Continuing my re-visit to the Cars franchise, I watched Cars 2 last night. Now, when this film came out, it had a significant number of detractors (really horrible reviews from folks who thought Cars was awful and didn’t want a sequel), and disappointed fans (folks who wanted a sequel like the first movie). People hate this film, and I’m sure many have avoided it solely because of it’s bad press.

I was none of those things. I knew exactly what this film was, and saw it in theatres before I read any reviews. I spent the entire movie laughing or smiling in some fashion, and I came out with a better appreciation for Mater as a complex character.

Cars 2

The Bad Reception

Before I talk about the film itself, I want to address a couple of reasons why I think it got such a bad reputation straight from the get-go, and I’ve narrowed it down to the two major factors I keep seeing repeated:

1. The movie is centered around Mater.

2. It was different from the first film, in scale, story, and genre.

I’m not going to beat around the bush: Cars 2 is about Mater because he sells better to kids. It’s a fact of life, and this was a movie expected to make money. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to find out the sequel was Mater-Centric either, but I gave it a shot anyway. I’m pretty glad that I did, and I got over the main character shift fairly quickly when I realized that they not only gave Mater character development, but managed to make him deeper than the first film and shorts.

As for the shock from the change in style and tone for this film, I blame how little Mater’s Tall Tales was advertised. I think I saw the DVD once in store, but since I wasn’t all that big of a fan of Mater, I passed it by without realizing what they were, or what sort of stories were on the disc. However, when you think of that DVD, and how all those stories are Mater-centric, it would make sense that a full-length Mater-centric movie would follow the same sort of genre and tone as those shorts, instead of the Lightning McQueen centric Cars.

The Tall Tales are all larger than life, exaggerated and humorous stories where you’re not sure what’s true and what’s embellished. For example, the one short I’ve seen (Air Mater), involved our Tow Truck learning to fly and joining a squad of fighter jets in an air show. About half the story is believable, and the other half is obviously Mater’s embellishment–such as McQueen diving in to save him with wings of his own, or the constant ‘Yay Mater!’ cheering in the background. Since a movie would be a step up from a short, instead of mostly-fake larger than life story, we got a real larger than life story.

It’s sort of like Scooby Doo. In every television episode, the bad guy is some dude in a mask, while when they got their full-length films (including all the early animated Shaggy-only ones like Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School)–the monsters were real. Same sort of premise.

In this case, the folks who might have been expecting another Doc Hollywood for the sequel, got a comedic James Bond/Spy Movie spoof.

You can see where that might cause a dilemma. But, since it’s a really good Spy Flick spoof, that had a ton of great action and comedy and oozes with love for the genre, I have a hard time disliking it myself.

The Setting

If you thought the desert landscapes in Cars were pretty, you haven’t seen anything. The settings and backdrops for Cars 2 are detailed, and jaw-dropping gorgeous. No one can tell me this is a bad looking film. No one. Where Cars had two major settings, Cars 2 has five or six from a bustling Tokyo, to beautiful Italy, and even a rustic England.

The amount of sheer art design that went into this movie–even for an oil rig for a high speed action chase–is amazing. You can see each little rivet and dip in the metal grating. My favorite location, though, was Italy hands down. The scenic buildings and rich color palette was warm, inviting, and oozed of the hospitality and family that Luigi’s relatives represented.

Cars 2 put a great deal of effort into World Building alongside it’s plot. So not only do we see more locations in our Characters’ world, we also see some of the other citizens. Boats, Planes, Trains, and even construction equipment, all get a bigger role in the world, and we see how they interact alongside the Car population. It gives the franchise a bigger feel, and establishes them more on an entire planet, instead of just the Radiator Springs bubble.

I honestly think the film is worth watching just for the scenery sometimes.

The Story

Cars followed in the vein of Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and Finding Nemo–it was a personal character journey where someone had to change, or accept change. Following in the “Very Different Movie” line, Cars 2 is closer to The Incredibles, where there was a bigger story going on while the characters adapted. Cars 2 is more story driven, than character–and that’s not a bad thing.

Instead of Mater changing as a character, we got to know him better while the Spy Plot he became tangled up in moved forward.

So what is our big story? It’s a spy movie, complete with slick James Bond like spies, advanced technology and gadgets, and dastardly villains with bigger goals in mind.

This movie is full of action, gun fights, regular fights, explosions, and all the sorts of things you’d expect from a fast-paced James Bond flick, including the body count. I stopped counting the number of cars that died pretty early in the movie–which is a complaint I’ve heard.

But considering what genre this movie was (Spy films), they felt proper to be included. Also, I found it gave the film some depth to the events. It establishes that what’s going on is not only 1) very real with lasting consequences, but 2) gives us a reason to worry for Mater–who himself catches on pretty quick that this isn’t a game. There are lives at stake, and he takes things seriously once he realizes what’s going on.

