Rated G
Cast: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard, Michael Caine
Director: John Lasseter
To say this sequel is not as good as the first is not exactly news. Most any reasonable moviegoer would know this going in. But Pixar vet director John Lasseter, co-director Brad Lewis, and screenwriter Ben Queen aren't interested in re-telling the same story. They have traded in a nostalgic trip down Route 66 for an international spy thriller this time around. The result doesn't have the heartfelt sentimentality you get with most Pixar films, but it's still funny and cheerfully fast-paced.
Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) shares the top spot with his beloved best buddy, Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) in this adventure. The story spans the globe, starting from Radiator Springs and moving to Tokyo to Italy to London, England. Those are the three legs of the World Grand Prix, in which Mater has accepted a challenge for McQueen on Lightning's unbeknownst behalf. A world famous survivalist SUV named Sir Miles Axelrod (Eddie Izzard) has discovered an alternative source of fuel called Allinol (slyly pronounced "all-in-all.") He invites the participants to use it to prove its effectiveness. After a bit of egging from an obnoxious Italian Formula One racer (John Turturro), McQueen decides he's up to the task. He gathers up his crew and heads out with Mater in tow for this competition.
Meanwhile, a plot of international intrigue is brewing at the same location(s). A souped-up superspy vehicle named Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), whose name sounds like a tangy fish sandwich you'd order from McDonald's, is trying to ascertain the usage of a device that looks like a studio television camera but might have a more sinister purpose. He is aided by an inexperienced but resourceful sports car colleague named Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) who has been unwittingly thrust into field work for this mission. Through a case of mistaken identity, Mater finds himself catapulted into the quagmire of international espionage. Of course, he resembles nothing close to a spy, but McMissile believes this to be a rather brilliant cover. ("No one suspects the fool because they're too busy laughing at the fool.")
As McQueen competes in the races, some of the cars mysteriously begin to blow their engines. Could it be that this new alternative source of fuel is not everything it's built up to be? As the plot unfolds, McMissile finds it unusual that all of the evil henchmen (henchmobiles?) are AMC Pacers and Gremlins. They could have entitled the movie "Cars 2: Rise of the Lemons" but the Disney marketing department probably didn't want to risk it.
The film doesn't have the opulent visual appeal of "Up" or the clever inside-zingers of the "Toy Story" series--a majority of the gags involve fish-out-of-water antics (as when Mater, while in Tokyo, mistakes wasabi for pistachio-flavored ice cream) or auto-references into everyday society (from Brent Mustangberger doing the race commentary to the Big Ben clock being renamed Big Bentley)--but the movie's pacing is what makes it work. The story opens with a virtuoso action sequence aboard an oil rig. The film also has a lot of fun with Mater's cheerful goofiness. (At one point, Mater is reworked to house a voice-activated onboard computer, yet the advanced technology has trouble deciphering the lovable yokel's slack-jawed phrases.)
I had a good time. The early lukewarm reactions to the movie represent the dichotomy in critical analysis of movie sequels; they get blasted when it's the same movie told again, yet some reviewers have a problem with a complete reinvention. Is this not what we ask of sequels? If one insists on comparing it to previous Pixar animations, this doesn't rank anywhere near the top. Nor is it the best of this year's animated films. (That honor belongs to both "Kung Fu Panda 2" and "Rango.") But it offers what I expect from a sequel, and does it with a little bit of heart, a little bit of humor, a little bit of espionage, and a lot of octane.
* * * out of * * * * stars
