The unnecessary sequel is a necessary staple of summertime moviegoing (as I’ve already pointed out in reviews for Pirates 4, Transformers 3, Hangover 2, etc.) but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. No sooner did I waste three hours of my life watching Transformers 3 did I go watch Cars 2, a significantly shorter but not significant better sequel that will probably go down in history as the worst Pixar movie.
It isn’t that Cars 2 is awful, it’s that it’s not very good. And coming from the studio that usually saves the summer with such awesome spectacles as Wall-E, Up, and Toy Story 3, that’s a major letdown. Of course, the first Cars wasn’t very good (and might have taken the previous slot of not-so-illustrious “Worst Pixar Movie” title holder) and a sequel was completely unnecessary but I guess there was merchandise to sell. Still, since half the fun of a new Pixar movie is entering a new world, I think they probably could have sold even more merchandise if they had just created a new Pixar universe to play in, just as they’ve done every year since I was a child marveling at the first Toy Story.
What Works: The movie has a low-key feel that won’t stress any kids out and will make any parent comfortable enough while watching. Also, there’s a subplot about fuel intrigue that is almost interesting.
What Doesn’t Work: They push Speed McQueen (Owen Wilson) into a supporting role and basically the whole movie is about Mater (the unctuous Larry the Cable, never welcome in any movie). A little bit of this fucking fool goes a long way, but the movie makes him the star. Also, they don’t know what to do with the car voiced by Michael Caine and so it doesn’t make up for the absence of Paul Newman who died after voicing a car in the first movie. And then there’s the biggest problem: the reason the first Cars sold so much merchandise is because it’s one of the most childish movies Pixar has ever come up with. The entire Cars universe feels too cartoony and is a step backwards after the excellent Ratatouille, heartfelt Toy Story 3, and groundbreaking Wall-E.
What I Would Have Done Differently: Shot down the idea to make a Cars 2. Everything we needed to see was seen in the first one and there’s no need to revisit it. Also, the movie could have used more heart and an epic feel to it (which the first Cars did have), instead of the disposable, tossed off feel the entire film has. I’ve heard that the next Pixar summer movie is Monsters Inc. 2 which has me very afraid that they’re just going to start cranking out sequels now instead of pioneering new worlds.
Where would we be without movies? Some are good and some not so good.