Needless
to say, my love and respect for the "Pixar" brand name (not to be
confused with the "Disney Animations" tag which has given us passable
CGI fluff like Chicken Little and Bolt) is enormous.
They have
never bowed to the pressure of commercialism over quality, despite
being armed with an arsenal of potential money-making franchises
under their belt.
Until now, that is.
The first Cars
film has long been regarded as "the weak Pixar" film. An embarrassing tag if ever there was one. It aimed squarely
at the toddlers, discarding the insightful stories and humour which
spoke to all ages of Pixar's previous adventures.
This isn't
necessarily a problem. It's sort of like seeing Michael Jordan play
baseball - it's not going to increase his credibility, but he's earned
the right to do something fun. But just because he can play golf, it doesn't mean he should.
Such is the case with Cars 2.
The second time around, the Cars
franchise is really pushing it's luck with the "Give them a break,
Pixar deserve an easy weekend off" school of thought. Just because they
can make money, it doesn't mean they should.
Lightning
McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck
Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the
first-ever World Grand Prix. Then for no apparent reason other than to
flesh out the minutes, Mater gets caught up in an intriguing
adventure of his own : international espionage.
The problems of Cars 2
are clear - with a woefully hobbled together script (almost as if a few
left over "Cars-Toons" have been sticky taped together), next to no
humour and a distinct lack of heart serving as it's biggest sins.
There is also the shift in focus onto one of Cars'
"humorous side characters" in the Red-Neck-Truck Mater. Like most side
characters - the reason they become popular is because we get to
see them shine in small doses. There is a very good reason why no
one remembers Christmas Vacation 2 : Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure.
With
Lightning McQueen relegated to a "You didn't even need to turn up"
cameo, we are left with a rather grating 90 minutes of Mater and
his ability to give you a headache.
The Toy Story sequels succeeded by concentrating on the heart of their story - the relationship between Woody & Buzz. Let's face it, Toy Story 4 : That Pig Money Box Character's Big Adventure would make cash, but it's hardly on our "Must See List".
Again,
if this was any company other than Pixar, I could let these problems
slide and just pass it off as "A fun movie for little kids". Because,
for toddlers, Cars 2 is colourful and exciting. It's Thomas The Tank Engine minus Ringo Starr.
But on the sheer principal of what the Pixar logo has stood for for over a decade, Cars 2 should have never made it past the pitch meeting.
All
I'm saying is - when the most common defense of your film is "Yeah, but
it make lots of money in toy sales" you know you're in trouble. At
least they're honest I guess.
We are not angry Pixar, we are just disappointed. DVD Special Features
There are a wide range of extras on offer depending
on what format you go. There is the usual DVD thing... but who really
wastes their time with that these days when you can buy triple packs
for the same price that include Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copies all in
the one pack.
The extras potentially on offer, if you go the whole hog, are pretty impressive.
Theatrical Short - Toy Story Toon: Hawaiian Vacation All-New, Exclusive Cars Toon : Air Mater Director Commentary Nuts and Bolts: A Sneak Peek of Cars Land World Tour – Interactive Map Deleted Scenes Short Documentaries Set Explorations from the Different Cities in the Movie
And More! To be honest, if there is one thing Disney can never be faulted on - it's extras and plenty of them! Conclusion:
Movie 40% Extras: 80%
|
