Cars 2 (2011)

One the gifts the kids received for Christmas was Cars 2 on blu-ray (and DVD.) In case you recently came out from living under a rock, Cars 2 is the sequel to the 2006 Pixar film Cars. I actually liked the original Cars in a way — it’s very similar to the 1991 film Doc Hollywood starring Michael J. Fox and Julie Warner. Again, FYI in case you were living under a rock in 2006 too. So what’s this sequel about? Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater (who I need in small doses) head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. Where do you go from here? Why, an international espionage, of course! Michael Caine stars as Finn McMissile, a spy car. Lightning McQueen takes a backseat while this becomes nearly two hours of Mater and Larry the Cable Guy. If you like the Mater character, you’re in luck. If, like me, tire of the character quickly, be warned.

I thought this film was “okay.” I’m not a fan of Mater, so after a while, I went off to do the laundry while the kids sat entranced. The Mater character is the star attraction for 106 minutes. The story was okay, but I just didn’t care for all the wacky antics. On the other hand, the video and audio quality of the blu-ray was top-notch. It’s possible that John Lasseter and the rest of the Pixar folks got too involved with the technical detail, and got sidetracked on the quality of the story. So, apart from the story, the animation is crystal clear, eye-catching, and just looks amazing. Regarding the audio, you can never go wrong with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. The fronts were booming, the LFE shook the floor, and the surrounds were very active.

In summary, the story is so-so. If you want to plunk yourself down with the kids and enjoy the visuals and audio, be my guest.

Cars 2 (2011)