Cars 2 in 2011 and series of Cars shorts

[Gurgi30]

All I have to say about the critics is... its great to be American because everyone can have an opinion. What's also great is that I don't have to listen to or agree with their opinions. We're not mindless sheep and if you are I feel horrible for you.

To me, Pixars streak is still alive after seeing Cars 2. Was it perfect? Of course not, but it was a fun summer movie we'll definitely watch over and over again like the rest of their movies. It was a very enjoyable experience for me and my family (non-3d) and something I enjoyed more than a few of their other movies, all of which I've liked. Just goes to show, at least for me, that they even make summer popcorn flicks better than most everyone else.

[Victurtle]

Stayed right clear of all the criticisms and I loved it

Flowed incredibly well and was very fast paced (i.e. the ironic problem of the original). Perhaps too fast paced, but any emotional slow down scenes would have pushed it past the 2 hour mark.

The London scenes were startling realistic looking. I wonder if they had a technology upgrade during production.

[dvdjunkie]

I can't believe that no one is talking about the "Toy Story Hawaiian Vacation" short that is on before "Cars 2". It was hilarious and really made the afternoon at the movies very special. Even my three-year-old grand daughter loved "Cars 2", but she watches "Cars" at home at least once a day, so that is probably not a fair comparison.

The 112 minutes fly by in this Pixar/Disney movie, and like others have said, it may not be perfect, but it's not bad!!!

[Disneyphile]

I can't believe that no one is talking about the "Toy Story Hawaiian Vacation" short that is on before "Cars 2". It was hilarious and really made the afternoon at the movies very special.

I loved TSHV, but it left me wondering if Ken and Barbie just up and left Sunnyside Daycare. Seeing Jessie in a hula skirt was...a change. I probably shouldn't say any more about that. It was great that they could incorporate all the characters in a 5-minute short.

[disneyboy20022]

I can't believe that no one is talking about the "Toy Story Hawaiian Vacation" short that is on before "Cars 2". It was hilarious and really made the afternoon at the movies very special.

I loved TSHV, but it left me wondering if Ken and Barbie just up and left Sunnyside Daycare. Seeing Jessie in a hula skirt was...a change. I probably shouldn't say any more about that. It was great that they could incorporate all the characters in a 5-minute short.

Yeah I loved the short...and also that is amazing how they managed to give enough of the characters plenty of screen time in 5 minutes and the fact it didn't seemed rushed at all......amazing. Pixar is amazing....they may have some flaws..

Also for The Lion King 3D trailer (or entire sequence of Circle of Life)....was I am truly amazed how it looks in 3D....In my opinion...the 3D was better than The Nightmare before Christmas when I saw it in 3d....

Hopefully they'll do a theatrical 3D of Beauty and the beast

also I hope Disney leaves out The Morning Report .....



Regarding Cars 2 - I really liked it....it was better than I thought it would be...although that very first teaser trailer of Cars 2 has got to be the worst teaser trailer for Pixar I've ever seen...the best teaser trailer of a Pixar movie is to me hands down The Incredibles.

[Victurtle]

TSHV got me feeling "meh".

I wan't saying all their films in the past were bad. All I was rejoicing was that Pixar lost their perfect streak and perfect image, now it will never be quite perfect again.

It doesn't matter how much money or audience the film brings, as huge amounts of money and audience went to the likes of Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 just the same, none of it makes it a truly great film.

I am here at this forum called Ultimate Disney because I am a Disney fan, not a Pixar fan, so I'm going to have joy at what happened to Pixar because, let's face it, Pixar competes with Disney even though they are owned by Disney, a truly strange phenomenon but one that's present nonetheless.

DD, please don't let you're devotion to one studio ruin your enjoyment from other studios.

[Dr Frankenollie]

I wan't saying all their films in the past were bad. All I was rejoicing was that Pixar lost their perfect streak and perfect image, now it will never be quite perfect again.

It doesn't matter how much money or audience the film brings, as huge amounts of money and audience went to the likes of Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 just the same, none of it makes it a truly great film.

I am here at this forum called Ultimate Disney because I am a Disney fan, not a Pixar fan, so I'm going to have joy at what happened to Pixar because, let's face it, Pixar competes with Disney even though they are owned by Disney, a truly strange phenomenon but one that's present nonetheless.

You were rejoicing the fact that Pixar will 'never be quite perfect again'?! I haven't seen Cars 2 yet, so I don't know whether it's good or bad; however, I do know that what you're saying is completely, unequivocally stupid. Do you honestly believe that Pixar competes with Disney? It doesn't matter if it's a Pixar movie or a DAC making money, Iger and the other Disney Executives will be happy anyway, because as you said yourself, Pixar is owned by Disney. And as Kyle said earlier, it's incredibly spiteful of you to hope that a particular movie studio makes a bad movie.

[Neal]

In many ways, DisneyDuster, that's a rather twisted thing to say/take pleasure in.

The more successful Pixar is, the more successful Disney will be - which might mean that by the virtue of the trickle-down effect of profits, Disney Animation could be benefitted by Pixar's successes. The more money a Pixar film makes, the more there is to disperse to other Disney ventures (studios, parks, merchandise, et cetera.)

Also, when a Pixar film does poorly - people's jobs and livelihoods are at stake. Fingers are pointed about who did what wrong, which leads to de-motions and firings.

I definitely care more about Disney Animation than I do Pixar Animation, but I'd never wish Pixar ill or take delight in a failure.

