Please enter your birth date to watch this video:
You are not allowed to view this material at this time.
X
Cars 2 Image

Cars 2

Release Date:
57
Metascore
 38 reviews
5.8
User Score
 621 ratings

Watch Now

Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Rate Movie
Director: Brad Lewis John Lasseter
Production: Walt Disney Pictures
Movie Details: Star racecar Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship to
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 andStar 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)

… Expand
Genre(s): Comedy Animation
MPAA Rating: G
Production: Walt Disney Pictures
Runtime: 113 min
Official Site: http://disney.go.com/cars/
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: Brad Lewis John Lasseter
Now Playing:
Play Sound
Please enter your birth date to watch this video:
You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Rate Movie

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Add your rating

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Spoiler Alert!
0/5000
Critic Reviews
(38)
57
Metascore Mixed or average reviews
18 Positive Ratings 47%
16 Mixed Ratings 42%
4 Negative Ratings 10%
Based on 38 Critic Reviews View All
90
Variety
Justin Chang | Jun 19, 2011
"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." ... Read full review
75
San Francisco Chronicle
Mick LaSalle | Jun 23, 2011
"In terms of story and atmosphere and overall feeling, Cars 2 is a brand-new experience - and a distinct improvement. " ... Read full review
70
Salon
Andrew O'Hehir | Jun 24, 2011
"A fun, silly, kid-friendly summer popcorn entertainment. " ... Read full review
60
New York Daily News
Joe Neumaier | Jun 24, 2011
"This savvy and sensitive company has unapologetically made a movie for (very) young moviegoers. " ... Read full review
55
Movieline
Stephanie Zacharek | Jun 23, 2011
"The plot of Cars 2 is both overly convoluted and thin, and it folds in so much unvarnished toddler-instruction that it almost feels like an educational film." ... Read full review
50
Wall Street Journal
Joe Morgenstern | Jun 23, 2011
"The movie has its own deficits - a lack of variety, originality, subtlety, clarity and plain old charm." ... Read full review
25
Slant Magazine
Jamie N. Christley | Jun 22, 2011
"A crass and uncharacteristically threadbare cash-grab." ... Read full review
Critic Reviews
User Reviews
(204)
5.8
User Score Mixed or average reviews
250 Positive Ratings 40%
245 Mixed Ratings 39%
126 Negative Ratings 20%
Based on 621 Ratings and 204 Reviews View All
10
CWCgamer
Aug 13, 2011
I saw Cars 2 expecting it to be amazing since Cars was my favourite childhood movie and it was amazing. It was the best Pixar, has the bestI saw Cars 2 expecting it to be amazing since Cars was my favourite childhood movie and it was amazing. It was the best Pixar, has the best soundtrack for a pixar and one of the best movies I've ever seen. This was the sequal to my favourite childhood film and it was amazing!… Expand
10
Blackst33l
Mar 6, 2022
Its an amazing movie and much better than cars 3. I loved the movie it's straight up perfect
8
FreedomFighters
Dec 12, 2016
"FINALLY! IT HAPPENED! A PIXAR FILM HAS RECEIVED A "ROTTEN" ON ROTTEN TOMATOES!!! WE CAN FINALLY CELEBRATE!!!"
Okay, fine, you can have your"FINALLY! IT HAPPENED! A PIXAR FILM HAS RECEIVED A "ROTTEN" ON ROTTEN TOMATOES!!! WE CAN FINALLY CELEBRATE!!!"
Okay, fine, you can have your moment, guys (don't worry, that's the last time I'll bring them into this, because I don't want the joke to stale out). After years upon years of critical success, Pixar's first true "misstep" arrived in 2011 in the form of "Cars 2," the sequel that not many were really craving in the first place, but it was made nonetheless and it became the first Pixar film to earn a "rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes. Harsh, I know. All things considered, though, I personally enjoyed the film. I get why people didn't really like it (it wasn't the most poignant of Pixar films, nor was it the film with the most heart), but all in all, it was a really fun ride with some brilliant animation, exciting action scenes and good voice acting. Sure, it's silly, it's kiddy and it's not what we're used to out of Pixar, but "Cars 2" is still a pretty entertaining romp for the whole family.… Expand
6
buellerbueller
Aug 27, 2011
What?!?!?! Pixar can make a bad film?! The Apocalypse really is near! LOL. I saw this while in Minnesota with my cousins, expecting anWhat?!?!?! Pixar can make a bad film?! The Apocalypse really is near! LOL. I saw this while in Minnesota with my cousins, expecting an enjoyable experience. Sadly, it felt lie I was watching one of those straight-to-video Disney films they keep making. That doesn't mean it's unbearable. The jokes are kind of amusing, and it accidentally spoofs the summer blockbuster. I think it would have been good, if only Mater hadn't been made the main character. That really reminds you of Family Matters making Urkel the main character.… Expand
5
Delaforce828
Oct 13, 2014
This is sadly Pixar's worst film in terms of the quantity, it loses the special magic that made the original so good for me. It's not one ofThis is sadly Pixar's worst film in terms of the quantity, it loses the special magic that made the original so good for me. It's not one of the worst animated films I've seen, but it's still pretty disappointing seeing this after Toy Story 3. Whilst the film looks gorges, has great action, good racing sequences it still doesn't make up for it's unoriginality.… Expand
4
FilmMasterEd
Jan 6, 2016
As Pixar tradition dictates, Cars 2 stars with a short. Hawaiian Vacation revisits the Toy Story gang who, after Ken and Barbie are leftAs Pixar tradition dictates, Cars 2 stars with a short. Hawaiian Vacation revisits the Toy Story gang who, after Ken and Barbie are left behind from Bonnie’s summer holiday, recreate a perfect tropical idyll for the Mattel lovebirds to share their first kiss. It is pitch-perfect Pixar: a strong set-up delivered with jokes, filmmaking flair, perfect character moments — Mr. Pricklepants’ alien audition is genius — smarts and sentiment, all topped off with a post-credits payoff that works a treat.

