Cars 2

Cars 2 is a 2011 American 3D computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is a sequel to 2006's "Cars" and the second film in the "Cars" franchise. In the film, race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater head to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix, but Mater accidentally becomes sidetracked with international espionage. In the film's ensemble voice cast, Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Bonnie Hunt, and John Ratzenberger reprise their roles from the first film. Paul Newman, who voiced Doc Hudson in the previous film, died in September 2008, so his character was written out of the film, while George Carlin, who previously voiced Fillmore, died during the same year, so his role was passed to Lloyd Sherr. The returning cast is joined by Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard, and Thomas Kretschmann, who voice the new characters introduced in this film. It was directed by John Lasseter, written by Ben Queen, and produced by Denise Ream. 
"Cars 2" was released in the United States on June 24, 2011. The film was presented in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D, as well as traditional two-dimensional and IMAX formats.
The film was first announced in 2008, alongside "Up", and "Brave", and it is the 12th animated film from the studio. Despite the fact that the film received generally mixed to negative reviews from critics, it grossed $562 million worldwide and fans of the franchise consider it a good sequel. A sequel, "Cars 3", was released on June 16, 2017.
Plot.
British spy Finn McMissile infiltrates an oil rig owned by a group of lemon cars to rescue a fellow spy. He witnesses the lemons, seemingly led by Professor Zündapp, load an electromagnetic pulse emitter, disguised as a camera onto a shipping crate. After finding out the agent he came to rescue is dead, he flees and fakes his death.
Lightning McQueen is now a four-time Piston Cup champion after the recent death of his mentor Doc Hudson, and returns to Radiator Springs. However, Italian formula race car, Francesco Bernoulli, challenges McQueen to race in the newly created World Grand Prix, led by its creator Sir Miles Axlerod, who intends to promote his new environmentally friendly fuel, Allinol. McQueen and his best friend Mater — along with Luigi, Guido, Fillmore, and Sarge — depart for Tokyo for the first race of the Grand Prix.
At a World Grand Prix promotional event, Mater makes a scene after leaking oil and eating a bowl of Wasabi, angering McQueen. While cleaning up, Mater interrupts a fight between American spy Rod "Torque" Redline (whom McMissile and his new partner Holley Shiftwell attempt to meet) and lemons Grem and Acer. Redline passes his information to Mater. Meanwhile, Redline is captured and killed by Professor Zündapp, who reveals that Allinol combusts when hit with an EMP pulse. Zündapp informs his superior, an unknown mastermind, that Redline passed on his information. Holley mistakes Mater to be Redline and recruits him to help foil Zündapp's plot.
At the first race, three cars are ignited by the camera. McQueen places second in the race after Bernoulli, due to Mater accidentally giving him bad racing advice while evading Zündapp's henchmen with help from Holley and Finn. McQueen snaps at Mater, who is abducted by Finn while attempting to return to Radiator Springs. After traveling to Paris to collect more information from Finn's old friend Tomber, they travel to Porto Corsa, Italy, where the next race is being held. During the race, Mater infiltrates the criminals' meeting, just as the camera is used on a few more cars, causing a multi-car pileup, while McQueen finishes first. Due to increased fears over Allinol's safety, Axlerod lifts the requirement to use it for the final race. However, when McQueen decides to continue using it, the criminals plan to kill McQueen in the next race in London. This spooks Mater, causing him to blow his cover and allowing him, Finn, and Holley to be captured.
Mater, Finn, and Holley are taken to and tied up inside Big Bentley, where he admits to them that he is not the spy they think he is. Mater learns that the camera did not function on McQueen, but the criminals tell him they planted a bomb in his pits as a backup plan, spurring him to break free and escape. Finn and Holley escape soon after but realize that the bomb is on Mater's air filter. Mater had already arrived at the pits when they tell him this, so he flees down the racecourse while McQueen chases after him to apologize for his earlier outburst. Finn apprehends Professor Zündapp while he attempts to escape. The other lemons arrive and outnumber Finn, Holley, Mater, and McQueen, but they are soon rescued by the arrival of the other Radiator Springs residents. Mater and McQueen go to Buckingham Palace, where Mater reveals Axlerod as the mastermind behind the plot by forcing him to disable Mater's bomb. It is revealed Axlerod had major investments in crude oil, which would have surged in value once the failure of Allinol disgraced the idea of environmentally friendly fuel. After Axlerod is arrested, Mater receives an honorary knighthood from the Queen. In the end, McQueen forgives Mater and allows him to come to all of his races if he chooses. 
