In this week’s edition of the HomeVideodrome podcast, Jim Dirkes and I discuss education documentaries, review Kevin Smith’s Red State and go through this week’s releases, including Cars 2, Cop Land, and Quigley Down Under. So be sure to go, listen, and enjoy!
Critics were not kind to “Cars 2,” and not being a big fan of the original, I didn’t see this as entirely surprising until I actually saw the movie. Given Pixar’s stellar track record as a studio, it seems like they’re held to a higher standard than most. So when something that skews to a younger crowd like the “Cars” films come out, it seems to be met with mild disappointment.
The premise of “Cars” is essentially “Doc Hollywood” with anthropomorphic cars. The sequel’s premise is essentially a globetrotting spy movie with anthropomorphic cars, and since I like spy flicks more than “Doc Hollywood,” it’s no wonder I enjoyed this one more. While Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) was the protagonist last time around, this sequel belongs to Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), who fills the role of the accidental spy.
The plot involves an energy baron (Eddie Izzard) who seeks to market an environmentally friendly biofuel by holding several races around the world in which Lightning McQueen participates, bringing Tow Mater along for the fun. Meanwhile a group of scheming lemon cars (think crappy American-made cars during the seventies, like the AMC Gremlin) are seeking to sabotage this effort by making the biofuel look dangerous by causing the racecars to flame-out on the speedway.
A British spy named Finn McMissile (Michael Caine, who cleverly inhabits James Bond’s Aston Martin) is looking to foil their dastardly plan, and Tow Mater, in a Hitchcockian case of mistaken identity, gets pulled into the effort to stop them.
One of the things that was so delightful about “Cars” was how John Lasseter and co. created a thriving community in the form of Radiator Springs out in a recreation of the crimson Arizona landscape. While the story didn’t do much for me, the creation of this living, breathing community was a thing of beauty. A universe of anthropomorphic cars is something that sound ridiculous on paper, but Pixar gives inanimate objects the spirit of fun found in early examples of American animation. “Cars 2” doesn’t have a creation that matches the richness of Radiator Springs, however the way they apply their unique brand of anthropomorphism to cities like Tokyo and London imbues the film with a fun spirit full of visual gags for both the young and old.
“Cars 2” certainly isn’t up there with the strongest work Pixar has done, but it’s an entertaining family film that’s still a cut above the majority of the CGI-animated films out there. The message about the evils of big oil is predictable, but the film hardly dwells on it. The “Cars” franchise is such a merchandising juggernaut that anything that gives Pixar license to make tons of money to make more great films like “Up” and “Toy Story 3” is alright by me, even if it’s not their best work.
Available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD
If you’re a massive fan, you can get all of the “Cars” films in a collector’s box
Other Noteworthy Releases
Water for Elephants: I missed this one in the theater, but you can snag the great Kurt Loder’s thoughts on the movie here.
Crazy, Stupid, Love.: Steve Carrell is looking for love again, this time with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in the mix.
Trespass: A home-invasion thriller from Joel Schumacher starring Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman.
The Phantom of the Opera: This silent classic is arriving a little late for Halloween, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it on Blu-ray anyway. One of the first iconic Universal monster movies, this Lon Chaney classic stands the test of time, and even features an early Technicolor sequence that’s breathtaking to see in a silent film.
Available on Blu-ray
Toy Story 3D Trilogy: The onslaught of Disney Blu-rays being converted into 3D continues. Just buy the 2D versions of these great movies on Blu-ray if you haven’t already, and save yourself some money.
Available on Blu-ray
Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3 are also available separately
The Big Country: William Wyler’s epic western starring Gregory Peck, Burl Ives, and Charlton Heston comes to Blu-ray.
Available on Blu-ray
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: Still George Clooney’s best outing as a director, thanks largely to Charlie Kaufman’s excellent script adaptation of Chuck Barris’ bizarre memoir. Sam Rockwell kills it in the lead role, and Clooney’s direction combines the ’70s kitsch of Barris’ tacky game shows with the cool tone of a spy flick.
Available on Blu-ray
Cop Land: This one’s a must for Sly Stallone fans, it’s a killer crime thriller with a heavyweight cast, including Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Michael Rapaport. Christian Toto just wrote a piece on it for Big Hollywood, so go check it out.
Available on Blu-ray
Hook: This one was close to me when it came out, being young and a fan of all things Peter Pan. It doesn’t really hold up to these older eyes, but there are big elements to it that are successful, such as Dustin Hoffman’s entertaining performance as Captain Hook.
Available on Blu-ray
Scrooged: Gearing up for the Christmas season, Richard Donner’s modern comedic retelling of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” starring Bill Murray hits Blu-ray.
Available on Blu-ray
Quigley Down Under: Tom Selleck’s mustache is in hi-def in this Aussie-set western.
Available on Blu-ray
TCM Greatest Classic Films – The Thin Man: Four films from The Thin Man series, all packaged together in a lovely little set.
Available on DVD
This post originally appeared over at Parcbench