Review: Cars 2

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Cars 2In 2006, Pixar released a film that uniquely celebrated America's automotive culture and the small communities that were displaced by the interstate freeway system. Not only did Cars shine a light on a dying piece of Americana, it also had a dramatically unique visual presentation where everything in the world, including insects, was an automobile.

Five years later, after giving us Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up and Toy Story 3, Pixar returns with Cars 2, only their second film to get a sequel. It's not a surprise given the popularity of Cars, especially the rustbucket tow-truck character Tow Mater (voiced by comedian Larry the Cable Guy), that it would be chosen for the sequel treatment with "Mater" at the center of the story. I would be willing to bet the merchandise sales for Cars double that of any other Pixar movie. If that means this is a Pixar cash grab, I'm willing to accept it given the money will go into creating more original works like Up.

The entire cast of Cars returns with the exception of two greats. It's sad that in the last five years we've lost not only George Carlin, who was replaced in the role of Fillmore by Lloyd Sherr, but also Paul Newman, whose Doc Hudson receives a poignant memorial in the beginning of Cars 2 (indeed, Cars was Newman's last feature film appearance). New to the cast are the fantastic talents of Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Eddie Izzard, John Turturro and Bruce Campbell, as well as a great number of celebrity cameos.

While Cars was a classic story full of nostalgia that resonated with an older audience even as it entertained the kids, Cars 2 is an enjoyable spy spoof that may appeal more to a younger crowd. The story follows Mater as he stumbles into the clandestine world of espionage due to a case of mistaken identity, leaving very little time spent with his fellow residents of Radiator Springs. Worse, depending on your viewpoint, the world is not populated just with cars, but also now with boats and planes, a change in style that is necessary for the places the film goes in a bigger world, but counter to the autos-only spirit of Cars.

If the vocal stylings of Mater begin to grate on the adult nerves, they are redeemed by the extraordinary talents of the new supporting cast. Michael Caine is as fantastic on four wheels as on two legs, with a number of tricks in his bag. Emily Mortimer does a very convincing Moneypenny, and Bruce Campbell is always recognizable even in his brief cameo. These folks are always worth the price of admission.

The bottom line is that anyone expecting to recapture the magic of Cars will be sadly disappointed. Cars 2 is enjoyable on its own, but it isn't as full of the love for autos as the first. The bumbling antics of Mater are not only annoying, they are so in-your-face that they are a distraction from the more interesting elements of the film. If Pixar had slapped the name Mater's Big Adventure on this, they couldn't have found a more appropriate title.