Planes: Fire & Rescue Review

RYAN: This is the sequel to Planes, from Disney – and basically expanding their popular Cars universe.  I really hated the first one, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to improve upon it.  The first one was basically made for DVD and then theatrically released and then did well enough, obviously, for a sequel.

CAROLINE: And how is it?

RYAN: A bit better.  The animation is a major step up.  It’s a lot slicker and more like other Disney theatricals.  The story is also an improvement.  Instead of just flying around the world, this one is a bit more of a coming of age and accepting responsibility story for the main plane, Dusty Crophopper, as voiced by Dane Cook.

CAROLINE: Oh I was gonna ask you who all is in this.

RYAN: A lot of stars, actually – Teri Hatcher, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen, Brad Garrett… but the only real stand out is John Michael Higgins.

CAROLINE: Love him.

RYAN: Yeah he’s great.  I always enjoy him too and he pretty perfectly voices a smarmy car.

CAROLINE: I could see that.  So is this a good one for the kids?

RYAN: Well, yes, but not a must see in the theater.  Although it’s a good length – only an hour and twenty minutes, there were quite a few restless kids in the theater.  It’s not a musical and the story, while better than the first film, is not the most interesting.  There are some mildly adventurous moments or excitement; but it’s basically about the plane training to become a firefighter and it skews so juvenile that it’s not really entertaining for all ages.

CAROLINE: No Shrekian innuendos?

RYAN: A couple actually, but again, even with some humorous bits, it’s still not as good of a story or movie as most other Disney films.

CAROLINE: You know I’m not a big fan of family films to begin with so this kind of movie is sounding like my nightmare.  It also looks like it’s just for little boys.

RYAN: I guess Disney does their princesses and then they do this kind of stuff.  For all that Frozen is a princess movie and they marketed it toward boys, heavy on the Olaf, it obviously played brilliantly to all audiences.  Planes, both the film and merchandise, is pretty much for the boys.

CAROLINE: It’s funny how Disney stores basically have a boys side and a girls side instead of just mixing things all together.

RYAN: Ah the social commentary there!  Yes!  As for this movie.  It’s just cute.  It’s good fodder for the small screen someday but not an instaclassic as we’ve come to expect from the Dis.

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