Back in Radiator Springs, Fillmore reveals that Sarge changed McQueen's fuel from Allinol to his organic biofuel, explaining why the camera did not work on him. A "Radiator Springs Grand Prix" is held featuring all the World Grand Prix contenders. Mater declines an invitation from Finn and Holley to go on another mission, choosing to stay in Radiator Springs. However, he is allowed to keep his special rockets and uses them to catch up to McQueen in the race. The film ends with McQueen speeding off with Mater behind him just as Finn and Holley's jet flies off into the distance.
Voice cast.
Much of the cast from the original "Cars" remained intact for the sequel, but three voice actors of the original film have died since its release. Joe Ranft (who voiced Red) died in an automobile accident on August 16, 2005, ten months before "Cars" was released. The first film was dedicated in memoriam to him. Red appears in this film, but he does not speak or vocalize. George Carlin (who voiced Fillmore) died of heart failure on June 22, 2008; Fillmore also shows up in "Cars 2", and he was voiced by Lloyd Sherr (who also voices Tony Trihull). Paul Newman (who voiced Doc Hudson) died of cancer on September 26, 2008. After Newman's death, Lasseter said they would "see how the story goes with Doc Hudson." Doc was eventually written out, with a few references to the character as having died before the events of the film.
In international versions of the film, the character Jeff Gorvette is replaced with race car drivers better known in the specific countries in his dialogue scenes (however, he still appears as a competitor).
In Brazil, Gorvette is replaced by Carla Veloso in his dialogue scenes (Carla appears in all other versions of the film, but with no lines); Carla is voiced by Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte. Sportspeople still appear, with Lewis Hamilton becoming Formula One champion Emerson Fittipaldi, while Brent Mustangburger and David Hobbscap were done by sports announcers José Trajano and Luciano do Valle.
Production.
Development.
"Cars" is the second Pixar film, after "Toy Story", to have a sequel as well as becoming a franchise. John Lasseter, the director of the film, said that he was convinced of the sequel's story while traveling around the world promoting the first film. He said:
"Cars 2" was originally scheduled for a summer 2012 release, but Pixar moved the release up by a year.
In 2009, Disney registered several domain names, hinting to audiences that the title and theme of the film would be in relation to a "World Grand Prix".
In March 2011, Jake Mandeville-Anthony, a U.K. screenwriter, sued Disney and Pixar alleging copyright infringement and breach of implied contract. In his complaint he alleged that "Cars" and "Cars 2" are based in part on work that he had submitted early in the 1990s and he sought an injunction to stop the release of "Cars 2" and requested actual or statutory damages. On May 13, 2011, Disney responded to the lawsuit, denying "each and every one of Plaintiff's legal claims concerning the purported copyright infringement and substantial similarity of the parties' respective works." On July 27, 2011, the lawsuit was dismissed by a district court judge who, in her ruling, wrote that the "Defendants have sufficiently shown that the Parties' respective works are not substantially similar in their protectable elements as a matter of law".
Casting.
In November 2010, Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Jason Isaacs, Joe Mantegna, Peter Jacobson, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, and Thomas Kretschmann were confirmed as the voice talent featured in the film. From November 2010 until May 2011, Disney released information about the other voice talent, including Jenifer Lewis, Katherine Helmond, Michael Wallis, Darrell Waltrip, Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, Bruce Campbell, Sig Hansen, Michel Michelis, Jeff Gordon, Lewis Hamilton, Brent Musburger, David Hobbs, John Turturro, and Eddie Izzard.
Soundtrack.
The "Cars 2" soundtrack was released on both CD album and digital download June 14. It is the fourth Pixar film to be scored by Michael Giacchino after "The Incredibles", "Ratatouille" and "Up". "Cars 2" was the first and only Pixar film directed by John Lasseter not to be scored by Randy Newman, who scored the first and third films of the "Cars" franchise.
