Cars 2

Vroom... boom? Figuring that engines and explosions have gone well together in the past, Pixar's latest movie (another sequel) is a mixture of revved racing and spy spoof. And somewhat surprisingly, this animated combo actually works pretty well. The paralleling plot threads that drive the narrative create a sort of split personality at times, but Cars 2 offers enough enjoyable entertainment to overcome the awkward shifting from race sequence to gadget-powered adventure. Picking up roughly where the hit 2006 original left off, Cars 2 is focused on racing star Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and his dimwitted pal Mater (Larry the Cable Guy, still sporting his ridiculous moniker), both of whom still live in the sleepy desert town of Radiator Springs.

A brief reintroduction to the characters is handled speedily, as the movie is eager to launch into two separate adventures that are sure to collide eventually. For McQueen, adventure calls in the form of an invitation to the first ever World Grand Prix, a prestigious race that is scheduled to take place in three cities around the world. Tired from a vigorous racing season, McQueen figures he'll sit this one out, but a sudden rivalry with a cocky Italian Formula One car named Francesco (John Turturro) convinces the protagonist to join. Meanwhile, Mater's adventure kicks off when he is mistaken for a secret agent by two British spies who are clearly meant to invoke thoughts of Bond flicks. There's Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), who happens to be a sleek Aston Martin, and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer), whose potentially naughty name (only in the Cars world, of course) allows her to fill the obligatory Bond girl spot.

These two tales of adventure begin moving in different directions once all the pieces are in place, so the movie becomes a constant see-saw between McQueen's showy racing and Mater's bumbling spy efforts. Co-directors John Lasseter (his first feature directing gig since the other Cars flick) and Brad Lewis occasionally struggle with this juggling act, but even when it sputters, Cars 2 never stalls. The pacing is so consistent and exciting that the dual adventures entertain simultaneously and with only minor distractions shared between the two. If anything, Mater's story upstages that of his friend, because the spy missions provide more thrills. But McQueen is a more interesting character, so it's still important to return to his plotline.

So both characters get lots of attention and both have their own goal. McQueen's is obvious and was already explored in the previous movie (race cars are built to win and not much else), so the increased role for Mater makes sense. He needs more to do than just stand on the sidelines and cheer for his friend, so he not only embarks on his own adventure, but is also saddled with the responsibility of representing the movie's positive message (a statement about individualism and self-esteem). He occupies a lot of screen time and the spy concept hinges on his involvement.

In many ways, Cars 2 is more about Mater than McQueen, which should hurt the movie, considering that Mater is one of this franchise's weaker links. Larry the Cable Guy employs his usual drawl in service of redneck stereotypes that are like comedic indigestion for me, so it should come as no surprise that I found little of Mater's adventures funny. But under the direction of Lasseter and Lewis, Mater's journey is so wonderfully thrilling and energetic and well-intentioned that it eventually won me over, in spite of all those grasps at humour that fell short. Mater isn't a great character, but he ends up a less annoying one than his rusted parts would suggest.

The spy portions of the story are also aided by the inclusion of Finn and Holly, who are both likable characters capable of justifying all the Bond-related silliness. The whole concept of this franchise is kind of wacky (unmanned vehicles talk and perform their duties across the globe without any sign of human beings), so why not take the sequel to some truly ridiculous places? Spoofing Bond flicks suddenly makes a quirky bit of sense. Since gadget-loaded cars are such a big part of 007 adventures, adapting this franchise to include a car that can operate underwater or perform great stunts with ropes and grappling hooks proves to be a loopily logical thing to do. And the action sequences really are a blast to watch, with the fine line between cars and characters being tread carefully and effectively.

Mater's contribution to the narrative also brings us to the movie's best asset: a group of villainous cars with a truly inspired plan that is both topical and especially understandable in the context of this world. The villains make only brief appearances, but they are the basis for the movie's most insightful idea. They also tie the spy plot to the racing one, so their involvement is greatly important. The villainous vehicles with their frustrated attitudes and elaborate strategy are so much fun that the movie (and certainly the spy plot) could easily crumble without them. Mater certainly can't carry the movie on his own, so the villains are wonderfully welcome additions.

Even at its best, there's still the nagging feeling that Cars 2 is sort of two movies for the price of one, which sounds economically exciting, but is actually narratively worrisome. And yet the two pieces have so much gas in the tank (and so much talent in the form of animators) that the perils of the disjointed feel are overcome by keeping the sense of adventure intact. I may not be a fan of Larry the Cable Guy and his onscreen character may be a bit tough to take at times, but Cars 2 still crosses the finish line in admirable fashion. The world of talking vehicles is even stranger than before, but it's also deeper and more fully realized. Both silly gags (the animators have great fun reimagining Tokyo for this world, which leads to cars as sumo wrestlers and sushi chefs) and witty commentary (the subject of alternative fuel plays a significant role) combine to make this Cars flick a satisfying success. Engines are revved and bombs are armed and it all adds up to something close to ridiculous. Just close enough to achieve high speeds without losing control.