- While it's sold tons of merchandise (particularly to young boys), no one really seemed to actually like the original Cars, which felt less like a Pixar movie than something created just to sell merchandise and appeal to young boys. The characters and story didn't really seem compelling enough to support the first film, much less a sequel.
- The ad campaign has made the film seem far less like a heart-driven Pixar film than a Dreamworks style pop-culture parody. Now, I've quite enjoyed many of the Dreamworks flicks, but this looks far more like Shark Tale than Kung Fu Panda.
- Excessive Larry The Cable Guy in trailers. I get why he was cast as Mater--the voice works--but that character as a central one wears thin very quickly.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
BABY, YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR: Normally, when a Pixar movie's coming out in 3 short days, we'd be in full excitement mode, but it seems like not just us, but everyone is unexcited about Cars 2. In fact, as of right now, it's the first Pixar movie since Bug's Life that I'm unlikely to see in theatres. Why doesn't it seem to be getting traction? A few thoughts:
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You nailed the sense that Cars 2 feels like a non-Pixar film. I'm more likely to see Bad Teacher or Super 8.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I dropped $5 to see Green Lantern today and got my money's worth. Very mediocre movie that didn't excite me at all. Story and script were weak, direction was dull, and relied on voiceover to move along much of the story. There wasn't a sense of awe: it undermines itself that the first person we see flying or using the ring isn't Hal Jordan. I think I would have preferred a film that skips the origin and dives in with the space-cop angle. I'll wait until Cowboys and Aliens or Captain America to be wowed (although I expect Super 8 to deliver).
Cars strikes me as one of the few Pixar movies that is really just aimed at kids vs ones that are for the kid in every grownup. The original Cars is the only Pixar movie I can think of that is kind of light, emotionally speaking and has nothing scary or dark in it.
ReplyDeleteI have an almost 4 yr old, so we will be seeing it in a theater this weekend. It will be her first theater trip.
[Insert predictable Isaac comment about Pixar mentioning Lasseter by name here.]
ReplyDeleteI hated Cars. HAAAATED Cars. The other Pixar movies all exist in their own logical, self-consistent universes (I think, for example, of how the doors in Monsters Inc worked) but Cars felt bizarrely post-apocalyptic. Like, the universe of the movie makes no sense without people populating it. I also get that Lasseter et al. made Cars out of a feeling of nostalgia, but it's a nostalgia I just don't share, or care about.
ReplyDeleteAnd everything I've seen about Cars II (which, admittedly, isn't a whole lot) makes it seem really cynical; like it's first about selling more merchandise and second about telling a good story. I'm not necessarily opposed to Pixar making sequels (although I do think Toy Story was better than TS2, which itself was better than TS3), but Cars II just strikes me like one of those straight-to-DVD movies that Disney made as follow-ups to their successful 90s movies.
And yes, Matt: we're far more excited about Bad Teacher. The BF literally did a SPIT TAKE when we saw a TV ad for it a couple of weeks back. And I also highly recommend Super 8 -- now there's a movie nostalgia I can get behind!
I liked Cars. Still do. No, it's not as complicated as the other movies obviously, but I don't get the distaste for it. Is it one of the weakest Pixar movies? Sure. But that makes it infinitely better than most movies. The Little Earthling and I will likely see Cars 2 in the theater next week.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll do my Pixar-name drop here: my father-in-law, years ago, was once CFO of Pixar and was the victim of the first of a long series of purges by His Grace, Steve, the First of His Name and unceremoneously stripped of years of benefits for his efforts. I like Apple products -- and Pixar -- but it's always with some reluctance that I put silver in the palm of that rat bastard.
My view is that they should have done a movie that was just origin/backstory, set primarily on Earth, with Hal figuring out what the powers were and Hammond as the primary villain, etc., saving Parallax for a sequel. Have it end with Hal having "proven" himself and being invited to Oa for training.
