Cars 2 (2011)

Directed by: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis | 112 minutes | animation, comedy, family | Original voice cast: Owen Wilson, Larry The Cable Guy, John Ratzenberger, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Bruce Campbell, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard, Cheech Marin, Peter Jacobson, Jenifer Lewis, Franco Nero, Jeff Gordon, Guido Quaroni, Lewis Hamilton, Lloyd Sherr, Darrell Waltrip, David Hobbs | Dutch voice cast: Hans Somers, Frits Lambrechts, Laus Steenbeeke, Lieke van Lexmond, Daniel Boissevain, Hero Muller, Edwin Evers, Jeroen van Inkel, Christijan Albers, Eddy Zoey, Jörgen Raymann, Michiel Veenstra, Ad Visser, Brainpower, Guus Meeuwis, Emile Ratelband, Olav Mol, Winston Gerschtanowitz

There were strange looks from various quarters when Disney/Pixar announced a sequel to ‘Cars’ (2006). Because although that is still the film that brought in the most money with merchandising, the film is also considered the least genius (in a creative sense) of the animation studio. Where the talents of Pixar seem to have no problem giving toys, fish, rats and even robots a heart and a soul, they fail to provide the talking cars from ‘Cars’ with any emotional depth. Only in the mentoring relationship between racing car Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and ‘Doc’ Hudson (Paul Newman) was there that deeper layer that characterizes Pixar films and makes them interesting for adults too. But after Newman’s death in 2008, things had to change course for the sequel. Admittedly, Pixar has found a whole new angle, ‘Cars 2’ (2011) is certainly not a repeat of moves. But unfortunately this animation film has not become really innovative and heartwarming either.

This has largely to do with the story of ‘Cars 2’, which by Pixar standards is very one-dimensional and not very original. Lightning McQueen returns to Radiator Springs after a successful time on the fastest racetracks in the world, where he reunites with his old friends Sally (Bonnie Hunt), Luigi (Tony Shalhoub), Ramone (Cheech Marin), Sarge (Paul Dooley) and his best friend, the rusty tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). When the eccentric and wealthy Sir Miles Axlerod (obviously based on Virgin boss Richard Branson, voiced by Eddie Izzard) announces that he will host a new World Grand Prix to promote his new, sustainable fuel, Mater gives up on his best friend, so he can take on the slick Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro), who calls himself “the fastest racing car on Earth.” The first race is scheduled in Tokyo. At Sally’s insistence, Lightning invites Mater on a trip. However, the simple and crass rust bucket makes him feel like a fool for wishing he had left Mater at home.

To spice things up a bit, screenwriter Ben Queen introduces a James Bond-esque storyline. British spies Finn McMissile (a classic Aston Martin voiced by Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) track down the big man behind several criminal acts and just leave the wimpy Mater in the wrong place at the wrong time. and and get caught up in the whole thing when he’s mistaken for a secret agent (in what McMissile says is brilliant disguise). At this point, the focus in the film shifts from the “hero” Lightning McQueen to the “schlemiel” Mater. A race against time ensues as Mater must protect his best friend from the evil genius who tries to take out the participants of the World Grand Prix one by one.

The fantastic and extremely detailed settings show that ‘Cars 2’ must not have been just a snack for John Lasseter and his associates. World cities such as Paris, London and Tokyo and the Italian Riviera have been recreated in a particularly beautiful and atmospheric way, with impressive skylines and fun nods to previous Pixar films. But that brings us directly to the problem of ‘Cars 2’: if the story in the foreground had been interesting enough, we might not have even noticed those great backgrounds. You expect original angles and brilliant finds, creative feats and subtle jokes for adult viewers from Pixar, and ‘Cars 2’ in three of those four categories pales in comparison to predecessors such as ‘Toy Story 3’ (2010), ‘Up’ (2009) and ‘Wall-E’ (2008). Where those films manage to appeal to the maximum on an emotional level with minimal means, ‘Cars 2′ – with really only a tired and moralizing speech about friendship – lags significantly behind. This film can only compete with its illustrious predecessors in terms of animation technology, because in addition to those beautiful backgrounds, the cars themselves are also made with a fine eye for detail.

For the younger target group that ‘Cars 2’ is primarily aimed at, this is simply a very nice animation film, in which the numerous events pass by at a rapid pace. Because ‘Cars 2’ is certainly amusing. Also for the parents who came along. Of course Lightning McQueen lacks an appealing personality and Mater’s hillbilly antics become more and more tiresome over time, the speed that comes with it thanks to the spectacular races and the action and espionage scenes that wink at 007 pulls you through the film with ease. ‘Cars 2’ will fill the halls without any effort and the toy shops will also benefit optimally from this film. But whether that satisfies the film lover who is used to a higher level of Pixar…? New. Follow-up films are not always a success, even if they come from the Pixar stable. It worked out well with ‘Toy Story’, not with ‘Cars’. Does that have to do with the fact that the original ‘Cars’ film barely managed to break the bank with the critical viewer and is seen as the least production in the impressive oeuvre of the animation studio? In that regard, the expectations of the sequel to the much better-received ‘Monsters Inc.’ (2001), which the studio is now working on, is a lot higher.