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CARS 2Movie Reviews
Animation comedy that follows star racecar Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater on an adventure to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. Cast:Owen Wilson, Larry The Cable Guy, John Turturro, Eddie IzzardDirector:Brad Lewis, John LasseterRelease Date:June 24, 2011DVD Release:November 1, 2011From:Walt Disney PicturesRating:GLength:1 hr 53 minIn 3D
Cars 2 played to good not great reviews. • Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...often silly but never really transcendent... seems content with merely making us laugh. Perhaps it's unfair to expect anything more, but for Pixar, that's the price of success." • And Joe Williams wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "...coasts on the fumes of automotive puns and a wheezy moral about forgiveness." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The racing action is fun, but kids won't care about the environmental politics buried in the plot, which slow things down considerably."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 135 words, 06/23/11
Mary Pols, Time: FAIR "...high-gloss, thinly premised... the premise of 'Cars 2' -- that it is a cardinal sin to ask a friend to alter his behavior -- is a lemon."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 06/24/11
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "Only the youngest audience members will be amused (if a bit squirmy); older kids and parents will find their patience tested... Pixar's peerless animation remains a treat."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 87 words, 06/23/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...a rare display of narrative and tonal struggle on the part of Pixarians, famous for their attention to the nuances of story line and character development."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 629 words, 06/23/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...lackluster and predictable... missing that alchemic blend of humor, pathos and indelible characters that give Pixar movies their brilliant shine."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 06/24/11
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A plot synopsis would spin us into bafflements, and the movie isn't about a plot so much as the action it involves.... 'Cars 2' is fun."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 835 words, 06/24/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...maybe Pixar was tired of turning out one masterpiece after another and decided to coast for a while.... notably lacking in soul or sublimity."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,023 words, 06/24/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...genially entertaining... engaging characters, a plot that ensures energy, and such a wealth of auto references... it has a smooth, easy way about it."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 06/24/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "They said it couldn't be done. But Pixar proved the yaysayers wrong when it made its first bad movie, 'Cars.' Now it has worsted itself with the even more awful 'Cars 2.' "(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 06/24/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "I got little pleasure from seeing these cars (plus boats, and a plane) thrown into the spy thriller genre. It's an intriguing story risk at best, a protracted stunt at worst."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 534 words, 06/24/11
Logan Hill, New York Magazine: WEAK "...a disappointment at best.... There's plenty of vrooom and zoooom, but, at two hours, kids may be confused and even a little bored..."(See all of Logan Hill's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 06/24/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A plot synopsis would spin us into bafflements, and the movie isn't about a plot so much as the action it involves.... 'Cars 2' is fun."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 835 words, 06/24/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Multiple jokes about toilets and bodily functions cheapen the laughs, and so do the strenuous efforts to have cars doing things that normally only humans could achieve."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 741 words, 06/24/11
Josep Parera, La Opinion: EXCELLENT(cg) "...las persecuciones, peleas, carreras y demás situaciones descritas son visualizadas con movimientos de cámaras nunca vistos antes en un filme..."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 543 words, 06/24/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...bigger, shinier and far, far busier than the first film, but it's all for naught.... it's flat-out bad.... looks terrific - but the story is a mess..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 06/23/11
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Speed can be a good thing in a car or a movie - but not when the scenery goes by too fast to understand where you are.... has an engine where its heart should be."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 06/24/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an often funny and action-packed 'James Bond goes Racing' comedy.... a cartoon for the 'Top Gear' dad to drag the kids to."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 06/24/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "Director John Lasseter's usually resonant approach of strong storytelling and memorable characters is sidelined here; maybe he's stretched thin."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 06/24/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...sometimes funny, often silly... seems content with merely making us laugh. Perhaps it's unfair to expect anything more, but for Pixar, that's the price of success."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 462 words, 06/24/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an action movie that nods to Hayao Miyazaki and those sleekly dumb European chase thrillers with guys like Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,173 words, 06/24/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "Fans want favorite catchphrases revived, old jokes given a new twist and maybe a long-standing conflict resolved. The moviemakers want more money."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 06/24/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the treat is Michael Caine, who seems quite at home in his car incarnation. If he were a car, this is precisely the kind of car he would be."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 627 words, 06/24/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...how very, very high the Pixar wizards have set the bar. Sometimes they make masterpieces; sometimes, as in this case, they just make pretty good movies."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 509 words, 06/24/11
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...if it's going to be diet Pixar, at least it's action-packed diet Pixar -- with overwhelming, detail-choked production design that occasionally had my jaw lowering like a forklift."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 334 words, 06/24/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's stunning that a character we couldn't get enough of in one movie -- Tow Mater -- can grow so tiresome in a sequel. That will likely be the legacy of 'Cars 2.' "(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 554 words, 06/24/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: MODERATE(cg) "...an OK movie for the kids. And the fast food drink cups are sure to be a smash. But the magic of Pixar is no longer a sure thing."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 605 words, 06/24/11
Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "At times it's a lot of fun, but there's nothing here that'll stick with you, the way Pixar's other films so often do."(See all of Josh Tyler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 710 words, 06/22/11
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "Paul Newman and George Carlin added class to the first one, but with those two gone, the sequel chugs along on fumes."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 137 words, 06/30/11
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: FAIR(cg) "...the studio has never given audiences -- especially audiences over the age of 10 -- less reason to be emotionally invested in the beautiful shiny things flying across the screen."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 384 words, 06/23/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...bigger, shinier and far, far busier than the first film, but it's all for naught.... it's flat-out bad.... looks terrific - but the story is a mess..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 06/23/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR(cg) "Why do the car-people have gender? Why do they tell 'your mother' jokes? What possible sense could it make to have car-people made of metal go through metal detectors?"(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,093 words, 07/22/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...maybe Pixar was tired of turning out one masterpiece after another and decided to coast for a while.... notably lacking in soul or sublimity."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,023 words, 06/24/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...genially entertaining... engaging characters, a plot that ensures energy, and such a wealth of auto references... it has a smooth, easy way about it."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 06/24/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: POOR "...incoherently plotted, loud, and overstuffed... the Emeryville magic factory has earned the right to an off movie at least once every quarter of a century."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 713 words, 06/23/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD "This isn't great cinema, but your kids will have a great time and if you want to get wistful you can remember a time when people (maybe you!) actually drove Pacers and Gremlins on purpose."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 828 words, 06/23/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...what's not to love.... allows the viewer to relax into a pleasurable groove even as its abundant in-jokes and peripheral details encourage the mind to stay actively engaged."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 06/19/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...genially entertaining... engaging characters, a plot that ensures energy, and such a wealth of auto references... it has a smooth, easy way about it."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 06/24/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "...not really a bad picture, just one that's not as impressive and captivating as Pixar's most efforts of the past decade. It's all relative. Who knows, perhaps we have been spoiled..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 693 words, 06/22/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...maybe Pixar was tired of turning out one masterpiece after another and decided to coast for a while.... notably lacking in soul or sublimity."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,023 words, 06/24/11
19.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Cars 2's reviews are separated by an average 19.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Cars 2 (49 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Cars 2's reviews cover 93.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 29,355 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 599 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 11.6 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Cars 2's reviews on average broke 11.6 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Cars 2's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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