Cars 2 [Blu-ray]

Great DVD

We've had this movie for a while now, we initially purchased it for our daughter, but it quickly became one of our son's all time favorites. Because he's non-verbal with only a few word approximations, and on his speech device he usually only wants to request things he wants, and only occasionally tell us what his emotional state is. And, as many a person finds out, if you ask him to say hi to them his usual response is "no," so I'm going to have to give you what I, as his mom, think may be the most likely reason he loves this movie so much. Because it has far more plot then he usually has any sort of interest in. It's all about Mater, and most of this movie involves a plot line about Mater.Mater is his own kind of cool, but as Lightning's discomfort indicates in the early stages of the movie, probably not cool by the standards of many of the actual "cool" kids of the cars world. He doesn't keep his paint job looking nice, he's missing parts, he's covered in dents, he's socially awkward, frequently says things that are not quite appropriate for the occasion, and he sometimes does gross things. And yet, he unwittingly saves the day and gets a chance to have the girl, which are things that aren't as often shown happening for characters with Mater's type of "cool." I imagine Mater is pretty easy to relate to for a child who is doing the very best they can, but because of challenges beyond their control, be it Autism or genetic disorders causing intellectual disability or whatever, just can't quite fit in. Maybe they are like my son, and don't understand the basic rules society operates under. Maybe they can't handle the way stylish clothes feel on their bodies. Maybe they're just not sure how to talk comfortably with others. And maybe they are like Mater, who is shown as being viewed as less intelligent then those around him, to the point where one of the other characters mentions that he's doing a great job acting the part of the fool (because this character just assumed, I'm guessing, nobody could actually be that awkward or seemingly unintelligent, etc. therefore it must be an act.).This is the reality of many special needs kids, they are definitely their own kind of cool just like Mater, and they want to feel like they can save the day and get the girl or the guy. And I think that's why my son likes Mater and he loves this movie. Mater's silly (and my son loves silly), he's not perfect, other people laugh at him (and unfortunately he knows what that is like as well), and yet, Mater still saves the day. He's the only one in the end who figures out correctly who the bad guy is. I know some people feel like the spy plot doesn't work. But I love that this movie makes Mater the hero, because I think Mater is a character that many kiddos with specialized needs can relate to. And they need to see that characters/people who don't look or act perfect can still do heroic things, and so can they. Mater's his own kind of cool, just like my son, and so is this movie.

I'll stay out of the argument about what it's appropriate to show your kids, as I was only allowed to watch the Disney Channel as a kid and eagerly looked forward to staying with a babysitter so I could watch the "cool" cartoons the other kids liked to watch. I also happen to think that no one should show something to their kids just because it's by Disney/Pixar and rated G, but I digress.I watched this film right after the first a few days ago, and I'm again impressed by it in absolutely every way. Pixar managed to keep the world and characters from the first film, and create a film with a COMPLETELY different theme and feel. For anyone who thought the first Cars film was too slow, there's more action in the first half hour of this film than the whole of the first Cars combined. The jokes, the camera-work, the visual fidelity (WAAAAY more color this time around), and the variety of characters and settings have all been cranked way up to 11. There isn't really much of a story aside from again one of friendship and finding your usefulness in a world you don't understand, and sticking by your friends, but that doesn't matter because there's so many thrills to be found.From a design viewpoint this might be the greatest Pixar film ever, with more incredible gadgets and clever uses for them than any other Pixar film I've ever seen. Literally this film keeps your eyes glued to the screen just to see what crazy visual gag or feat you will see next.Parents will want to tread lightly if they're showing this to a kid who should be playing with large building blocks and coloring books instead of watching TV, but just about everyone else who likes their cartoons action-packed and filled with motion, color, and cleverness with love this film.And yes, there's some fridge-horror when you realize that every one of those cars that gets zapped, explodes, or is thrown into the sea is DEAD! ....Shudders....

Like a lot of other reviews, I was counting the days down with my 4-year old and 2-year old. This was the first time he marked the days on the calendar and we went. We loved it. We saw it three times. As for the violence, come one, really? I hate guns and don't have them, but this movie was in context, it was a James Bond movie with talking cars. No nudity, no language, and there were several messages that I have talked about with my kids. The animation was great, the sound was great, it was well produced - is it Pixars "best" no, but a lot better than other things on the market over the last few years. I have no problem having my kid look to Lightening and Matter as heros - infinitely better than Shrek or Kung Fu Panda. As far as violence, I won't let them watch "The Incredibles" because though I liked the movie, it is not appropriate yet.Now let's talk about the animation genre. It is not just for kids. In my opinion, what made Pixar great is the weaving of adult interest with kid friendly story telling. Toy Story 3 - which I thought was horrible, and my kids have never played with or shown interest in a buzz toy since, was totally an adult movie. Just because something is animated doesn't mean it is for kids. Have you seen cable animation lately? I like the Cars franchise including the short clips we watch on the new Disney Roku channel. As with everything, parents needs to be engaged with their kids, talk about the messages they see, and make decisions.From time to time, we go to the movies for entertainment. Cars 2 is very entertaining with lots of eye candy. My kids have not increased their violence but they love playing with their Cars.