Pixar’s track record has been close to impeccable for turning out intelligent, emotionally rich, beautifully detailed animated films, with plenty of humor and heart to appeal to movie lovers of all ages.
But the weak link in the chain, at least from a narrative standpoint, has always been 2006’s “Cars,” with its two-dimensional talking autos and hokey, borrowed tale of small-town life.
Sure, it was bright and zippy, which was enough to appeal to the little ones, and it became a merchandising juggernaut. Just try finding a kid who doesn’t have some sort of “Cars” stuff. My 19-month-old son has a Lightning McQueen sippy cup, and I have no idea how he got it – these things just show up on their own. That’s how ubiquitous they are.
So sure, why not make a sequel? Trouble is, “Cars 2” is such a mess, it makes the original look like it ought to rank among Pixar’s masterpieces by comparison.
What has set the studio’s films apart from all the other animated fare is story: It’s paramount. Innovative tales like “WALL-E” and “Up” get you choked up just thinking about them, they’re that good. “Cars 2” tries to encompass many kinds of stories at once, none of which is terribly clever or compelling. And the fact that Pixar mastermind John Lasseter is back as director is the most baffling part of all. This is the man who kicked it all off with the soulful and groundbreaking “Toy Story” back in 1995. This is not someone from whom you would expect empty glossiness.