not Pixar-standard, and I cannot honestly say I liked it. I did not hate it, but I did not like it much either. Obviously, Cars is the Pixar film which sold the most merchandise before, so it makes sense (to everyone but the moviegoers) to make a sequel. It has been said that Pixar executives actually got the idea when they pictured Mater (Larry The Cable Guy) driving down the wrong side of the road on the other side of the world. Such a concept makes an incredibly detailed movie premise, no? No.
Owen Wilson and Larry reprise their roles as Lightning and Mater, respectively. The central idea is that Mater gets Lightning involved in a race around the world (the world being comprised of only three counties), but Mater winds up being mistaken for an American spy by two British spy cars, Fin McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). Pixar films are known for being emotionally touching, correct? Toy Story 3 (and possibly Up, I can't remember) brought me to tears. This movie, well, I wasn't even aware that I was supposed to cry. The plot device that is supposed to be sad is that after Lightning gets mad at Mater for causing him to lose the first race in the World Grand Prix, Mater begins to realize that he is, well, an idiot. Yes, I did feel sorry for Mater. But, ultimately, it just wasn't touching. It seemed more like an emotional attempt by Dreamworks than Pixar. Anywho, Mater, Fin, and Holly end up trying to stop a bunch of evil cars who are trying to force the world back into using gasoline (a fuel type which their bodies accept...I think). Honestly, the plot was too...ridiculous...no, no...detailed?....nah, it was just too something for a Pixar movie. Up was ridiculous, but it worked. This is just too...I really don't know. Something about cars pulling levers just seems too far-fetched.
As Spill.com says, the movie is like watching a Chevron commercial that just won't end. I agree in some ways. I was kind of freaked out after the movie ended. Too many things had eyes. Cars, planes, battleships (or carries, I'm not sure on that either...I just know they were boats with eyes), trains, and every other mode of transportation had eyes. It was disturbing!
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| IT'S STARING INTO MY SOUL!!!!! |
Cars 2 is for the kids. Ultimately it makes a good movie, just not a great movie. I'm biased for Pixar, so I want to give this movie a high score. At the same time, being biased for Pixar, I do not want to hold back my appall. The voice acting is decent enough, the graphics are great, the plot is bad (for Pixar, anyway), the 3D is meh, and a lot of the jokes seem repetitive (I did find some of the stuff in TOWkyo, Japan [props to Spill.com for noticing that spelling, unless, well, they were making a pun. They could have been.] amusing, particular the bathroom scene). Again, the kids will love it, but I have to base it on my own findings. Sorry, Pixar.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (I rarely give partial credit, but this movie deserves it.)
Connor's Quick Rating: 3/5
Final Score (unless more reviews come in):
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