At the moment I like it about the same as the original, but I think I’ll start liking it more after I see it again. 
Ah. I thought I might like this one as much, but I prefer it. It’ more my speed. 
This is a reprint of my review for Cars 2 from the thread “Why all the Cars 2 hate”:
I personally liked the first Cars better. The main reason is because it had a character arc that you could follow with the protagonist changing from a selfish race car who only cares about himself to a selfless race car who cares about others and the community he lives in. Another reason was how the world it was portrayed (cars without any humans present) was based in a solid, consistent continuity, which is what Pixar has always showed in their previous films. A thorough analysis shows the level of logic and detail within this film.
Car 2 took all that and tossed it into the wind. The continuity changed drastically with cars that could fly, fire guns of all varieties, shoot missiles, change their appearance with a hologram, et al. (On a minor note, the phrase “everything is voice-activated nowadays” was a running gag that quickly got stale) As for the character arc… what character arc? Mater was Mr. Bean mistaken for James Bond in this whole tongue-in-cheek sociopolitical conspiracy of alternative “fuel vs. fossil fuel” story line. He doesn’t change. Sure, he evaluates his personality during one scene, but he remains the same bumbling runaway character. Almost no likability.
But the most teeth-grinding detail I learned about this film was how the credits said “Directed by John Lasseter, Co-Directed by Brad Lewis.” Wrong. Brad Lewis is the real director of Cars 2. Lasseter came on to the project in the last eight months of its production, added his own touch-ups to it, and took the credit for it. That’s like a artist having his large painting 80% finished and then the musuem curator coming in and saying “Excuse me while I modify your work for you.” It’s intrusive and dishonest collaboration (actually, “collaboration” is too generous of a word), and they just left it alone in the credits. 
Don’t get me wrong. I sort of liked Cars 2, mostly because I was able to spot the many details in the film in my first and only viewing of it to date (The Incredimobiles, Gasteau’s, the popemobile within a popemobile, A113,etc.) I even saw the film in 3D. After a while, though, I almost forgot that I as watching it in 3D. I probably would’ve been better off watching it in 2D, but I’m not gonna be playing the hindsight game over this.
Overall, the film was… okay. This is a fact proven in laboratories under controlled conditions. Yes, the critics are deeming it the worst Pixar film to date, but do yourself a favor: be your own critic and find out what you think about a film instead of letting the critics speak for you.
In a final analysis, though, I would’ve respected Pixar even more if they had the courage to pull the plug on it before releasing it to theaters. Again, I’m playing the hindsight game. Still, I wholly believe that my frustration (read: not hate) with Cars 2 is justified.
It really is enlightening to see the diversity of opinions on display here- from those who dismiss the critics, to those who didn’t like what Pixar did with this sequel, to those who loved the action sequences, to those who feel that there was emotional content in the film, to those who do a very helpful flowchart… 
No other Pixar movie has so divided the critics and even the fans since… well, the first Cars movie!
Hey, at least nobody can say Cars is the worst Pixar movie anymore, right?
Well, anyway, I personally think the critics are WAY over reacting. From an enjoyment stand point(meaning I watched the movie to see a movie, not to bash it) I saw nothing wrong with it.
IV: I, too, found it enjoyable on a personal level, and if you ask me after I came straight out of the theatre, you would’ve gotten a straight “two thumbs up” from me. But much like Rio, after the ‘buzz’ died down (Toy Story reference unintended) and deep reflection, I realize there were a lot of things Pixar could’ve improved on, which other fan reviewers didn’t notice or didn’t want to point out. But again, I really, really loved it as a Pixar, Cars, and spy flicks fan. It’s just that if I put on my ‘objective critic’ cap, I would give it a ‘Needs Improvement’ remark.
Anyway folks, here’s my review I wrote last night. I’ve been meaning to post this right after returning from the movie (and even do a comparison with Kung Fu Panda 2, which I rewatched straight after), but I was preparing for a family trip last weekend and had to set that as a priority first. I jotted down a couple of quick notes, though, which I hope carried off in this rather verbose review. So here it is, and tell me if you agree with my points (or disagree). I just hope you find it helpful and mildly amusing to read!
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NOTE: I have tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but I strongly advise readers to see the film first in case I reveal any minor plot or character details.
Pixar’s latest film has achieved an astounding feat, although it is not one its producers and fans have been hoping for. After eleven critically-acclaimed movies and sixteen years of feature film production, the award-winning studio finally created a movie that obtained a Rotten Rating on the movie review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes (at the time of writing, the rating sits at 35% with 159 reviews, a fortnight after its release). The sequel polarised fans more than the first ever did; most implored non-viewers to give the film a chance, saying it met their expectations, and for a few, even exceeded it. Others weren’t as forgiving, expressing extreme disappointment and even resentment at the studio. And there are those who remain ambivalent about their experience and said it was decent for the studio’s standards.
