Cars 2 3D Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Cars 2 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Disney's dazzling 3D presentation leaves its competition in the dust...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 18, 2011

I suppose it was bound to happen. Pixar couldn't continue to churn out modern animated classics one after the other. I just didn't expect Pixar's most uninspired, conventional film to date to come on the heels of Toy Story 3, one of the animation powerhouse's finest. No, Cars 2 isn't a complete failure. It's fun, it's funny, it's flashy, it's full of fast, none-too-furious spy-vs-spy hijinks. But it's also flat, one-dimensional and, despite a high-profile theatrical release, hindered by direct-to-video storytelling. Mater is thrust into the spotlight, a misstep from which the sequel never really recovers; new characters are shortchanged, even though they frequently upstage McQueen and other Radiator Springs regulars; and the entire film feels like an extended Mater's Tall Tales short, a 106-minute routine that isn't nearly as entertaining as its four-minute small screen counterparts. Cars 2 is an average animated adventure, one that kids will undoubtedly love. But let's be honest: when it comes to Pixar, average just doesn't cut it.

"Woo-eee! This newfangled 3D picture is purty!"

Rust-riddled tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and four-time Piston Cup champion race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) are back and raring to go in Cars 2, even though they quickly ditch Radiator Springs and leave the majority of the first film's characters in the rearview mirror. When an alternative fuel mogul named Miles Axlerod (Eddie Izzard) is hosting a three-race Grand Prix to showcase his latest innovation: Allinol, a game-changing biofuel that attracts the attention of the world... and a few unsavory lemons, namely the sinister Professor Zündapp (Thomas Kretschmann) and his near-endless supply of embittered henchmen. Zündapp's scheme? To sabotage the Grand Prix competitors, discredit Axlerod, put a stop to Allinol and keep the cars of the world dependent on oil. Luckily, British superspy Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and trainee Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) are hot on the evil professor's trail. Well, it would be lucky if McMissile and Shiftwell didn't mistake Mater for an American spy. Whoops. After embarrassing McQueen in Tokyo, Mater finds himself caught up in an international bit of intrigue that pits him against gun-toting junkers, Zündapp and a shadowy mastermind. Can he stop the bad guys? Can he retain his friendship with McQueen? Can he win the girl and save the world from an oil-stained future? If anyone can, Mater... might.

Jetting off to Japan, Italy and England may strike some as a dangerous departure from everything that made Cars the entertaining and surprisingly emotional road trip that it is and, to an extent, that isn't far off. Doc is shuffled off without much explanation (other than the passing of original voice actor Paul Newman), Sally (Bonnie Hunt) stays in the States until the last leg of the Grand Prix, and other favorites, Guido and Luigi (Guido Quaroni and Tony Shalhoub) chief among them, aren't given much room to work. And Filmore (Lloyd Sherr), Sarge (Paul Dooley), Mack (John Ratzenberger), Sherriff (Michael Wallis), Ramone (Cheech Marin) and Flo (Jenifer Lewis)? They get even less screentime, even though Filmore and Sarge join Guido and Luigi in McQueen's pit crew. (Come to think of it, why is Filmore still kicking? George Carlin died, but Filmore earns a new voice actor. Why drop Doc, then? Especially when his death isn't crucial to the plot. At all.) Don't blame co-directors John Lasseter and Brad Lewis' Bond-fueled premise, though. For ten action-packed minutes, Cars 2 burns rubber and flashes its true potential as secret agent extraordinaire Finn McMissile infiltrates an oil rig, dips into a bag of gadgets, and blasts out of the shadows as one of the most exciting new additions to the franchise. He's 007 and a sleek, tricked-out superspy ride, all rolled into one. With Michael Caine at the wheel, how could it go wrong? By introducing McMissile in spectacular fashion and then relegating him to a supporting role, that's how. And he isn't alone. Almost everyone, save Mater, is a supporting player while overpopulation and over-plotting take their toll.

So if spies are the sequel's nuts 'n bolts, why not abandon the Radiator Springs crew altogether? Had Lasseter and Lewis simply parted ways with McQueen and Mater and made the Cars universe just that -- a universe that didn't hinge on any one or two characters -- the sputtering sequel would have had plenty of open road to explore. Instead, we're treated to a startlingly predictable round of mistaken identity with Mater; a slightly tedious take on The Man Who Knew Too Much (channeled by way of Jon Amiel's already tedious The Man Who Knew Too Little). If you thought Mater was a one-trick tow truck before, just wait till you get a load of him here; if you've seen the Cars 2 trailer, you've already seen the breadth of his arc; if you've seen Mater's Tall Tales, you'll see the formula coming a mile away. (A last-minute gag all but confirms it.) There's some soul-searching thrown in for good measure, sure, but nothing that resonates, and certainly nothing that reaches the heights or depths of other Pixar productions. Even Cars, considered by many to be the lowest common denominator in the Pixar equation, runs circles around its sequel, delving into deeper waters and examining everything from socioeconomic hardships to generational divides to once-proud communities bypassed by modern civilization. When asked what Mater came to learn over the course of Cars 2, my six-year-old, typically dead on with his analyses (I've trained him well), thought for a moment, shrugged his shoulders and said, "how to use mini guns?" As usual, he got it right.

