An empire was born when Pixar released Cars, one scarcely connected with the cinematic experience. Critics and audiences warmed to the 2006 effort, albeit with less affection and enthusiasm than afforded the studio’s other offerings; however the hearts and minds of child consumers were won not by the movie itself, but through supermarket purchases. The popularity of the feature’s many merchandise lines saw 2011 sequel Cars 2 come to fruition, yet still the appetite for anthropomorphised transportation wasn’t satisfied. Now Disney, Pixar’s owners, takes the franchise to the air with Planes, adding new characters and corresponding opportunities for tie-in toys, but retaining the established formula.
In director Klay Hall (Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure) and writer Jeffrey M. Howard’s (Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue) continuation of the series, based on a story conceived with producer, Cars creator and Pixar honcho John Lasseter (Toy Story 3), an outsider again dreams of punching above his weight – or moving beyond his means, as befitting the scenario. Driven by a need for speed, Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook, Detention) yearns for more than his modest life spraying fertiliser on cornfields. The Wings Around the World contest offers an opportunity for the humble crop-duster to ascend to the heights of global racing.
Further keeping with the familiar, a host of eccentric offsiders help pave Dusty’s path towards triumphing over adversity: down-to-earth fuel truck Chug (Brad Garrett, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone), tinkering forklift Dottie (Terri Hatcher, TV’s Desperate Housewives), and wizened fighter plane – and reluctant mentor – Skipper (Stacy Keach, The Bourne Legacy) among them. Similarly, an inevitable assembly of international competitors endeavour to thwart Dusty’s underdog efforts, led by ruthless reigning champion Ripslinger (prolific voice actor Roger Craig Smith).
The air of imitation extends to the film’s thematic arc, once more concerned with self-belief and self-confidence when faced with seemingly insurmountable circumstances. Viewers are firmly immersed in the aspirational idea of eschewing boundaries and limits in Dusty’s country-hopping plight, with every eventuality not-so-subtly hammering home the David vs Goliath battle. That there’s nothing new or nuanced in the concept, content or context is the point; this is paint-by-numbers filmmaking to serve a recognised market. Alas, with a wealth of other features mining the same racing-oriented material and accompanying pro-active message of late, the adherence to the expected is never more than amiable.
Agreeable, unspectacular visuals and voicing round out the affable affair, the former pleasant, polished but aesthetically plain in the style of its predecessors, the latter straight-forward and lacking in stand-out performances. Again, the prescription dictates the end result; there are no risks or revolutionary steps being taken, only pre-determined boxes to tick. Slipped-in gags about reincarnation and slight homages to other films attempt to increase broader interest, but remain too few and far between amidst ample franchise borrowings. Thankfully, simplicity reigns supreme; indeed, it is the utter unfussiness of Planes that ensures its predictability is palatable.
Rating: 2 ½ stars out of 5
Planes
Director: Klay Hall
USA, 2013, 91 mins
Release date: 19 September
Distributor: Disney
Rated: G
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