Cars 2

I went and saw this movie today hoping it would be an excellent film. While this movie isn't as bad as everyone says, it still is a sub-par movie. I'll tell you that you will enjoy this film and it can get exciting, but there is nothing beyond that.

Lets start of with the good things. The action sequences are well done and there are a lot of them. And the visuals are top notch. It really does feel like you're watching a big summer spy blockbuster. There were more explosions in "Cars 2" than there are in Micheal Bay films. Another good aspect of the film was the first race sequence. It felt very authentic and exhilarating as if I was there on the race track cheering on Lightning McQueen to win the race. The beginning was also done very well which parodied a James Bond flick, making the film feel like it would be a very  exciting and well crafted. Finn McMissile, Holly Shiftwell, and Francesco Bernoulli are all very good characters. They are fun, witty, and steal the spot light at time from the lead Mater.

Yes Mater is the lead in this film, which is one of the negatives of this film. In the first he felt like a powerful sidekick, but in this film he feels like a lost puppy mixed with Jar Jar Binks. He is way to over the top at times and is as confused throughout the movie as the audience. He does have some touchy moments, but nothing compared to the Mater that helped out good old Lightning from the first "Cars." Ah, Lightning McQueen, the character that started the series is very underused in this movie and sort of reverts back to his big shot self in "Cars 2." However, he quickly changes. Now where the movie really lacks is in the story, which is ironic because Pixar has always said that story is king. The story is very thin and everything just sort of happens. It's way to situational. Somethings happen out of sheer coincidence, such as the scene towards the end with Mater and McQueen or the scene involving the race in Italy. The ending is very cliched and to an extent predictable.

Overall "Cars 2" is a very entertaining and enjoyable film, but that's all that it is. The story is very thin and the film feels like "a Ferrari without a engine." Pretty and beautiful, you can have a good time with it, but overall it's useless and you can't fathom why you have it if you can't interact with it. This is Pixar's first sub-par film and not just by their standards, but as a movie.

I give "Cars 2" a 2.5/5, a entertaining movie that is nothing beyond that.

Cars

With the release of "Cars 2" only a couple days away I decided to watch "Cars" yesterday and with it give all of you my thoughts. Okay let's start with the basics, many people have labeled "Cars" as Pixar's weakest movie and I totally agree with these people. "Cars" in my opinion is the weakest movie Pixar has to offer, but by no means is it a terrible film. By movie standards it is an excellent film with amazing visuals, good music, and a pretty likable cast.

This film starts of telling the audience exactly what the character of Lightning McQueen is about, voiced by Owen Wilson,. Nothing matters to except winning, being the best, and getting to the top as soon as possible. McQueen himself starts off as a wannabe and kind of unlikable because he's arrogant, flashy, and ungrateful. However it changes when meets the people of Radiator Springs, especially Mater. I'm not gonna narrate the story because I think most of you have seen this movie and or at least know what it's about. Okay the second main character is Mater, voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, a sweat lovable side character. To bad Mater shift from likable to annoying pretty frequently throughout the movie. When he is supporting McQueen he is very sweat and a strong supporting character, but when he is up to his misfits he comes of annoying with some lame line=s and a few fart jokes. Some of his comedy is timed well, but others are forced. Doc Hudson, voiced by the late great Paul Newman, is a very strong supporting character, but some of the things he does doesn't make sense. In the beginning we can see he hates race cars immediately when he finds out about McQueen. Later in the movie we notice that he likes McQueen and loves his spirit.. Doc ultimately is the reason McQueen changes. Doc is always in a love hate relation with McQueen, one moment he loves the guy the next he snaps in an endless cycle through the very end. Sally, voiced by Bonnie Hall, is the love interest  and a very strong car. She like McQueen was always in the fast lane, but never felt fully complete until she ended up in Radiator Spring. Sally is very passionate about the town and is the McQueen is fixing it up. She like Doc sparks a small change in McQueen. The cast is pretty strong and some of the other side characters like Luigi are fun without being annoying.

The over all plot and message are pretty simple are not as complex as other Pixar endeavors like "Wall-E" or "Up." The movie with it's flashy colors and kiddie humor comes of as a bit of a kids movie. That's probably why "Cars" is more popular with the smaller kids. This movie on occasion feels more like a kids movie more than a family movie or movie for everyone, something Pixar aims to make. For example the whole tractor tipping scene was geared towards children with a bunch of fart jokes. I understand that it is trying to say have a good time and all, but they could have done it in a more classy way. At time this move becomes sort of predictable like the end and it simplifies somethings that they are saying. The movie is also all over the place at times, because it tries to show the audience what the world is like. It makes the world more magical, but the story suffers a bit. If they kept it organized and shaved a few minutes of it could have been a more balanced film. The extra time didn't add anything to the plot.

Overall this movie is great, but a tad childish/kiddie. The story is over the place at time, but structured to a good happy ending. The characters a likable, side ones more than the more major ones. But Pixar did a great job creating a believable world. Not Pixar's greatest pic, but a fine film. I look forward to the new one and hopefully it is a fantastic film.

I give "Cars" a 3/5, a solid score for a solid film.