Cars 2 is making its way to Blu-ray this week. Let me start out by saying, yes, I did enjoy Cars and Cars 2. Over the years I've occasionally heard people comment that Cars didn't work for them. Cars may have had its limitations being restricted mainly to the town of Radiator Springs but Cars 2 shows us more of the world they belong in (you do have to wonder what happened to all the humans on this world or who actually builds the Cars). Cars 2 is a completely different movie from the first although there is some racing in it as well.
If you haven't seen it, the movie is essentially a spy flick. You have the evil forces trying to control oil and simply doing a lot of bad things. It's the simple-minded Mater that gets pulled into the spy world unknowingly when his is mistaken for a spy agent.
Even though the Cars aren't necessarily 'people,' they are, in a sense, alive. What is surprising about this movie for a Pixar/Disney movie is characters get torched and characters get killed. That's not exactly something you would expect from a Pixar movie. Cars 2 may not have been my all time favorite Pixar movie but who doesn't love a good spy film? Cars 2 delivers on the espionage, action and humor.
And it just looks so dang good on Blu-ray. With HD TVs and Blu-rays, the pressure is on the studios to make a good looking film, especially when it comes to Pixar movies. It's the visuals that people will focus on first.
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After all the Pixar movies we've seen, it shouldn't be a surprise at the visuals they deliver. Yet each time they put a new film, you're blown away at how amazing it all looks. Whether it's the shiny reflections on the cars, the high speed race scenes or the flaming destruction of vehicles, Cars 2 has so much eye candy to enjoy. Mater can be a bit much to handle at times but it was still a movie I could enjoy.
You'll have your choice when it comes to which Blu-ray pack to buy. I watched the 2-disc Blu-ray combo pack which is the Blu-ray and same content on a DVD. There is also a 5-disc Blu-ray combo pack which includes a Blu-ray 3D disc, 2 Blu-ray discs, the DVD copy and a digital copy. If you thought that was a lot of Cars, there is also an 11-disc Blu-ray Combo Collector's Set. It has Cars 2, Cars and the recent Mater's Tall Tales.
The special features on the 2-disc combo pack you get an exclusive all-new Mater's Tall Tales short, "Air Mater." If you've seen any of the other Tall Tales shorts, you know what to expect. They are pretty fun and do work in this short format. As with the theatrical release, the Toy Story "Hawaiin Vacation" short. For fans of commentary, you get to hear John Lasseter throughout the movie. These were great features but I was left wanting more. I'm not one to obsess over the special features but this felt a little light.
The 5-disc set does include "World Tour" Interactive and Sneak Peak: The Nuts and Bolts of 'Cars Land.' Since they weren't on the set I had, I can't comment on them but it doesn't sound like I missed too much. There are trailers for Lady and the Tramp on Blu-ray along with a trailer for Pixar's 'Planes.'
Can Pixar make a bad movie? They have done so many different types of movies, in a sense, it's almost hard to compare them all. I enjoyed the first movie but clearly this one takes it to a whole new level. Getting to see the different locales along with all the action and destruction (cars getting dented and blown up) really up the viewing level in this franchise. Mater might be a lovable character for some but I tend to find him a little annoying at times. Having him mixed in a big spy story added an element that gave the movie a completely different vibe from the first. When it comes to Blu-rays, it's almost a given that you'd want to add this to your library.