But he also had a blast in the theater, even as his dear ol' dad and mum grew more and more disenchanted. His review: "It was very funny and very good. And very action-y!" As I said, children will find Cars 2 to be flashy, funny, and fun. Adults may groan and wonder where the Pixar magic has gone, but kids won't bemoan the downgrade for a second. (And no, if you have a blast with it all, I'm not equating you with a child. You're allowed to indulge in harmless fun from time to time too.) If anything, kids will declare it one of their favorite Pixar productions as it dispenses with unnecessary time-sinks like character development, nuanced themes, seamless allegory and other things early grade schoolers tend to deem non-essentials. Am I being too harsh? Maybe. I'll be the first to admit I expect far more from Pixar. I'll also be the first to admit those same lofty expectations made it that much harder to sit back and enjoy Cars 2 on its own terms. But, lest we forget, it's Pixar that's set such steep standards. It's Pixar that's raised the proverbial bar so high. And it's Pixar's stunning successes that make a serviceable sequel like Cars 2 difficult to swallow. So harsh is relative. Still, my son spit out his first "you just don't get it dad" (presumably the first of many) and there's an argument to be made for embracing kids' entertainment as kids' entertainment. Not that it's a very sound argument. Don't get me wrong, I have no intention of telling my son he can't watch a movie he loves a second, third or fourth time. But I will space out of his viewings and continue to help him refine his cinematic palette by pointing him in the direction of better animated films, more rewarding Pixar adventures and richer sequels than Cars 2. Passable as it may be, kid-friendly as it is, it just doesn't measure up.

Cars 2 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

How stunning is Disney's 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D video presentation? I found myself re-watching key scenes, marveling at the pop, power and proficiency of the (literally) jaw-dropping transfer. Finn McMissile whips around a corner and nearly slides off the screen. McQueen darts through the streets of an absorbing neon-lit Tokyo, showcasing the depth and dimensionality of every inch of the sprawling city. Mater's cable swings wildly and convincingly, rockets blast out of the image, spy planes swoop and dive, Holley Shiftwell jets over London, a summery Italy cityscape spills over hill after hill and stretches into the distance, the World Grand Prix tracks wind their way into the background, fire spreads, explosions erupt, and wheels go flying into the stands and into the comfort of your home theater. The 3D presentation is as involving as they come, as exciting as they get, as engaging as 3D videophiles should expect, and as striking as anyone could hope for. Ghosting (or crosstalk, if you prefer) is practically non-existent and only appears when thousands of minuscule cars or dozens of distant buildings fill wide shots of Japan, Italy and England. Even then, it's quite negligible and may vary from display to display, depending on the strengths and weaknesses of your television's 3D engine. Artifacting, banding and aliasing are also MIA, even when the action gets fierce or McMissile plunges beneath the waves. At night. In a dark, dismal locale. Cars 2 might just boast the most impressive 3D presentation of the year. The races are thrilling, much more so in 3D than in 2D. The superspy intrigue is more dazzling. Even simple conversations and montages are elevated. In fact, Cars 2 might just be a better film in 3D.

And that's only the beginning. Beautiful colors, vibrant primaries, impeccable contrast and deep, inky blacks brings the entire film to further life. Detail is fantastic, tearing around the bend with razor-sharp clarity, pixel-perfect textures and refined edges. Note every tiny car in the crowds that line the Grand Prix races (exceedingly minor ghosting or no), the smallest flecks of rust on Mater's wheel wells, the distant buildings and intricate architecture of the various cityscapes, the sparks that fly when bullets ricochet off the street, the crevices and cracks in every street, the dirt and stones that kicks up in the dirt-track stretches of the World Grand Prix, the individual blades of grass swaying in the Radiator Springs breeze, and every last nick, ding and bit of body damage. Nothing, literally nothing, knocks the presentation off course. Disney delivers yet another Pixar knockout; one that bests the 3D competition and leaves a lasting mark. Start your engines indeed. The studio's 3D presentation is that good, that effective and that successful. Enjoy!

Cars 2 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track doesn't stall, slip or spin its wheels. It peels off the starting line and... feel free to insert your own hyperbolic vehicular pun, so long as it conveys just how arresting and enveloping the sequel's lossless sonics truly are. Dialogue is pitch-perfect, allowing voices to inhabit the action rather than hover above it. The rear speakers only help, creating immersive environment after immersive environment, be it in America, Italy, Japan or England. Directional effects zip across the soundfield, pans sneak behind enemy lines with ease, and ambience is convincing, engrossing and, best of all, ever-present. Likewise, blaring gunfire, roaring engines and city-shaking explosions rip through the soundfield courtesy of an LFE channel that slams on the gas and never lets up. Low-end elements are both weighty and nimble thanks to excellent dynamics and a full-throttle soundstage teeming with everything in Lasseter's arsenal. Suffice it to say, the mix is flawless, the races sound amazing, and the spy-vs-spy intrigue propels Cars 2 across the finish line.