I am not here to discuss their opinions. I have covered that extensively in my past posts, and it has dawn on me that ‘secondhand reviewing’ is a weak, if seriously flawed way to judge a movie. This is why I believe I am now qualified to offer my opinion after having experienced the movie for myself first-hand. I will also not compare it with Pixar’s other films (besides the first movie), or recent animated films from other studios. I may do that in my next post, but I believe a film should be judged on its own merits. Lastly, I will not discuss this film in light of any real-life controversies surrounding it (such as the copyright claim lawsuit, or Lasseter’s late intervention and Brad Lewis’ rather unceremonious relegation to ‘co-director’ title). That will also be reserved for another post. I would also like to take the opportunity to inform you of my prejudices. It is my belief that a critic should always admit their biases and divorce their preferences or ‘conflict of interests’ from their assessment to remain as objective as possible. So here it is upfront; the first movie was what made me fell in love with Pixar. I have been disenchanted with the studio lately for many reasons, and it is with great trepidation and morbid curiousity that I walked into the theatre with a close pal of mine (one of my best friends, in fact) to watch one of my most anticipated movies of the year.
First off, let’s get the obvious out of the way. This is not Pixar’s best movie, not by a long shot. That would be still be any one of the ‘Big Three’ (my personal collective nickname for Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up, since these films represented the zenith of my affair with the studio), although Brave stands a good chance next year. It is also probably its ‘worst’, again, this being my opinion, and by that, I mean, it is not particularly revelatory, meaningful, or thoughtful as most of Pixar’s fare.
What it is, though, is one of the best action movies the studio has produced since The Incredibles. I have longed for Pixar to do a spy movie and a sequel to Cars, and I am pleased to say they have granted my wish. John Lasseter was right, this is a spy movie. There are plenty of allusions to great spy movies; the rooftop chase of one of the characters could’ve been straight from the Tangiers chase in The Bourne Ultimatum, the casino and torture scenes from a Daniel Craig or Timothy Dalton Bond flick, the plot about the control of the world’s resources probably inspired by The World is Not Enough or Quantum of Solace. Yet Pixar manages to take these references and make it their own (which they have done many times before with films like A Bug’s Life, Wall-E and Up). Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ‘Nothing’s original anymore’ is a maxim I believe in. What matters is the execution. And all I’ll say is that Pixar does this brilliantly with panache and verve.
Automotive enthusiasts will also find plenty to enjoy here; from the Karmann Ghia being a codeword (and any spy fan worth his salt would know that was one of cars driven by Maxwell Smart in the ‘Get Smart’ series), to the lemons sub-plot, and all the assorted celebrity voice-cameos in between. Oh, and I just discovered a few days ago that Siddeley the plane’s name is a reference to a British aircraft manufacturer company.
On a technical level, Pixar has crafted a visual masterpiece. I will compare this aspect to other films in another post, but I’m going to say that I was thoroughly blown away by the level of detail, like the breathtaking scenery of an Italian coastal town, the burning sparks of cinder in the aftermath of an explosion, the seafoam spraying from the crest of a wave in the dark of the night… the Special Effects, Modeling, and R&D Departments deserve kudos for pushing the envelope in bringing the Cars world to life.
The characters are nicely fleshed-out, especially the newcomers. It is hard not to fall in love with Finn and Holley, who have to be the most charming and suave characters the studio has ever created. Finn, deliciously voiced by the congenial Sir Michael Caine, is the vehicular embodiment of a spy, with more fancy gadgets than you can throw a portable mine at. I even found myself liking Holley as much as I liked Sally from the first film. I liked her character progression from inept tech geek to fully-fledged field agent, and her increasing exasperation at Mater’s antics is entertaining to watch.
It’s also nice to see the returning characters, although this is expected of a sequel. At times, I felt like I was meeting old friends and returning to a place I haven’t visited in a while - it was pleasant to see how much Radiator Springs has changed since we last saw it. Doc’s absence was handled decently, even though I wish they made it more obvious to the viewer that his departure was permanent. The supporting cast also have a bigger role in the story at certain parts; Filmore unexpectedly plays a crucial role in the film’s climax, and one of the more memorable scenes was when we discover the backstory of Luigi and Guido and how their relationship mirrors Lightning and Mater’s at that point in the movie.