Release.
During the Summer of 2008, John Lasseter announced that "Cars 2" would be pushed forward and released in the summer of 2011, one year earlier than its original 2012 release date. The US release date was later confirmed to be June 24, 2011, with a UK release date set for July 22, 2011. The world premiere of the film took place at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on June 18, 2011. "Cars 2" was released in 4,115 theaters in the USA and Canada setting a record-high for a G-rated film and for Pixar. The latter was surpassed by "Brave" (4,164 theaters).
Short film.
The film was preceded by a short film titled "Hawaiian Vacation", directed by Gary Rydstrom and starring the characters of the "Toy Story" franchise.
Home media.
The film was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and digital download on November 1, 2011. This release was produced in four different physical packages: a 1-disc DVD, a 2-disc combo pack (DVD and Blu-ray), a 5-disc combo pack (DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and Digital Copy), and an 11-disc three movie collector's set, which features "Cars", "Cars 2", and "Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales". The film was also released as a Movie Download edition in both standard and high definition.
The Movie Download release includes four bonus features: "Cars Toons" "Air Mater", the "Toy Story Toon" "Hawaiian Vacation", "World Tour Interactive Feature", and "Bringing Cars 2 to the World". The 1-disc DVD and 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack releases include the shorts "Air Mater" and "Hawaiian Vacation", plus the "Director John Lasseter Commentary". The 5-disc combo pack includes all of the same bonus features as the 1-disc DVD and 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack versions, in addition to "World Tour Interactive Feature" and "Sneak Peek: The Nuts and Bolts of Cars Land." The 11-disc three movie collection comes packaged with "Cars" (DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Copy), "Cars 2" (DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, nand Digital Copy), and "Mater's Tall Tales" (DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Copy).
"Cars 2" sold a total of 1,983,374 DVD units during its opening week, generating $31.24 million and claiming first place. It also finished on the top spot on the Blu-ray chart during its first week, selling 1.76 million units and generating $44.57 million. Its Blu-ray share of home media was 47%, indicating an unexpectedly major shift of sales from DVD to Blu-ray. Blu-ray 3D contributed to this, accounting for 17% of total disc sales.
Reception.
Box office.
"Cars 2" grossed $191.5 million in the USA and Canada, and $370.7 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $562.1 million. Worldwide on its opening weekend it grossed $109 million, marking the largest opening weekend for a 2011 animated title. Overall, "Cars 2" became seventh biggest Pixar film in worldwide box office among the fourteen released.
"Cars 2" made $25.7 million on its debut Friday (June 24, 2011), marking the second-largest opening day for a Pixar film, at the time, after "Toy Story 3"'s $41.1 million. During this time, though, it was the third least-attended opening day for a Pixar film, only ahead of "Up" and "Ratatouille". It also scored the sixth largest opening day for an animated feature. On its opening weekend as a whole, "Cars 2" debuted at No.1 with $66.1 million, marking the largest opening weekend for a 2011 animated feature, the seventh largest opening for Pixar, the eighth largest among films released in June, and the fourth largest for a G-rated film. In its second weekend, however, the film dropped 60.3%, the largest second weekend drop ever for a Pixar film, and grossed $26.2 million. At the end of its theatrical run, "Cars 2" became the lowest-grossing Pixar film in North America since "A Bug's Life". As of 2018, it is Pixar's fourth lowest-grossing film in this region. It was also the least attended Pixar film ever until 2015's "The Good Dinosaur".
Outside North America, it grossed $42.9 million during its first weekend from 3,129 theaters in 18 countries, topping the box office. It performed especially well in Russia where it grossed $9.42 million, marking the best opening weekend for a Disney or Pixar animated feature and surpassing the entire runs of "Cars" and "Toy Story 3". In Mexico, it made $8.24 million during its first weekend, while in Brazil, it topped the box office with $5.19 million ($7.08 million with previews). It also premeiered at No.1 with $5.16 million in Australia, where it debuted simultaneously with "Kung Fu Panda 2" and out-grossed it. It is the highest-grossing film of 2011 in Lithuania ($477,117), Argentina ($12 million). It is the highest-grossing animated film of 2011 in Estonia ($442,707), Finland ($3.2 million), Norway ($5.8 million).
