When entering a casual discussion with friends over Pixar movies, I often find myself defending Cars 2
.Four of seventeen GeekMoms polled hadn't even seen it. Cars 2 is not my favorite Pixar movie, it ranks seven out of twelve for me, making it come across as somewhat of a mediocre offering. Yet I often leap to it's defence. It could be sentiment, as this is one of my son's favorite movies. It could be stubbornness, a need to defend anything associated with Disney to the hilt, even when sequels are making me squeamish. Or it could be the fact that every time I watch this movie, which is at least once a fortnight, I find something new to enjoy about it.I watched Cars 2 for the first time fully expecting to dislike it. I'm not a big fan of Larry the Cable Guy, and in the original Cars movie, Mater was my least favorite aspect. Yet the more I see this movie, the less annoying I find the character. Perhaps it is the accompanying tones of Michael Caine that soften the blow for me, perhaps it is something else. Here are some of the reasons that I think you should give Cars 2 a second chance:1. I have two words for you: Bruce Campbell. The star of Army of Darkness has appeared in The X-Files, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess and Lois and Clark: The New adventures of Superman. C'mon people a cameo by Bruce Campbell is just plain awesome no matter how you look at it.
2. If you are not familiar with Michael Caine outside his stint as Alfred in the Christian Bale Batman movies then I urge you to pay closer attention. Rent the original The Italian Job
, then re-watch Cars 2 and tell me you don't have a renewed interest in the movie. If only Finn McMissile had been able to say "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off."
3. Larry the Cable Guy may be annoying, but this is a movie that shows the underdog as hero. The sidekick friend as the guy who saves the day. Mater may not be firing on all cylinders but he knows his way around an engine, and it is his everyday technical knowledge that catches the bad guy. I have two sons and I'm quite happy that this is the kind of example set for them by this movie.
4. I'm a huge James Bond fan. I have fond memories of watching Bond movies with my Grandad, while my Grandmother worked unusual hours at the taxi firm. We watched Octopussy
and Moonraker
relentlessly. I found everything that smacked of Bond appealing about Cars 2. Cars 2 is a nice early years segue into the Bond movies.
5. The problem of our children's generation, well maybe their children's generation, is going to be what we do when fossil fuel runs out. We have no more dinosaurs decomposing anywhere, and so the hunt is on for alternative energy sources. Monsters, Inc. introduces the idea of a society in desperate need of alternative energy sources, and as a continuation on a theme Cars 2 is a nice kid friendly introduction to the issue of fossil fuels for the very people who may have to solve the problem.
6. In a pantheon that includes Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. anything that is simply a "good" movie instead of fantastic is going to look much cheaper and less worthy in comparison. If you throw in all the bad press concerning the use of sequels to simply make money, then might we, the public, the parents, not be pre-disposed to dislike this movie? Let's try watching it again with a clearer perspective shall we? Less comparison and judgement, more attention to the actual content.
7. Speaking of the actual content, it is the little asides, the in-jokes, the peripheral that make Pixar movies really enjoyable. Looking for a hint of the next movie, listening for a reference to an old movie. Cars 2 is absolutely littered with these little jokes, but they can be easily overlooked when you approach a movie with disdain. I find a little something new each time I watch, whether an external reference or a neat animation detail. See what you can find.
8. Disney films have notoriously been heavy on the cliché when it comes to representing the world at large. Cars 2 shows a world sporting event and does a decent job of depicting the world in something other than stereotypes. Yes, I am choosing to ignore Francesco at this moment. Brits and Americans play bad guys and good guys, foreign military operatives co-operate with each other, the Royal family is depicted in a realistic manner, well for car versions of themselves anyway. The scenes of all the races are touristy it's true, but they are very accurate depictions of other countries. Guido and Luigi's hometown shows a classic Italian town and not something medieval.
My Dad recently convinced me to take another look at A Bug's Life , one of his favorite Pixar movies. Though it's still not one of my favorites I found that coming at it years later from a fresh angle made me appreciate it more. Let's give Cars 2 another chance, and hope for great things from Monster University.
