Cars 2 has a flat

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

The spiffy red Lightning McQueen and his loyal bucktoothed tow truck companion Mater engage in a spy thriller in Prixar’s latest production Cars 2. Directed by auto fan John Lasseter the story focuses not only on car racing but also on themes of friendship, loyalty and being oneself.

It is more of an action thriller as we have gun bearing cars taking to the skies and making heroic escapes in impossible situations. Take a Bourne or a James Bond flick and replace the actors with cars and you have most of the features of Cars 2.

The action begins at sea amid an ocean of sinister oil rigs infiltrated by British spies. We are introduced to the sophisticated secret agent Finn McMissile who stops at noting and manages to weasel his way out of the clutches of the dreaded Professor Z and his merciless automotive minions to take on the task of locating the don of the gang. He is joined by Holley Shiftwell who is equipped with wings, heavy weaponry and underwater zooming capability in Tokyo

Meanwhile a triumphant Lightning McQueen returns home to spend a laid back season with his friends only to be persuaded to enter an upcoming series of races in which big shot Land Rover Sir Miles Axlerod hopes to prove the viability of his revolutionary clean fuel Allinol as a substitute for gasoline. The scene shifts to a series of episodes which indicate that eradicating Allinol driven vehicles is the focal point of Cars 2. A case of mistaken identity involves an unsuspecting Mater getting entangled in the action and causes confusion.

It is two stories: one of the race and the other of the spy drama, jammed into one. The animation scores in two sectors: its camera angels and voice casting. The less vibrant outdoor scenery too generates interest.

Lasseter should be credited for adding iconic monuments like the Big Ben, Arch de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower to the backdrop. Kudos to Lasseter for including stunning visuals on the glowing lights of nighttime Paris; the sparkling sunshine on Corsica streets and the gentle gray mists of London in the film.

Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine and Emily Mortimer have lent their voices for Cars 2. Cooler looking cars too had made it to the series in the likes of secret agents Finn McMissile, Holley Shiftwell and Italian Formula One car Francesco Bernoulli, hilariously voiced by John Turturro.

Cars 2 may prove to be a visually enthralling ride from Paris to Tokyo, London and the fictional Italian Riviera town of Porto Corsa but there is nothing much to boast about. The tale is somewhat hackneyed with the underdog triumphing over the villains. The characteristics of the cars are not developed well.

Even the shades used in the Tokyo casinos and on the race track are painful to the eyes.

Adding insult to injury is the unfocused script which mostly comprises clichés of past movies which have featured misunderstood friendship, the embarrassing companion turned hero and the typical detective move of the cornered party hiding the object which the villains seek on a passerby who happens to be the protagonist of the story.

Cars 2 makes full use of the latest 3D technology because it demands a lot of action and stunts which can only come out well in graphics. Comparing with its predecessor, the film is an improved model.

It has a lot of promise and starts off with energy but half way through it loses gas and simply falls flat on its face.