Cars 2 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The majority of Cars 2 extras are exclusive to the 5-disc 3D combo pack; a trend that began with Disney's Blu-ray release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D and may end if the small uproar it's causing with some consumers continues. Not that the exclusivity affects 3D fans. You'll be privy to everything Disney has to offer, including an audio commentary, animated shorts, featurettes, deleted scenes and more. The only downside? A cumbersome "Interactive Globe" special features menu makes searching for specific bonus content a chore.

• Audio Commentary: Directors John Lasseter and Brad Lewis plow into the world of Cars 2 with an extensive, nearly non-stop commentary that covers every aspect of the production, from the film's origins to its story development to its animation and final cut. And while Lasseter sometimes sounds as if he's reading from notes, the resulting dissection is no less engaging. It would have been nice to hear from Lewis a bit more, but Lasseter keeps things clipping along. Pixar junkies might even find themselves warming up to the sequel after listening to such a passionate, enthusiastic overview of its production.
• Hawaiian Vacation (HD, 6 minutes): A great little Toy Story 3 animated short in which Buzz, Woody and the gang try to cheer up Barbie and Ken by staging an impromptu trip to Hawaii… in Bonnie's room.
• Air Mater (HD, 6 minutes): A second animated short finds Mater taking to the skies in one of his Tall Tales.
• Radiator Springs (HD, 10 minutes): First stop on disc two's interactive globe? Radiator Springs. There you can watch a fairly awful four-minute alternate opening (somewhat misleadingly labeled as a "Tall Tale Deleted Scene"), a solid "Origins of Cars 2" featurette, a fully rendered "Radiator Springs Set Exploration," and an art slideshow.
• The Pacific (HD, 10 minutes): Next up, The Pacific, where you can see the process behind developing the film's opening scene in "Somewhere in the Pacific," learn about the creation of the sequel's villains in "Making Lemon-Aides," tour the opening set piece with a fully rendered "Oil Derrick Set Exploration," and view a second art slideshow. Also, be sure to press down while highlighting "The Pacific" icon to access the first of (at least) four Easter Eggs.
• London (HD, 15 minutes): In London, "Brawl at Big Bentley" digs into the development and animation of the film's climactic third act, "Spyified" looks at the spies, gadgetry and action scenes of Cars 2, "Spy Training: London" is either a deleted or bonus scene, "Big Bentley, Tower Bridge, London Eye and Buckingham Palace Set Explorations" offer more fully rendered flyovers, and a UK trailer and yet another art slideshow round out the section. Or do they? Press up from while highlight the "London" icon to access another Easter Egg.
• Paris (HD, 12 minutes): In Paris, treat yourself to a "Paris Race Deleted Scene," a "Streets of Paris" featurette, another "Spy Training" short, "Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and Paris Market Set Explorations," and an art slideshow.
• Munich (HD, 9 minutes): In Munich, you'll find a "Germany Deleted Scene," an "Oktoberfest Deleted Scene," a "Mater-Hosen" snippet, a German trailer and an art slideshow.
• Prague (HD, 3 minutes): A quick layover in Prague uncovers an "Alternate Prague Chase Opening" and an art slideshow.
• Porta Costa (HD, 14 minutes): In Porta Costa, watch a "Finding Porta Costa" production featurette, a "Heart of Italy" featurette, an "International Insurance" short, "Porta Costa and Uncle Topolino's Square Set Explorations," and another art slideshow. Then, press down while highlighting the "Porta Costa" icon for a third Easter Egg.
• Tokyo (HD, 23 minutes): In Tokyo, view a "Tokyo Race Extended Scene" with optional filmmaker commentary, a "Mater Takes Tokyo" fish-out-of-water featurette, a "Many Nations, One Race" World Grand Prix story featurette, a third "Spy Training" short, a "Museum Set Exploration," a dramatic, must-see Japanese theatrical trailer, and an art slideshow. Finally, press down while highlighting the "Tokyo" icon to access the disc's fourth Easter Egg.
• Emeryville (HD, 20 minutes): In Emeryville, attend an annual Pixar car show in "Motorama," go behind-the-scenes of making a toy in "He Lives! Making the Finn McMissile Toy," view a series of character animations in "Animation Pit Stop," and take in a US domestic teaser and a US domestic trailer.
• Sneak Peek: The Nuts & Bolts of Cars Land (HD, 7 minutes): Come Summer 2012, visit Disney's upcoming 12-acre attraction, Cars Land>.
• Sneak Peeks (HD, 10 minutes): Trailers and promos are included for Pixar's Brave, Cars spinoff Planes, The Muppets, Lady and the Tramp, Cars 2: The Videogame, Naughty vs. Nice and Secret of the Wings.

Cars 2 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cars 2 may not set a new Pixar standard, but its 3D presentation does. Easily one of the best 3D experiences of the year, John Lasseter's somewhat misguided sequel looks absolutely astonishing (flaws and all), matches its breathtaking 3D visuals with a full-throttle DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and delivers a variety of special features, the majority of which are exclusive to Disney's 5-disc 3D combo pack. If you're ready to add Cars 2 to your collection, this is the release to snag, regardless of whether or not you own a 3D-capable display.