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Mixed or average reviews - based on 38 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 238 Ratings

  • Summary: Star racecar Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater 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. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, 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. Adding to the fast-paced fun is a colorful new all-car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors. (Disney, Pixar)

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 38
  2. Negative: 4 out of 38
  1. Reviewed by: Justin Chang
    Jun 19, 2011
    90
    The rare sequel that not only improves on but retroactively justifies its predecessor, this lightning-paced caper-comedy shifts the franchise into high gear with international intrigue, spy-movie spoofery and more automotive puns than you can shake a stickshift at, handling even its broader stretches with sophistication, speed and effortless panache.
  2. Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    Jun 19, 2011
    80
    Cooler cars and more action follow Lightning and Mater as they mix it up with spies and Formula 1 racers in yet another Pixar winner.
  3. Reviewed by: Ian Freer
    Jul 18, 2011
    60
    It's not vintage Pixar, but Cars 2 is still streets ahead of most of the animated pack. For all its energy and Bondian panache, perhaps its problems are insurmountable: Pixar's cars - and their universe - don't resonate and endear as much as its toys, monsters, clownfish and OAP dreamers.
  4. Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Jun 24, 2011
    38
    Things are so dull, rote and humorless that when signboards in a European scene read "Mondiale Grand Prix," I at first thought they said "Mondale Grand Prix," which sounds like an unwanted award this movie could easily win.

See all 38 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 106
  2. Negative: 26 out of 106
  1. Very good sequel to a great animated film.
  2. I honestly don't understand why this movie has taken such a beating. Personally, it's my least favorite Pixar movie, and it does have its share of problems, but I still enjoyed it. Why? Because I knew it wasn't meant be a tear-jerking masterpiece like Up or Toy Story 3 - it was meant to be a simple, fun, summer comedy. And it succeeds at that. It doesn't have to be emotional or profound in order to be good. It's nice to take a break from all that crying for a change! (Not that there's anything wrong with Pixar movies making you cry.) Sure, it's not Pixar's best by a long shot, but just because it isn't the next WALL-E or Toy Story or Finding Nemo doesn't mean that it isn't good. Kudos to Pixar for branching out, trying something different, and proving that they still don't know how to make a bad movie! 8/10. Expand
  3. Cars 2 is Pixar's worst film to date, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It is a good film, but not a lot more, as some of the comedy isn't very funny and the plot isn't exactly top of the line. My main complaint of the film however is that it feels disjointed, giving you no time to get adjusted to "Lightning's" storyline, while also at times not giving you enough time to really get into "Mater's" storyline. It's odd that they shifted the focus of the main protagonist to Mater, which, while isn't necessarily bad, some will find it very off-putting. The film is fun, and this is where it holds up, making it a 6/10, also it has a good plot twist that I did not see happening at all. All in all, it's a fun film that shouldn't be overlooked, but it should really be called something like "Cars: it's Materin' Time!" as the story revolves around Mater, giving a fun Spy based film with explosions and everything, but certainly no Pixar masterpiece like we should be getting given their track record. Expand
  4. I thought Pixar was better than this. I thought they were above doing cashgrabs. Well, looks like they've been corupted. Cars 2 is a movie that's made only for the money, and it shows. Yes, it's got great animation, good voice acting, and fun action, but everything else is so below Pixar's and even Dreamworks's level. It's very unfunny, Mater was so annoying, the story was so boring, thrown together, and hollow, and the whole movie is just a very mediocre and boring animated movie. C'mon Pixar. You're better than this crap. Expand

See all 106 User Reviews

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