On that note, I found myself empathizing with Mater. I mean, don’t we feel like a fool every now and then, especially if we find ourselves out of our element? For our intrepid tow-truck, the disorientation is two-fold; he joins Lightning on a whirlwind tour of the world and encounters foreign cultures and unfamiliar settings, and he gets mistaken for a secret agent and finds himself embroiled in international espionage, terrorist organisations, and global conspiracies. His naivety and direct honesty places him in many sticky situations, which makes for huge comedy and drama potential.
Unfortunately, this leads me to one of my biggest gripes with the movie: the conflicting message. In the first movie, Lightning’s developed from a selfish, self-centred loner to a more humble and big-hearted individual. In this outing, the focus is on Mater, who is now the protagonist and must undergo the biggest character arc of the story. To my disappointment, this was not handled well by Pixar, mainly because he remains the same character he was at the start of the film, a goof of a klutz. The only difference is that he accepts his fault without making any effort to change it, and inspires others to look at him in a kinder light. This results in a typical “Be yourself” message which feels contrived and contrary to the first movie’s moral of “Become a better person.” I felt they could’ve made Mater less of a clueless buffoon and have him at least attempt to behave in the presence of Lightning and his fellow racers during the party, only to be snubbed. Or made him be aware that he was being mistaken for a spy, and have him try to impress his new ‘friends’ by proactively pretending to be a spy, instead of having him guilelessly strung along for the ride.
On a personal note, I would’ve liked to see more of Sally. I find it hard to believe that Lightning would choose his best friend over his girlfriend to take on a whirlwind tour of the world, although it is plausible. Even then, I wonder why she couldn’t have been part of his pit crew, or why he couldn’t have just bought an extra ticket for her. I can just imagine a scenario with Sally after the Tokyo race which would’ve been great, but I won’t discuss that here.
I also felt the exposition was too quick, which might fly over the heads of the kids and confuse the adults who are not as familiar with the franchise as their younger charges. Even at one of Pixar’s longer runtimes of 2 hours, the film flew by too fast for me to appreciate the nuances of character or keep track of who is doing what. More adept viewers might be able to keep up, but I felt they could’ve paced the movie better.
There were also a couple of cringeworthy scatalogical gags that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a ‘lesser’ Dreamworks movie, but stick out like a sore tire from a studio of this calibre. Mercifully, most of them were already shown in the trailer, but I just wish they didn’t include them and devoted more time to character development or exposition.
Lastly, many reviewers, both professional and amateur, have not made mention of Giacchino’s score, which probably shows how unremarkable it is. Granted, it certainly is an interesting use of surf music, and it lends a very 70s Sean Connery or Roger Moore feel to it. Sadly, the hook, while catchy, is repeated too often, and there is very little variation to the tracks from memory. I might listen closely on a repeat viewing, but there are very few standout tracks, even those during the important scenes. And of course, the use of contemporary music is interesting (I am in fact listening to Polyrhythm as I type this), but this is the exception to usual Pixar soundtracks which rely almost entirely on score. Again, this is not really a bad thing, but it won’t stick in your mind either.
As I said in the beginning of this review, no other Pixar movie has generated this much controversy in the studio’s entire history. For once, the verdict is not unanimous; the critics wished it was never made, the fans think the critics are misguided, and the fence-sitters have little to praise about it. What do I think? Well, it depends. If you’re a Pixar fan, automotive enthusiast, or spy flick conoisseur, this is a must-watch. If you didn’t like the first film, Mater, or the idea of a world inhabited by talking, living cars, you’re probably not gonna like this one either (although I still recommend you watch it, as it might change your mind). If you’re hoping that Pixar has made another winner, I’m afraid it’s not this year. If you think Cars 2 is not worth watching in theatres, I can tell you that I saw it in 2D, and I immensely enjoyed it. It’s worth watching, preferably with your best friend. I might plan a rewatch in IMAX 3D, if only to provide more comments in a subsequent IMAX review and watch the Brave trailer for the first-time in all its glory on the big-screen.
The best line in Cars 2 sums up the open-minded and cautiously optimistic approach you must adopt should you choose to undertake the ‘dangerous’ mission of watching it:
“No one realizes they’re being fooled, because they’re too busy laughing at the fool.”
You said it, Finn.
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Great review! I only skimmed, since I read is entirely on your blog on Friday. If I m ay ask, all things considered, what score would you give the movie in regards to your enjoyment?
Wow TDIT, what a great review, I read the whole thing! Seriously, I agree or at least can understand every point you made. Especially about seeing more Sally. 
I love the soundtrack though, it’s one of my favorites of all films. I play it in my car when I drive at night. I feel super cool. 
I read your review too tdit! I was looking forward to it actually. I liked your bit on Sally as well, being my favourite character that was my main complaint too. So I particularly liked this line,
Now you’ve got me day-dreaming about that non-exsistent scene!
