Cars 2

The problem with "Cars 2" is that it's produced by Pixar, a film studio that is automatically preceded by a reputation for producing groundbreaking masterpiece after groundbreaking masterpiece. Ever since it made its first full-length feature in 1995, the animation company has been responsible for some of the most highly regarded movies of recent years, with films such as "Toy Story" and "Wall-E" capturing the imaginations of audiences young and old, wide and far. Pixar is universally renowned as one of the most reliable movie studios running today, the mere mention of its name instantly inspiring a promise of stunning and breathtaking quality. And as soon as that sparky little animated lamp bounces up and down on the second letter of the company's name before the movie's opening titles, John Lasseter's "Cars 2" is doomed to crash and burn.

As it stands, the movie is mediocre; the inevitable comparison with Pixar's past portfolio only heightens this. If the movie were to have been produced by, say, Dreamworks, maybe its mediocrity would not be so noticeable, simply cast aside like many of this company's previous efforts (although "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Kung Fu Panda" may have faltered it). And if it were to have been produced by a much lesser known company, maybe it would make some money, sell some toys, and no one would bat an eyelid. But no, it's a Pixar movie, a sequel to another Pixar movie, and is currently the only chink in Pixar's glistening armour.

Much like its predecessor (which was previously thought to be the studio's weakest, albeit decent, production), "Cars 2" is set in a world much like our own; the only difference is that it is inhabited by talking automobiles. While the 2006 original seemed to be a semi-remake of Michael Caton-Jones' "Doc Hollywood," the sequel decides to go a bit bigger, the plot dealing with "James Bond"-style espionage, hopping from country to country.

Another difference is that the protagonist has switched from ultra-cool shiny race car Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson, "Hall Pass") to rusty tow truck Mater (comedian Larry the Cable Guy), who is personified as a buck-toothed hillbilly. McQueen returns to the town of Radiator Springs for a break from winning Piston Cup after Piston Cup, visiting his good old buddies in what has become his second home. On the television, they watch as Italian F1 car Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro, "Barton Fink") gloats of how much faster he is than McQueen, resulting in the rosy red race car taking part in the first World Grand Prix against Francesco.

Determined to make Francesco eat McQueen's tail lights, McQueen and friends speed off to Tokyo for the first race of the enormous event. While there, Mater unwittingly stumbles upon the attempts of two spies (voiced by Michael Caine and Emily Mortimer) to stop an evil scheme masterminded by scientist Professor Zündapp (Thomas Kretschmann, "King Kong"). Mater is then mistaken for an American spy (Bruce Campbell, "The Evil Dead"), the clueless tow truck now stuck with confidential information in his possession.

After Mater embarrasses McQueen and loses him the race, McQueen falls out with the clumsy tow truck, who as a result decides to go back to Radiator Springs. However, spies Finn McMissile (Caine) and Holley Shiftwell (Mortimer) take Mater with them on their mission to take down the evil Zündapp, still under the belief that Mater is a secret agent (and Mater fails to really speak up against this). Meanwhile, McQueen continues with the Grand Prix without his ex-best buddy, unaware that all is not so safe for him on the racetracks ahead…

"Cars 2" takes reign as one of Pixar's most action-packed projects, though possibly beaten in this area by Brad Bird's "The Incredibles" of 2004. Given the spy thriller genre aspect that screenwriter Ben Queen has crammed into the proceedings, a plethora of action is inevitable, and a plethora of action is what we get. We're shown high-tech gadgets, loaded machine guns, cars that can fly, cars that can swim underwater, ticking time bombs, explosions, chase scenes, punch-ups in public bathrooms, and the fiery destruction of cars on racetracks. It's a regular ol' "James Bond" action adventure, except with automobiles that can converse with one another. And yet, for some reason, in spite of all its boom-boom, bash-bash, "Cars 2" is not particularly exciting or engaging, the film actually a bit of a bore for most of the runtime.

On a visual level, Lasseter's film is magnificent, with the animation crisp and sharp, and the colour palette pretty darn vibrant. It's a glorious trip for the eyes to behold, and I'm sure youngsters everywhere will gaze at the screen in fixated wonderment, like a tiny little moth to a bright and shining light bulb. But as visually arresting as "Cars 2" may be, it can't outdrive the fact that it's not particularly as inspired, smart, funny or entertaining as one feels it should be, given the filmmaking talents at Pixar's disposal, as well as their mouth-watering goldmine of a 16-year filmography.

I suspect that those who decided to green-light this project were looking at its potential from a financial standpoint (the first movie did make a boatload of cash in merchandising), which is sad because it will no doubt act as a blemish in Pixar's reputation. Bottom line: kids may get a few kicks out of the ride "Cars 2" presents while disinterested parents will be counting the seconds until the end credits roll, which is something I never thought I'd have to say for a Pixar film.

4/10