Unfortunately, this is one of those movies where I’m in agreement with the critics. Cars 2 just isn’t up to the usual Pixar standards. In fact, I’d say that it actually falls short even if you take away the positive bias that Pixar brings to the table.
They made 2 mistakes with the movie: first, they decided to shove the evil-oil-versus-the-environment storyline down the audiences throat; second, they used the wrong main character in the movie. The problem with the environmental storyline in a kids movie is it can’t be done properly for a kid. The subject doesn’t lend itself to telling a story like watching a character make choices and grow as the movie proceeds. The only way to tell an environmental story is to make a good guy/bad guy story with lots of talking about wrecking the planet. Note to movie makers- that bores the hell out of kids.
If there isn’t burping, farting, silly faces and slapstick scenes with good comedic timing, kids won’t respond. The writer that’s figured out how to mix all that into an environmental storyline hasn’t arrived on the scene yet.
The other problem with Cars 2 is that Mater is the main character. Now Mater is a great character to have in a story, but he isn’t the one to hang your hat on. The problem with Mater as lead character is there’s nothing wrong with Mater. He’s funny, he’s loyal, he doesn’t pretend to be anything more than he is. The mistakes Mater makes are because of his goofiness, not because of character flaws.
As a contrast, consider Lightening McQueen. He’s cocky, selfish and always worried about what everyone else is thinking. He makes mistakes constantly because his character compels him to. The first movie worked because it was a convincing story about how McQueen managed to keep his edge without being a completely self-absorbed jerk in the process.
The end result is a movie that’s long and tedious for an adult to sit through. Initially, I felt like the movie just needed a chance to hit it’s stride. Once it hit the halfway point, I realized I’d just have to grin and bear it. What’s more, the only life message the movie has to offer isn’t really worth sitting through the movie for. The most positive thing I could say about the movie is that the kids didn’t hate it. But they weren’t talking about their favorite scenes, or discussing what they thought was the funniest thing in the movie. Mainly, they were excited that they’d been taken to the movies.
The Wife and I, on the other hand, were considerably less so.