Personally, I’m trying to be honest, without insulting anyone. I’m sorry if I do. But I don’t really like Sally. She annoyed me on the original movie, and more on this one. I like Holley much better. Sorry! 
Thanks for reading my review, guys! 
IV: Well, over on Wall-E Forums, I mentioned I would give it a 7.5 (out of 10), but I rounded it up to 8!
And Virginia, as I’ve suggested to you many times, you really shouldn’t have to apologise for expressing what is fundamentally your opinion! Besides, I agree with you on Holley, I didn’t expect to like her as much as I did after seeing the movie. She really is a newcomer who is trying to learn and be a great spy like Finn, and we can identify with her struggles.
Ding: Yeah… I was (and still am) a huge fan of Sally from the first movie, so I’m a little miffed that they ‘wasted’ her potential here to act as a confidante to Lightning during his ‘friendship crisis’ with Mater. I mean, yeah, it was cute how Uncle Topolino gave advice to him and we discover a bit more about Luigi and Guido’s backstory, but I still felt that they could’ve utilised Sally more.
Like I said, I enjoyed the soundtrack, but it doesn’t move me as much as say, the Pirates of the Carribean or Casino Royale soundtracks, which are more rich and nuanced. It is fun and breezy to listen to, but nothing particularly grand or moving. Others might disagree, though, and find it more ‘epic’ than I did, but I felt this it was a very pedestrian effort from Giacchino considering how often the hook was repeated with little variation.
MissCarrera: Thanks, it’s very flattering to hear that you were anticipating reading my review, I’m sorry it took so long to write!
With regards to that scene, I actually have half a mind to write a one-shot to that, actually. So maybe you’ll get to see my interpretation of this non-existent scene soon!
Virginia: Don’t apologize for your opinion (I’m guessing the apology was mostly directed at me) but I’m just wondering why you didn’t like her in the second film? She was hardly even there… 
tdit: You’re welcome! I would LOVE to read a one-shot on that! Let me know if you ever write it, sounds exciting!
Mostly the reason that Sally’s fans didn’t like the movie, really. She didn’t go with Lightning, and didn’t care about what happened to him. 
If we get a third, it can become the fandom running gag!
If there is a third one, there needs to be lots of Holley in it.
Her fans have nothing to do with liking a character or not. We don’t change her at all and we have no control over her so that is no excuse to dislike her. I love Sally and I still liked the movie, so does that mean I’m one of those people that makes you hate her?
TDIT: I read through your whole review and I agree with it mainly 100%. I, too, noticed the movie as one of Pixar’s most visually detailed movies. Applause to to the tech crew!
You took the words right of me. This is what I kept questioning throughout the movie. I felt like some aspects of his behavior was unrealistic…even for Mater. And I honestly would of rather seen him try to fit in with international racers, for one, and have him rejected then him just totally being out there in the first place.
And I totally agree with you on the Sally note and also didn’t find a reason to why Lightning just couldn’t bring her along. His best friend and his girlfriend both with him just seems like a more realistic thing than him just leaving one at home. And what you said about Sally as a confidante instead of Uncle and Mama Topolino. I totally get it. I felt like they were good characters but I don’t understand why Pixar made more characters for that when they could of just used a great character they already had. Ahh, I can imagine this scene with him and her in Italy and everyone’s dancing and… drifts off <3 …it would of been perfect, that’s all I’m saying. But like MissCarrera, I too would love to see a one-shot about your Tokyo scenario!
The movie’s pacing= AGREED. I’m not even going to say anything more about it because it was exactly my thoughts. My parents didn’t know what was going on for part of the movie. And frankly, neither did I. Honestly, I still don’t understand how Filmore got into being important in the climax. 
About the pacing…that threw me too. I didn’t enjoy how things were so rushed either. I understand that it is a spy thriller so it should be a little fast with all the action and stuff but compared to the first movie it was just too much of a leap for me. And the beginning in RS was breezed over the fastest I think. We are just getting settled into our return to RS, observing the changes and taking it all in and then ‘bam!’ next thing you know your in Japan. 
LOL, BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Before you know it, you’re all the way across the world and all the cars look Japanese. This is what I forgot to say in my earlier post. Yes, I totally agree that we should of spent a little more time in R. Springs before we went international, just to get a sense of it again. I mean, it’s been like 5 years since “being there”, you know? Again, they had at least 7 minutes to expand on these types of things. (For people who don’t know what I’m talking about, the first movie was 2 hours exactly and this one was 1 hr and 53 minutes)
Yeah, I was really looking forward to “going back” to RS. And while I loved the changes I did see, it was just too short for my liking.