ReplyDeleteThis also would have helped with the direction problem. Martin Campbell is one of the best practical action directors out there (vs. CGI-based action)--witness the stunt work in Mask of Zorro and Casino Royale, and having him direct a CGI orgy didn't work.
FWIW, Variety's review is a rave, though it's clearly judging it based on what it is rather than in comparison to the heights Pixar can reach.
ReplyDeleteWhat am I missing with Bad Teacher? The only thing that looks remotely appealing about it is Jason Segal and I'm afraid even he won't be able to make me want to see it. Like, at all.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the new Cars set in Japan? I'll be seeing it for that reason alone. Do I make sense?
ReplyDeleteReason #4: It's based around auto racing, an activity I can't manage to raise anything more than the minimum of enthusiasm for (seriously, I tried watching Le Mans the other night and finally had to give up). Add in that I was constantly distracted by wondering where the hell the cars came from in the first place and it just doesn't work for me. Thankfully, it's less than a year until Brave, which I'm much more excited about.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that while I used to be of the "Cars is the worst Pixar movie" school, and while I still generally agree it is the least of ten wonderful movies, I am a fan, now. Maybe it's Stockholm syndrome, since I've watched it umpteen million times with my 2.5 year old, but I find it to be generally charming, especially the ancillary cars ("Luigi follows only the Ferrari's"). So we'll be seeing Cars 2 (and then, I suspect seeing it again, and again, and again on DVD).
ReplyDeleteOh, are we preempting predictable comments? I'm okay if it applies to everybody.
ReplyDeleteOh, are we preempting predictable comments? I'm okay with that if it applies to everybody, Russ.
ReplyDeleteI think Jenn C & carried nail it. Sure, most (all?) Pixar movies aside from Cars appeals to grownups and kids. But I don't really need Cars 2 to appeal to me--I need it to appeal to my 7 year old without scaring him (he has a low scare threshold). As for original Cars--Mom doesn't die? Check. Lesson about being nice to others instead of only thinking of oneself? Check. Written so it doesn't make me insane after 500 viewings? Check. I can turn it on when we are in the basement due to a tornado warning and it relaxes everyone? Check. So yeah, I like original Cars. Look, I get adults want Pixar movies to be more than that, but saying you're going to watch Bad Teacher or Super 8 instead of Cars 2? Of course you are. I certainly would. We're adults.
ReplyDeleteAs you might be able to tell already, I have tickets purchased for Friday for the little one, his friend and me.
Never saw Cars, but I'm definitely more interested in Bad Teacher.
ReplyDeleteThe last good PG or below movie I saw was Tron: Legacy.
After HP7, I might just not go back in a movie theater until Dark Knight Rises, which will shatter every record Avatar set by a mile.
I have to say, I'm so disappointed about Mr. Popper's Penguins looking like it's going to be a trainwreck, because that is one of my all-time favorite children's books.
ReplyDeleteYou are missing nothing. Lasseter.
ReplyDeleteSeconded. I laughed at parts of the trailer, but it felt like it was straining. When the big laugh comes from the third lead and one of the funniest kid actors in decades, the core of the movie is in trouble.
ReplyDeleteCars is the only Pixar movie I've never seen all the way through. It just has no interest for me. It seems to always be on when I visit my friend and her four-year-old son, but it never makes me want to stop and watch more.
ReplyDeleteGiven that summer movie season usually begins in mid-May, I've seen very little so far this summer. I think "Bridesmaids" is it. I usually like a big summer blockbuster or two, but I couldn't get past the bad word of mouth for Thor, bad reviews for Green Lantern, and just general meh feeling about Super 8. I think it will pick up in July, when "Larry Crowne" and "Harry Potter" come out, and I'm psyched for "The Help" in August.
Oh yes, the fact that no parents die in Cars is BIG at our house. As much as I LOVE Finding Nemo, it will be a long time before the Small Child of the House will be able to watch the whole thing. She still thinks Dori is Nemo's mom.