I loved that about this movie. It had weight.

But don’t worry–it also has quite a few comedic & touching moments, too. The film’s got a nice balance.

I’ve heard folks say the spy plot is too complicated, but when you break it down, it’s pretty easy to digest. Three or four years after the events of Cars, a World Grand Prix to support a new type of energy efficient fuel is being sabotaged–an underground organization is blowing out the engines of the racers to make the fuel look bad. Mistaken for an American Spy, Mater is picked up by two British Intelligence Officers (Finn McMissle and Holley Shiftwell) to find out the car behind it all and just what he wants. The secondary plot, focuses on Mater’s fight with McQueen that got him involved with the Spies to begin with, and the World Grand Prix itself.

There’s a really good twist at the end, that I personally didn’t see coming, and the movie does a very good job joining the two story lines (McQueen in the World Prix, and Mater the Spy) together at various points.

If anything, I enjoyed the story for–again–the world building. The concept of “Lemons” (Bad Cars, like Hugos and Gremlins known for breaking down) vs Higher Models (Corvettes, Ferraris, etc.) is an interesting sort of social class comparison. "Lemon’s are a tow truck’s bread and butter!“ as Mater put it, sort of develops and reminds us that these guys are cars. Mater’s job is to tow and salvage other cars who’ve broken down. There are cars that perform better than others in this world, the same as they do in reality. The movie uses that to create social rules that the first movie touched on (McQueen’s aversion to rusty cars, or wondering what the heck a Porsche was doing in Radiator Springs), but didn’t quite expand further.

Your make & model has a huge impact on your quality of life, and you have to wonder how much control the citizens have over that. Example, Axlerod upgraded from a gasoline-based vehicle to an electric car. Is that common? Expensive? Probably. It sort of reminds me of Transformers switching out their alt-modes, and it’s fascinating.

When you see how that’s integrated into the main plot of the film, it creates a really great dynamic between all the citizens of this world.

Mater

I wasn’t expecting the character depth Mater got in this film, and we got to see a more serious side of him that the first film and shorts tended to ignore.

For one, he’s good at his job. It was something that makes a lot of sense, but I kept forgetting in the middle of his exaggerated personality. Mater runs a Tow & Salvage yard–it’d make sense he’s very familiar with engines, parts, and the makes and models of vehicles. When he starts talking shop, his composition changes and while he keeps his personality, you can tell he’s taking things more seriously because it’s work. I really loved how the movie took advantage of his skills in the bigger picture of the film. He looked at an engine and saw things the spy cars would never have noticed until they got the picture to their Informant later in the film–who they may never have went to see, if not for Mater.

My favorite example, is probably when him and the informant/parts dealer start discussing the engine on the screen like they’re coworkers. There’s a camaraderie there that I appreciated, and reinforced Mater knows what he’s talking about.

Second, I think there’s a powerful moment where Mater reflects on his behavior earlier in the movie. Finn McMissle makes an aside comment that he’s impressed with Mater’s acting as an idiot and a fool, and it’s a big shock to Mater that folks see him this way. In the first movie, that naivete worked in his favor. He never noticed that McQueen was humoring him, and so by the time the friendship and affection was genuine on McQueen’s part, there was no harm done. However here, it’s a big hit to the face, and it catches Mater off guard.

As much comedy there is in this movie, Mater’s earlier scenes where he embarrasses himself and McQueen that are referenced in this scene, really aren’t as funny as you’d think. The way Lightning and the other cars react, even when they first happen, sort of kills the comedy when you realize "I shouldn’t be laughing at this.” We’re so used to laughing at Mater and his silly antics, that getting a glimpse of consequences outside of Radiator Springs is a little sobering. Seeing Mater realize that he was being laughed at, instead of with, is pretty a pretty pivotal moment.

But, he overcomes and puts it all aside when something important is put on the line: McQueen’s life. Even though they’re still fighting with each other, McQueen’s last words to Mater being hurtful and cruel, the thought Mater’s best friend might die is top priority.

But even before that, Mater shows a keen awareness of the world around him. The second he figures out Finn and Holley are real spies, he tells them immediately that he’s just a two truck. They don’t believe him, and you can tell he’s worried about the situation under his relaxed attitude. Mater knows that this isn’t a game, and every time something dangerous shows up where he thinks he might hinder, or screw up–he tells them. Mater knows when to quit the jokes, and I don’t think it’s just because he’s scared. Mater’s a little slow, but he can recognize when something’s dangerous, and when it’s just horsing around.

(On an aside, I forgot Mater was voiced by Larry the Cable Guy during this. Larry completely embraced the acting of this film and became Mater. Mater and Larry the Cable Guy are not the same person and I was impressed. Good job, Larry.)

