Cars 2

[robcat2075]

I saw it this morning, in 3D. The highlight of the show was the Toy Story short at the beginning. We get to see all the gang happy and safe in their new home and still having fun and that's good to see.

 

I don't have the same attachment to the Cars characters so returning to them here wasn't as big a deal as Toy Story 3 was. Certainly there's nothing as dramatic in "Cars 2" as in "Toy Story 3".

 

But it's a fast-paced movie, dazzling in many ways that a live action movie just can't match and of course, excellently executed in every detail. The talking car premise wears thin by the end, there may not be enough "there" in a car body, no matter how fabulously animated, to keep us believeingin the chracters.

 

Pixar's power seems to be to take an iffy concept and make a very presentable movie none-the-less. They'll make a million with it, I'm sure.

 

I have no idea what it was about; some sort of worldwide conspiracy involving alternate fuels.

 

Also got to see a few minutes of "Lion King" converted to 3D. It looks well done, the characters don't look like flat cards, but it seems to make the "line boil" around the edges quite noticeable.

[robcat2075]

It occurs to me that Cars 2 may do VERY well overseas because of the mostly international settings. Any box office shortfall in the US may more than made up for.

 

 

Here's some old news regarding the director turmoil:

 

http://www.slashfilm.com/john-lasseter-now...recting-cars-2/

 

I noticed in the credits that Lasseter was given full "Director" credit while Brad Lewis got "co-director". Sounds a bit like what happened with Ratatouille.

 

It sure would be interesting to see the story reel that was regarded as a problem before they changed course.

[Bruce Del Porte]

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal's review pretty much mirrors your assessment. They pointed out the Car theme area about to open in a Disney park. Apparently the Cars franchise is one of their most profitable for toys and such. I guess it was inevitable Pixar would be absorbed into the Disney merchandizing maelstrom. A $20 lunch box has a higher profit margin than a $10 ticket.

[robcat2075]

Anyone interested in serious character animation should find the Cars movies interesting just from the fact that they are getting usable performances out of something that is just a head on four wheels. For the most part they have no hands to gesture with or do secondary animation with, all they can really do is talk and roll around. Talented animators are getting the most they can out of limited resources.

[Gerry]

I'm sure it's nice to look at but I'll give this one a pass until it's rentable. I've always found the premise of "Cars", namely a world that has no living creatures in it, a little off-putting.

[robcat2075]

bits of related scuttle to butt...

 

They animated (probably meaning re-animated) half the film in 10 weeks

 

 

Brad Lewis who was originally the director of Cars 2 is no longer with Pixar.

[largento]

Haven't seen it yet, but this 11th hour re-do stuff is becoming commonplace. Toy Story 2 was almost completely re-made at the last minute, Brad Bird got called in on Ratatouille, and I believe they pulled the director off of Brave. Lasseter did similar stuff at Disney to Bolt, Meet the Robinsons, the dtv Tinkerbell and Tangled.

[robcat2075]

I wonder if Brad Bird got any calls in the middle of the night on this. I wonder what Brad Bird "Cars" movie would be like?

[largento]

I would guess a lot less toy-centric. Amazing that it went so far into production without them thinking there was that major of a problem with it.