Cars was so successful it spawned a franchise. Not only was there a series of shorts (Maters Tall Tales) and a film sequel, but also now a themed area in Disney’s California Adventure park. A spin-off was put into production and was originally to be a direct to video offering, but the test footage looked good enough to make it a theatrical release. Audiences just can’t seem to get enough and a sequel to the spin-off was already put into production. The trailer is placed on the disc with Planes.
Popularity of a franchise, however, is not always an indicator of quality, so how does this entry stack up?
The plot is reminiscent of the original Cars. The rookie underdog has great dreams of winning the most prestigious race. Of course there are obstacles including the racer who is predestined to win. Then there’s the older mentor who had glory in the past. And a John Ratzenberger cameo.
Alright, so there are some similarities, but also a number of notable differences. The focus of the plot here is the race, less on the personal growth. Here we have Dusty, a cropduster who is a nice guy with big dreams. He winds up entering the qualifying round and while impressive, doesn’t make it until a disqualification gets him in. Of course most of the tale takes place on a rally race, and since this isn’t about personal growth, there’s more emphasis on action, and there’s plenty of it here. Because Dusty is a nice guy that factors into the plot, both to his advantage and detriment. It’s nice, actually, because it can be used as a talking point with your kids about how being nice may not always get you what you want, but in the end it is better to help others.
While Planes doesn’t look like a direct to video release, it’s not quite up to the same visual quality as Cars. There’s detail, but not as much as one might expect. This is also evident in the voice cast. Dane Cook is a recognizable name, as is Stacy Keach, but neither of them are on the same level as some of the stars of Cars. It’s just a matter of budget. Nobody does a bad job, and the adults are more likely to notice these technical matters since they don’t detract from the film, but they are there.
On Blu-ray we get the film and a few special features, starting with a finished deleted musical scene. Then we get a 15 minute behind the scenes featurette and it also details just how much of a personal project this was for director Klay Hall. A series of short character introduction pieces (that were probably shown on The Disney Channel) are on the disc and a couple more deleted scenes that are clearly works in progress. Lastly a “Top 10 Flyers” gives a couple of minutes to introduce some of history’s most notable pilots.
Yes, I was expecting an audio commentary. I was hoping for perhaps a storyboard picture in picture. I was also hoping for a more in-depth “making of” featurette. Oh well.
As it is Planes is a decent film, and while it doesn’t feel as original as it could be is a better sequel than Cars 2.
And here’s a bonus that I couldn’t find on the Blu-ray.