Larry the overused 'Cars' guy
In its first sequel with more likely to come, Disney/Pixar's "Cars" franchise heads to Europe and Asia with Mater, the good-natured rusty tow truck, out front.
That, of course, means a spotlight vocal prance by Larry the Cable Guy. It also means a heavy helping of corn pone humor. In other words, "Cars" has shifted into a cash-for-clunkers franchise in its second drive across the screen,
I freely admit to being a Larry the Cable Guy fan. By that I mean the clever comedian with the sleeveless shirt and the raunch-riddled mouth who has turned lowbrow redneck humor into his own license to print money.
Unfortunately, that's not the Larry we get in the "Cars" sequel. We get a sanitized voice that's muffled into a G-rating.
And even worse, Larry is expected to carry the entertainment load this time, instead of just being one of the more interesting digitally animated four-wheeled characters hanging out in Radiator Springs, a place where cars act like humans instead of automobiles.
"Cars 2," another slick, occasionally eye-popping example of Pixar expertise, is too long at almost two hours, especially for kids beginning to squirm behind their oversized 3-D glasses.
And, from this aisle seat at least, it's too boring. That surprises me a little with Pixar head John Lasseter and co-director Brad Lewis at the helm.
Like Chevy Chase's "Vacation" franchise, "Cars" heads for Europe (and Asia) in search of new locales to perhaps find success in exotic backgrounds of Tokyo, Paris and London.
Owen Wilson returns as the voice of hotshot race car Lightning McQueen and is generally fine, if a little too laid-back. McQueen lines up against chief rival Francesco Bernoulli (voiced with appropriate flair by John Turturro) in a series of Grand Prix races, which Mater either messes up or saves.
The film's other driving force is a spy caper featuring master British spy car Finn McMissile (veteran actor Michael Caine) and British desk agent Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer), who's pressed into field spy duty.
Frankly, the young kids in attendance seemed strapped in and paying more attention than I expected. For those who hopped on this one-trick cinematic pony the first time around, though, "Cars 2" will likely come off as an unnecessary second drive around the animated garage.
Some good news, though: The "Toy Story" short cartoon "Hawaiian Vacation" is a pleasant added-on surprise before "Cars 2" cranks up.
I am, however, still trying to figure out why a long trailer for "The Lion King" re-release in September takes anxious movie-goers around the "Circle of Life" one more time before "Cars" can start its engines.
That, of course, means a spotlight vocal prance by Larry the Cable Guy. It also means a heavy helping of corn pone humor. In other words, "Cars" has shifted into a cash-for-clunkers franchise in its second drive across the screen,
I freely admit to being a Larry the Cable Guy fan. By that I mean the clever comedian with the sleeveless shirt and the raunch-riddled mouth who has turned lowbrow redneck humor into his own license to print money.
Unfortunately, that's not the Larry we get in the "Cars" sequel. We get a sanitized voice that's muffled into a G-rating.
And even worse, Larry is expected to carry the entertainment load this time, instead of just being one of the more interesting digitally animated four-wheeled characters hanging out in Radiator Springs, a place where cars act like humans instead of automobiles.
"Cars 2," another slick, occasionally eye-popping example of Pixar expertise, is too long at almost two hours, especially for kids beginning to squirm behind their oversized 3-D glasses.
And, from this aisle seat at least, it's too boring. That surprises me a little with Pixar head John Lasseter and co-director Brad Lewis at the helm.
Like Chevy Chase's "Vacation" franchise, "Cars" heads for Europe (and Asia) in search of new locales to perhaps find success in exotic backgrounds of Tokyo, Paris and London.
Owen Wilson returns as the voice of hotshot race car Lightning McQueen and is generally fine, if a little too laid-back. McQueen lines up against chief rival Francesco Bernoulli (voiced with appropriate flair by John Turturro) in a series of Grand Prix races, which Mater either messes up or saves.
The film's other driving force is a spy caper featuring master British spy car Finn McMissile (veteran actor Michael Caine) and British desk agent Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer), who's pressed into field spy duty.
Frankly, the young kids in attendance seemed strapped in and paying more attention than I expected. For those who hopped on this one-trick cinematic pony the first time around, though, "Cars 2" will likely come off as an unnecessary second drive around the animated garage.
Some good news, though: The "Toy Story" short cartoon "Hawaiian Vacation" is a pleasant added-on surprise before "Cars 2" cranks up.
I am, however, still trying to figure out why a long trailer for "The Lion King" re-release in September takes anxious movie-goers around the "Circle of Life" one more time before "Cars" can start its engines.
Comments