In this Disney Pixar animated comedy directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis, the vehicular buddies from the American Southwest journey overseas for a race. But one car is mistaken for a spy. While every child in the theater loved this sequel to the 2006 mega-hit, for the grown-ups who have to drive them there, it isn't as much fun. Like its predecessor, it's a cartoon about cars that live and act like humans. But if a cartoon is going to be based on a silly premise, I expect a wackier film with jokes that make me laugh and over-the-top animation to help me suspend my disbelief. What you get here instead is an animated movie that takes itself way too seriously: It plays like a straight "accidental spy" movie with a few flat gags thrown in. Think
The Man With One Red Shoe but with Tom Hanks replaced by Larry the Cable Guy as a talking tow truck. Not a good thing.
Starts Fri., Jan. 24.
