Whether you’re a fan of the Cars franchise or not, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the 2006 film and its sequel are some of the best looking Pixar movies of all time.
Of course, an immense amount of planning had to be done in order to bring such elaborate films to the big screen. In The Art of Cars 2 by Ben Queen and Karen Paik, readers will get a broad taste of what the "mechanics" at the Emeryville studio have been up to for the last couple of years.
A key point worth mentioning is this volume’s phenomenal organization. Location is key in a book that dedicates large portions to showcase car-ified versions of Tokyo, Paris, Porto Corsa and London. Chapters are also dedicated to the Pacific Ocean, the film’s spy aspect and "deleted concepts." You may be surprised to know that the characters were headed to Prague in one version of Cars 2.
Since the film’s look had already been established in the original Cars, the 160-page hardcover doesn’t dedicate much time to character exploration. With that said, many of the film’s personas are given their own spread showcasing the design process. Even Lightning McQueen got a tune up for the sequel. A couple of unused characters are also profiled.
Jumping off of John Lasseter’s energetic foreword, The Art of Cars 2 takes readers on the whirlwind production journey. Although it’s a relatively quick read, author Ben Queen (also the film’s screenwriter) never once talks down to even the most well-read Pixar fans. In fact, The Art of Cars 2 was an extremely informative book even after being thoroughly briefed at the Pixar press event.
The Art of Cars 2 (Chronicle Books) drives into stores on June 1.
Pre-order on Amazon.
Your thoughts?
Last modified: May 24, 2011
Got my copy from Amazon 1 week ago—have no idea how/why. It’s OK, not as good as the first Art of Cars book (especially the writing), but good for collectors of all things Pixar. Like me.