Case file no. 002 — open for reconsideration
2011 · Disney / Pixar[1]
The world wasn’t ready for
CARS 2.
A cinematic masterpiece.
Yes, we’re serious.
They gave a tow truck a passport and made a spy thriller. We’re here to defend every glorious second.[1]
Real film facts. Highly opinionated conclusions.
about talking cars.
Film still: Pixar’s official Cars 2 page ↗ · © Disney / Pixar
The case for greatness
The defense
rests on this.
Six exhibits. Zero apologies.
Open a file, inspect the argument, and draw your own extremely correct conclusion.
On location / an international operation
Same world.
Different gears.
The scenery isn’t just along for the ride.
It’s part of the argument.
Japan / race stop 01
Neon. Noise. No brakes.
Tokyo’s night race drew inspiration from Singapore’s Formula One night race.[2]
Our reading: a city of reflections turns speed into a light show. The atmosphere does as much racing as the cars.
Read Pixar’s location notes
Italy / race stop 02
Sunshine at full throttle.
Porto Corsa is fictional, combining influences from Italian coastal towns and Monte Carlo.[2]
Our reading: warm architecture and cool blue water make a perfect counterpoint to the neon. Even the scenery has range.
Read Pixar’s location notes
United Kingdom / race stop 03
Big city. Bigger finish.
Pixar describes creating more than 50 miles of London streets for the film.[2]
Our reading: all that scale makes the finale feel like an event. Automotive absurdity deserves monumental architecture.
Read Pixar’s location notesCross-examination
Objection?
Overruled.*
*Respectfully. Reasonable people can disagree. The bureau simply enjoys making a very good case.
“But it’s barely a racing movie.”
“There’s too much Mater.”
“What about the reviews?”
“You can’t objectively prove a masterpiece.”
Exhibit ∞ / cleared for redistribution
The official
statement.
I need everyone in this thread to understand that Cars 2 is not “underrated.” Cars 2 is the greatest film ever committed to any medium. In 2011 Pixar had a billion-dollar franchise about a race car learning humility in a small town, looked directly at it, and said: what if the tow truck was a spy. Nobody stopped them. Tokyo. Porto Corsa. Paris. London. A global conspiracy run by lemons. Michael Caine. MICHAEL CAINE. They strapped a character into a chair and killed him on screen with a giant camera lens, in a movie that also sells toothbrushes. You call it the worst Pixar film because you sat down expecting Cars again and got a Cold War thriller starring the comic relief, and you were not emotionally equipped. Mater is not the flaw. Mater is the thesis. It is a film about a guy everyone treats like an idiot turning out to be right about absolutely everything, and the audience responded by treating the film like an idiot. Do you see it. DO YOU SEE IT. Cars 3 is a good movie about getting older. Cars 2 is what happens when a studio gets to do whatever it wants and nobody in the room is a coward. It is not a guilty pleasure. There is no guilt. Ka-chow.
Written by fans, for pasting. Deploy in group chats, quote-tweets, and any comment section that has it coming. Every factual detail above is sourced further down the page; every judgment is ours and is, we admit, extremely loud.
The jury is you.
So.
Masterpiece?
A sports sequel became a globe-trotting spy comedy and committed completely. The ambition is enormous. The world is gorgeous. The heart is a rusty tow truck.
We call that cinema.
Your verdict stays on this device. No public vote is collected.
Verdict on file: ABSOLUTE CINEMA.
The bureau thanks you for your excellent judgment.
Request for a rewatch: sustained.
Open Disney’s official film page ↗
The receipts.
Facts checked. Opinions aggressively our own.
Release information, genre, and the official film premise.
Character profiles, location notes, film stills, and concept art.
The composer’s official soundtrack album and track listing.