The kids and I went to see the movie Cars 2 over the weekend (when AMC offers their discount prices for early birds) and we had a good time. The movie begins back at Radiator Springs with Mater and McQueen meeting up and sharing some wild adventures. McQueen gets involved in the World Grand Prix and decides to take Mater along. The first leg of the race is in Japan and Mater, being Mater, fumbles his way into trouble and embarasses McQueen. They have a falling out and then somehow Mater is mistaken for a spy and the movie shifts the focus off of McQueen and onto Mater’s adventures with two British spycars, Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell. They discover a plot that involves race cars in the World Grand Prix getting blown up to incriminate the new alternative fuel required for all race cars participating in the World Grand Prix. The race continues in Italy and then ends up in England as the spies try to capture the criminal masterminds.
The colors in the movie are so vibrant and Pixar did a wonderful job recreating the cities in Japan, Italy and England but designed it as if cars had built the city. It looked so cool that I now want to go visit those cities. The movie is very engaging and filled with spy action and comedy thanks to Mater. If you are not a fan of Mater, then this movie may grate on your nerves a bit. But most kids love Mater’s sense of humor and his innocence as he stays true to who he is. Yes, there are cars shooting at each other and there are some engine explosions so if you are completely against that or have younger kids who are sensitive to that, then don’t take your kids to the movie. For those conservative critics out there who think this movie is about the bad big oil companies verses alternative fuel and think the movie is trying to indoctrinate children, give me a break. My kids didn’t not think that at all. They knew it was about friendship and staying true to who you are and being there for your friends.