Cars 2

John Lasseter directed the first Cars in 2006 and he's back at the helm again for the first time in Cars 2. The greatly anticipated Pixar/Disney summer blockbuster in Disney Digital 3D branches out from their small town of Radiator Springs to head to race in the World Grand Prix. In this world totally occupied by cars and other modes of transportation the heroes head to Japan, Italy and England. Along the way the lovable tow truck, Matar gets involved in some espionage and intrique.

Lighting McQueen (Owen Wilson) is invited to compete in the World Grand Prix to determine the fastest car in the world. His pit team comes along and he invites his friend Matar (Larry the Cable Guy) who is all kinds of goofy and embarrasses his friend by not keeping a low profile. This peeves McQueen a bit and feeling badly Matard decides to go back home so that his friend can concentrate on the race. On the way out of town he's nabbed by British spy Finn MacMissile (Michael Caine) and his assistant Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). They believe that Matar is their American contact (Bruce Campbell) because the real agent stuck his tracker on him in the restroom. A series of misunderstanding has Matar in the middle of trying to find out if the new environmentally friendly auto fuel, Allinol seem to be making the race cars blow up. Solar powered SUV, Sir Miles Axlerod (Eddie Lizard) created the tourney in order to test his formula. There's also a conspiracy going on about “lemons” who are trying to discredit the fuel and go back to gas. Matar, despite his hill billy ways manages to impress the agents with his straight forward way of thinking. Instead of heading home he's off to Paris where he gets some high tech outfitting.

Lots of famous voices like the Italian Formula One car Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro), McQueen's girlfriend Sally (Bonnie Hunt), the mysterious Professor Z of the Lemons (Thomas Kretschmann), Franco Nero, Tony Shalhoub, Vanessa Redgrave, and John Ratzenberger among many others.

The animation is Pixar so it's of course excellent. The screen play by Ben Queen and Lasseter doesn't have the freshness as the first movie. There is just something rehashed and too busy. The flashy lights the stereotypical interpretation of what kind of cars live in other parts of the world seem overplayed. There are some car chases, auto races and there is some violence with guns and explosions. Not sure what kind of message that gives to kids. On the responsible side, there's a lesson about McQueen appreciating his friend just he way he is, oil leaks and all. The location shots look just like the cities, but you don't the sense that cars actually live there. Not like in Radiator Springs where the drive in dinner at least has gas pumps for food. Kids will love it no matter what, but parents may get a little drowsy with the overkill of stimulation.
(Review by reesa)