Five years ago, my family fell in love with the characters of Cars. I’ve always thought Owen Wilson’s voice to be dreamy and it made Lightning McQueen smooth and suave like his exterior. Larry the Cable Guy brought ‘Mater to life and provided some great comedy. Plus, Radiator Springs looks a lot like our home of Utah!
Any Hour Services invited my family to the screening of Cars 2 and we were excited. Before the film started the kiddos enjoyed the enthusiasm of those representing Any Hour Services. There were balls being launched with a blaster and a scavenger hunt for prizes. It was so much fun and well orchestrated.
While the pre-viewing party was fun, it’s always amazing to catch up with old friends, like McQueen, Mater and the gang! There was quite a bit of catching up to do–McQueen won four Piston cups and has been traveling…we joined him as he returns to Radiator Springs.
The characters in Cars 2 are still lovable and fun. The story, three races of the World Grand Prix set the gang, including Mater, on a tour of Italy, France and Tokyo as a story of spies and International espionage unfolds.
Then, it went political. A debate about alternative fuel. My husband and I rolled our eyes at each other. The kiddos seemed to enjoy it, however, they didn’t understand most of the plot. Li’l Man thought it was “awesome action” while the Beauty Queen and Divine Miss M liked that there were two girls in the story.
Disney/Pixar amaze me with their attention to detail. I was in awe as I watchedMater’ss tires change as he swayed. The names at the World Grand Prix were humorous and the scenery was impressive. The Divine Miss M especially loved the tour through France with sites of the Eiffel Tower. There was parody on video games and television shows that had me laughing out loud. The nightlife of Tokyo was stunning with neon lights and characters that could have been their own anime! And since I was 16, I’ve been a fan of Jeff Gordon, whose voice makes an appearance in CARS 2 as Jeff Gordvette! Too fun!
The music for the soundtrack was clever–“You Might Think” by The Cars and a finale with an original song by Brad Paisley rock the credits. We watched Cars after our screening, and my preference is the original Cars soundtrack over the sequel. It just appealed to me more.
Typically, I’m not overly protective of what my children see. Cars 2 is rated G. The story line is similar to James Bond, which means there’s some villains, there’s lots of explosions and some scenes where safety might be viewed as compromised. There was no death to the main characters, however, some innuendos about death are portrayed and there’s some not so friendly “torture” like shock to the engines or exploding cars.
Here’s a synopsis of Cars 2:
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.
Cars 2 didn’t get my engine revving like the original. I think the plot was a tad deep for a younger audience. This being said, the artwork was outstanding and the kiddos had a blast. I have seen the movie twice and it has grown on me. The second time I discovered new details and the other message, the one about friendship, is the one that stuck with me.
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Disclaimer: I received free tickets to this movie for me and my family. This event was sponsored by Any Hour Services, a company that provides Utah Plumber services.