I guess to end this section, I’m just impressed by how much Mater stepped up in this film. He’s responsible, and serious when needed–but still managed to maintain his more upbeat attitude through most of the movie. When he hits the peak of his frustration with Finn and Holley not listening to him, screaming “I’M NOT A SPY!” you can feel it–the edge of his patience, and the moment Mater has had enough. This normally happy-go-lucky Tow Truck thinks his best friend is dead, and he’s hit his limit of tolerance for Finn and Holley brushing off what he says.

There’s a strength there I wasn’t expecting the film to give Mater. This movie really brings him full circle as a well-rounded character, and bumped him up in my list of favorite characters.

The Cast

And now to talk about the rest of our supporting cast, of which filled out the movie and brought some new characters to life. :D

Finn McMissle: He’s played by Michael Caine. Michael Caine plays a James Bond spoof spy car. You really don’t need any other reason to go see the movie than that. Finn McMissle is the slick, all-together secret agent who uses his secret technology and advanced equipment with the ease most people use to breathe. He’s a cool car–what Spy Car isn’t?. I like his class and his eloquent speech, and even his dry sense of wit. Finn always has a quip or two on hand when needed, as you’d expect from British Secret Intelligence. Most of all though, I love it when he’s being a bit of a dork, fanboying over Mater. You’ll catch him off guard going off in an almost sigh-like manner at how much he envies Mater’s “Cover” and “Acting.” "He’s so good.“ It’s an odd sort of adoration and respect that borders on Luigi’s love of Ferrari. It gave Finn something a little extra than his Bond Parody self, and he’s quite the addition to the cast.

Holley Shiftwell: A very different leading lady from our Sally Carrera (who was barely in this film. Grr.). She’s much more timid, and while capable, less sure of herself. I think she learns a lot from Mater’s confidence, and by the end of the film she really fills the role of field agent coming to the rescue. I like her soft-spoken, tech-oriented nature, and she’s cute. I’m not sure how I feel about her being shoed in as a love-interest for Mater, as I think her & Finn had much more natural chemistry if they had to go a romance route, but I did enjoy her character.

Lightning McQueen: I think McQueen’s made a lot of progress since the first movie, but you can see his patience start wearing thin with Mater–and it’s almost understandable. You’re not unsympathetic to his desire to get away from Mater’s overbearing personality. He works well to start the fight that gets Mater out of the Race Story and into the Spy flick, and he has a few moments to himself. He gets to really reflect what Mater’s friendship means to him in the slower scenes, and at the end he goes full-head into making it work. It’s almost a role-reversal in a way, with Mater trying to get away and McQueen chasing him down. Their relationship develops a lot through the course of this, by being apart (similar to Finding Nemo), and it pays off. The rest of the time, McQueen’s being an adorable dork as he interacts with Francesco~

Francesco Bernoulli: John Turturro. Agent Simmons from the Bay Transformers films. Good grief did I love this jerk. And that’s what he is. He’s a jerk, but it’s so exaggerated it’s hilarious. He’s Lightning’s own personal little Chick Hicks (who I’d like to note was more The King’s rival in the first film than Lightning’s). Francesco brags, he bickers, and he’s oddly obsessed with Lightning McQueen. For real. It’s sort of hilarious, and I’m not sure trying to explain it would do his fixation justice. Francesco Bernoulli was a lovable bit of comedy to pick up Mater’s slack while he got serious.

(But no, Lightning McQueen and Franceco’s rivalry was absolutely amazing and I almost wish the movie was a touch longer to get more of it.)

Miles Axlerod: He’s played by Eddie Izzard. Done.

Professor Z and the Henchmen: They’re all pretty hilarious. Professor Z in particular gets to shine near the end of the film (The way he says "Deactivate” and “Anyone else want to try?” slayed me). Acer and Grem get to play the standard “Those two guys” henchmen, and overall the little Lemon Car mafias are pretty entertaining for vicious thugs.

Radiator Springs Crew: These guys, while still as lovable as in the first movie, felt a little shoed into the sequel. I think as great as them showing up to the final fight was, or their part in the ending twist, that overall they were’t completely needed. Luigi had a good moment though when Lightning and Co. stayed in his village for the Italy Race. So that was nice, and they had a touching moment with his Aunt and Uncle. Everyone gets a little limelight shot of their own, but they’re sort of background characters in this one.

The Conclusion

I really enjoyed Cars 2. It’s got a lot of character, a good story, and more importantly–it’s fun. The deep, soul crushing and emotional films are great, but sometimes I want to watch something happy. Cars 2 has weight in the added violence of the action scenes, but it balances it out with a lot of light hearted moments. The characters are likable, and I like seeing how Mater and McQueen’s relationship has changed in three years.

I love Finn, Holley, and Axlerod, and I really love how much love went into this Spy movie. The folks who made it really showed affection for the genre and you can see it from how it’s filmed, to the gadgets, to even the plotline and the ending twist.

It’s a good film that does what it set out to do very well–turn one of Mater’s Tall Tales into a Real Adventure.