ReplyDeleteI have never had any interest in seeing Cars. Not only is it just kind of weird to have cars with no humans... the concept seems really dull if you're not a young boy.
ReplyDeleteYeah - the not being scary thing is huge (or as we say in our family, Chick Hicks isn't scary, just mean).
ReplyDeleteMe too! The Lawson illustrations are the best. I wish I was in Philadelphia for this exhibit on him: http://m.philly.com/phillycom/pm_21413/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=ZcNT7HuZ
ReplyDeleteThe trailers made me laugh hard, even though it's not the kind of movie I would usually see. I need to see what the reviews say before I buy tickets.
ReplyDeletethe only movies I've seen this summer are the stage to screen The Importance of Being Earnest and Company.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both, but the jackass who decided we needed a whole intermission AND a featurette AFTER THAT INTERMISSION AND BEFORE the second act of Earnest needs to be punched in the face. Company did much better with the title card saying intermission and NO pausing. Although I wanted the Company editors to lay off the cutting and the weird close ups.
That all makes sense, and I'm definitely glad there is a non-scary Pixar movie out. For us, though, we won't be seeing it - Cars is the only Pixar movie the kiddo didn't like (though if he'd younger, he probably would've liked it for all the reasons mentioned by parents above). The Pixar movies will not be given away with our outgrown movies, but we won't be buying Cars or seeing Cars 2. Now Wall-E, on the other hand, we really need to buy. And maybe Up.
ReplyDelete<span>That all makes sense, and I'm definitely glad there is a non-scary Pixar movie out. For us, though, we won't be seeing it - Cars is the only Pixar movie the kiddo didn't like (though if he'd younger, he probably would've liked it for all the reasons mentioned by parents above). The Pixar movies will not be given away with our outgrown movies, but we won't be buying Cars or seeing Cars 2. Now Wall-E, on the other hand, we really need to buy. And maybe Up.</span>
ReplyDeleteThe movie the kiddo wants to see this weekend is Super 8. I was excited about it and a little bummed that he wasn't, but then he saw a trailer.
One other thing I like about cars - the opening scene is a really good AV System surround-sound test.
ReplyDeleteThe manager of the theater where we just saw Company told us beforehand that when it said intermission, that would only be for about fifteen seconds. I love him - otherwise people would've headed for the bathroom when they saw the title card.
ReplyDeleteCARS may not expose children to the horrors of death and bereavement, but it does expose children to the horrors of Larry the Cable Guy. That's at least a push.
ReplyDeleteMatt: I've test-drived Cars 2 and it's a lemon about a lemon.
ReplyDeleteThat's definitely not going on the posters. Lasseter
ReplyDeleteNo! Please! I need to be able to trash various sportscasters in highly predictable ways whenever the blog provides me the opportunity! [In related news, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver still stink. Just so you know.]
ReplyDeleteCars is far from my favorite Pixar film. That said, will I be there opening weekend for it? Odds are, yes. With Pixar, I have no willpower.
ReplyDeleteI don't make the decsisions here, but I'd also like for Jenn to continue to be able to wax poetic about Monsters, Inc. when given the chance.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I thought Mr. Popper's Penguins was way more adorable than any Jim Carrey film has a right to be. It's totally cute and fun and short (95 minutes!) and features Clark Gregg! Clark Gregg!
ReplyDeleteAs for Cars, I've been fascinated with some of the people I follow on Twitter trying to wrap their heads around what exactly the world of cars is. There were dinosaurs but there are no people. Cars "eat" oil and gas but then there's actual food (who eats that?), etc. Baffling.
We are excited for Bad Teacher solely because Gibby from iCarly is in it.
ReplyDeleteMy 3-year-old boy has been obsessed with this movie since he first heard about it. We will be seeing it this weekend as well. I don't find the characters objectionable, but I wouldn't see most Pixar movies in theaters if I didn't have kids.
ReplyDelete