Cars 2

First off, I would like to point out that the original Cars was my favorite animated film of all time. Whether a movie is CGI, anime, or whatever other types of animation there are, chances are I like Cars better. It's just, you know, a classic. You just can't beat it. When I first heard there was a Cars 2 in the making, I was uninterested and figured I may watch it someday, but it wouldn't ever be able to compare to the first film. Then, during the previews when I went to see the Dawn Treader in theaters, I saw a trailer for it, and suddenly knew that I had to see it.

The movie begins five years after the previous movie; probably because it came out five years after the previous movie. Internationally-known race car Lightning McQueen returns home to the town of Radiator Spings after winning his fourth Piston Cup, and discovers that a famous inventor and implied motivational speaker Sir Miles Axelrod has announced the first World Grand Prix, taking place in Japan, Italy and England. McQueen was one of the racers chosen to compete.

Meanwhile at the same time, Finn McMissile of British Intelligence is undercover trying to foil a plot by the evil professor, Zündapp. When two agents are unmercifully murdered, he, along with agent Holley Shiftwell must put their trust in . . . the exact wrong person.

Tow Mater, Mater for short, is a tow truck and a complete goof. He is Lightning McQueen's best friend though, and McQueen was convinced to allow Mater to accompany him on the World Grand Prix as part of his pit crew. Mater is accidentally (and surprisingly) mistaken for an American agent, and is soon thrown into the world of spies and espionage. In the end everything depends on him, though he would wish anything otherwise.

I understand why some people did and will dislike Cars 2, but I certainly did like it. In my opinion, what makes a good sequel to a previously stand-alone movie or book is a story that takes the world that was in the first movie or book, but vastly expands it. Cars 2 does exactly that. Instead of being pretty much restricted to Radiator Spings as the first movie was, it takes place in over four countries and dozens of locations. It's an amazing and creative sequel, and takes a far more in-depth look at cars culture.

I can see how people could dislike this "action-packed spy movie" after the simplicity that the original Cars was, but that is precisely the reason why I like it. I have a dad who's over 50 and is a huge automobile geek ("geek" in a good way), and he pointed out so many awesome inside jokes and car parodies of real-world things that a younger person would just never catch.

Cars 2 is what I've called before "the Jason Bourne of Pixar." Though there were many parts in it that I didn't like, I overall enjoyed the movie. It was by far the darkest Pixar movie I've ever seen, and sometimes I was extremely surprised that it wasn't even rated PG. (Seriously, those two agents were murdered in cold blood. Does that sound like a G movie to you?) I was surprised and intrigued by the fact that it was an action movie; hardly the reaction that many other people would have.

==Pros==
-Fun, enjoyable cast of characters
-Likable soundtrack
-Amazing CGI animation
-Further explores the world of Cars

==Cons==
-Some parts were downright stupid
-Rated G when it should be PG

Overall Score: 7.5/10



The movie was fun, entertaining, sometimes downright hilarious, and overall a worthy sequel. Maybe it's not the perfect sequel to Cars, but it was certainly the sequel that Cars deserved. If they make a Cars 3, I hope it's as good as the first two.

Reuben Horst