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, "Cars 2" has an approval rating of 39% based on 216 reviews, with an average rating of 5.48/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Cars 2" is as visually appealing as any other Pixar production, but all that dazzle can't disguise the rusty storytelling under the hood." It is the lowest-rated Pixar film on the site to date, and the only one to earn a "rotten" certification. Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the film an average score of 57 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.
"The original "Cars" was not greeted with exceptional warmth," said "The New York Times", "but the sequel generated Pixar's first truly negative response." 
Critics generally criticized the G-rating, the focus on Mater and felt the film lacked warmth and charm, while also feeling the film was made as an exercise in target marketing. Reviewing the film for "The Wall Street Journal", Joe Morgenstern wrote, “This frenzied sequel seldom gets beyond mediocrity." "Entertainment Weekly" critic Owen Gleiberman said, ""Cars 2" is a movie so stuffed with "fun" that it went right off the rails. What on earth was the gifted director-mogul John Lasseter thinking – that he wanted kids to come out of this movie was [sic] more ADD?" Although Leonard Maltin on "IndieWire" claimed that he had "such high regard for Pixar and its creative team led by John Lasseter" he said he found the plot "confusing" and felt that Mater's voice was annoying, saying that he'd "rather listen to chalk on a blackboard than spend nearly two hours with Tow Mater." Considering the low reviews given to the Pixar production, critic Kyle Smith of the "New York Post" said, "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"."
Conversely, Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" gave the movie 3½ stars out of four, and said that "the sequel is a tire-burning burst of action and fun with a beating heart under its hood." He also praised its "fluid script" and called it a "winner". Roger Ebert was the most effusive of the more positive reviews, praising Lasseter's channeling of childhood playtime for the film's spirit and writing, “At a time when some ‘grown-up’ action films are relentlessly shallow and stupid, here is a movie with such complexity that even the cars sometimes have to pause and explain it to themselves.” Justin Chang of "Variety" commented, “The rare sequel that not only improves on but retroactively justifies its predecessor.” Ticket buyers also gave the film an A– in exit polls, on par with other Pixar titles.
A central current of the negative reviews was the theory that "Cars 2" was forced out of Pixar by its corporate parent, the Walt Disney Company, out of greed to drive merchandising sales. Lasseter vehemently denied these claims, which he attributed to "people who don’t know the facts, rushing to judge." Some theorized that the vitriol was less about the film but more about Pixar's broadened focus to sequels. "The New York Times" reported that although one negatively reviewed film would not be enough to scratch the studio, "the commentary did dent morale at the studio, which until then had enjoyed an unbroken and perhaps unprecedented run of critical acclaim."
Accolades.
"Cars 2" marks the first Pixar film not to be nominated for an Oscar. It is also the first Pixar film not nominated for Best Animated Feature since its introduction in 2001.
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Video games.
A video game based on the film was developed by Avalanche Software and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and Nintendo DS on June 21, 2011. The PlayStation 3 version of the game was reported to be compatible with stereoscopic 3D gameplay. A Nintendo 3DS version was released on November 1, 2011, and a PSP version was released on November 8, 2011.
An app based on the film was released on iTunes for a dollar on June 23, 2011. The Lite version was released for free that same day. The object of the game was to complete each race, unlock new levels, and get a high score. As of June 28, 2011, the app had hit No. 1 on the App Store. The game was retired on August 29, 2014.
A V.Smile version was also released.
Expanded franchise.
Sequel.
A stand-alone sequel, titled "Cars 3", was released on June 16, 2017. Directed by Brian Fee, the film focuses on Lightning McQueen, now a veteran racer, who after being overshadowed by a new wave of rookies, gets help from a young race car, Cruz Ramirez, to instruct him for the increasingly high-tech world and defeat new rival Jackson Storm.
Spin-offs.
An animated feature film spin-off called "Planes", produced by DisneyToon Studios, was released on August 9, 2013. A sequel to "Planes", titled "", was later released the following year on July 18, 2014.