This reminder of Pixar’s high benchmark doesn’t make life any easier for Cars 2. Coming off the back of the studio’s least favourably reviewed film — it currently sits at 74 per cent at Rotten Tomatoes — and one of its lower-grossing flicks (it made $462 million worldwide so it’s all relative), the movie has built itself up into a franchise through a series of shorts and spin-off merchandise. A kind of Doc Hollywood with a NASCAR replacing Michael J. Fox, the original was that rare children’s film that suggested you ease up a bit, live life in the slow lane. This time round, things have been amped up considerably, transplanting hot rod Lightning McQueen and thicko tow truck Mater not only into a globe-trotting Grand Prix, but also into a slick espionage flick circa 1966. The two strands never really cohere, but deliver enough spy-cool, visual fizz and comedic touches to entertain.

From the retro fittings of The Incredibles to WALL•E’s adoration of Hello Dolly, Pixar has always been enamoured with ’60s pop culture, and Cars 2 positively thrums with it. From Michael Giacchino’s stupidly catchy Finn McMissile guitar riffs, to a delight in gizmos and gadgetry, to impenetrable coded secret-agent greetings, this is a love letter not only to 007, but also to American counterparts like The Man From U. N. C. L. E. and Get Smart. A terrific opening set-piece sees Michael Caine’s Finn McMissile, an Aston Martin overflowing with Q Department firepower, infiltrate the baddies’ oil rig and the subsequent escape is a potent reminder that Pixar can hold its own against anybody in the action stakes. Be it a nighttime Tokyo race or a high-speed runway rumpus courtesy of Jason Isaacs’ spy plane, Cars 2 is at its best when it is on the move.

It is in the bits between the action, the Pixar specialities of plot points and character beats, that the movie does less well. The narrative is admirably complicated — everyone is chasing a camera which can generate an electro-magnetic pulse that can destroy the cars mid race — but offers little in the way of surprises. There are tons of new characters but, save the Brit spy duo of McMissile and Emily Mortimer’s Holley Shiftwell and John Turturro’s Formula 1 demon Francesco Bernoulli, few register.

It is also hard to remember a more talk-driven Pixar movie, but little of the dialogue crackles or pops. There are first-base jokes about cultural difference, wasabi mistaken for ice cream hijinks, over-emotional Italians and wrong-side-of-the-road gags. The relationship dynamics between McQueen and Mater are too simply drawn, the moralising, as McQueen asks his gauche friend to change to fit into the wider world, too on the nose. It’ll play perfectly for the young but, for once with Pixar, that’s all it does.

As ever, there are stunning little grace notes (watch the mud speckle the camera as the race cars speed by), lovingly realised street scenes and the frame is filled with inspired visual puns. But the film never truly finds its mojo, its heartbeat. If you want a barometer of the difference between top-drawer Pixar and Cars 2, you could do worse than listen to the songs. Randy Newman’s songs for the Toy Story series are smart, charming and heartfelt. Country star Brad Paisley’s tunes are pleasant but forgettable. The former will last for the ages. The latter works well enough for now.… Expand
0
TheRater
Aug 16, 2011
Disney/Pixar destroyed a great story with violence and lots of GUNS!

What happened? They destroyed a great story. Cars was a wonderful movieDisney/Pixar destroyed a great story with violence and lots of GUNS!

What happened? They destroyed a great story. Cars was a wonderful movie with a beautiful message and no violence. Now, Cars 2 is just an attempt to make a Hollywood action film (supposedly for kids). Guns? Really? And then we complain about kids with guns?! The violence includes guns, shooting, explosions, death.. Furthermore they make Mater look as ignorant as the rest of the world sees us. There is also some alcohol...I will never buy this movie for my son, who by the way didn't enjoy this film as much as the first one any ways. People in charge of story lines are way off if their target are kids and parents who will pay for the crap they want!… Expand
User Reviews