I don't take delight in any company's shortcomings, even a studio like DreamWorks which I could give a flying f**k about and have never seen one of their films in theaters (versus Disney/Pixar which I've seen all their films in theaters dating back to 2007). Through my love of animation, I'm happy to see any studio thriving in this weak economy/time of moviegoing dying rapidly.

Yes, Pixar competes with Disney and one could even argue Lasseter plays favorites and does more to support Pixar as Chief Creative Officer than he does Disney. But like it or not, Pixar has now been enfolded into the Disney family and should be revered the same as its parent company. Not to stir up old debates, but as you love to say so often, "What Would Walt Do?" - well, if he had brought Pixar into his company (which is very likely if he saw them as bettering the Disney brand name and image) - even if his own original animation studio was a competitor, he would never be pleased with a Pixar failure. It would reflect poorly on the Disney name as much as the Pixar name.

When the future of Disney and people's jobs are at stake, it's sick and unfortunate to wish Pixar unwell.

[Sotiris]

Cars 2 Takes Pole Position in Debut Weekend with $66.1M in Ticket Sales
http://www.toonzone.net/news/articles/3 ... cket-sales

[pinkrenata]

The whole experience (Toy Story short and Cars 2), for me, felt like a Saturday morning cartoon. I really, really liked Hawaiian Vacation BUT it didn't belong at the beginning of a Pixar feature -- think of all the original, creative shorts that have preceded it. If it had shown up as a bonus feature on the TS3 Blu-ray/DVD or premiered on The Disney Channel, I would have thought, "How delightful!" But it just didn't fit.

And then Cars 2. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't <i>good</i> either. Great visuals aside, it felt like a really solid DTV movie.

So, I can hardly say that Pixar has a "flop" on their hands, nor can I say that they've made a really horrible movie. I just hope they do better next time.

[milojthatch]

The whole experience (Toy Story short and Cars 2), for me, felt like a Saturday morning cartoon. I really, really liked Hawaiian Vacation BUT it didn't belong at the beginning of a Pixar feature -- think of all the original, creative shorts that have preceded it. If it had shown up as a bonus feature on the TS3 Blu-ray/DVD or premiered on The Disney Channel, I would have thought, "How delightful!" But it just didn't fit.

What I think is even odder is that there newest original short is playing in front of the new Muppet movie. I think "La Luna" should have played in front of "Cars 2" and maybe let TSHV play in front of Muppets. Oh well.

The more successful Pixar is, the more successful Disney will be - which might mean that by the virtue of the trickle-down effect of profits, Disney Animation could be benefitted by Pixar's successes. The more money a Pixar film makes, the more there is to disperse to other Disney ventures (studios, parks, merchandise, et cetera.)

I fully second that. Pixar IS Disney now, and as you kind of pointed out, is doing a better job pushing the Disney brand name then even Disney Animation is. Let's be honest, the animators at both are just about interchangeable, and in fact based on what I know, there are a number of animators that have worked at both and sometimes go back and forth between the studios.

I personally have no issue with it. I would have to agree that studios like Dreamworks or Blue Sky see Disney and Pixar as a package deal. If either a Pixar film or a DAC makes lots of money and is a run away hit, the success belongs to the same people at the end of the day. Lassiter's name is clearly on all of it.

I think to wish Pixar bad is the same as wishing Disney bad. I understand that Pixar forever changed how animation is done at Disney, but you know, even though I love hand drawn films and don't want them to totally dry up, computer animation was going to happen. Thank goodness Pixar was the first ones to get a CG film out! Who knows how different things would be if it was someone else?

[DisneyAnimation88]

Thank goodness Pixar was the first ones to get a CG film out! Who knows how different things would be if it was someone else?

Had Disney not been so short-sighted, it could have been them. Typically, their concern was whether CG would be cheaper and faster than hand-drawn animation and they ended up sacking John Lasseter. Had they not done so, Pixar might never have existed and the history of Disney animation might be very, very different. Regardless, I think Disney and Pixar are perfect partners; imagine that Disney had never ended up buying Pixar and how different the landscape of animation industry might have been.

I fully second that. Pixar IS Disney now, and as you kind of pointed out, is doing a better job pushing the Disney brand name then even Disney Animation is.

I get what you're saying. particularly that Pixar is Disney; the two have been together for so long now it's easy to see them as one single entity rather than two different animation studios, at least that's what I think. I don't know if completely agree that Pixar does a better job of pushing the Disney brand but I can see your point there.

[Luke]

So, after this weak second weekend performance, it's looking like a domestic gross of under $200 M is more or less inevitable for <i>Cars 2</i>. The only other two Pixar films to do that were their first two, <i>Toy Story</i> and <i>A Bug's Life</i>, which both adjust for inflation well over the mark. Clearly, this year has been a very down one at the box office and the evidence is showing that 3D is hurting more than helping any film's numbers. And <i>Cars 2</i> still has a healthy lead day-by-day over <i>Kung Fu Panda 2</i>. But hopefully, this underperformance can be read as votes for quality and originality over commercialization and branding.

The merchandise onslaught and foreign markets ensure this isn't going to lose money for them, but the $200 production budget is considerable and I can only imagine the marketing costs were also huge. I think Disney really needs to re-evaluate this all-tentpole philosophy. It paid off for <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> and <i>Toy Story 3</i>, but everything else has either flopped or struggled to break even with all the expenses. Even those unexcited by <i>Cars 2</i> believed it was a safe bet financially.

[Sotiris]

A Collision of Creativity and Cash at Pixar
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/busin ... ewart.html

[PixarFan2006]

Well, I am finally seeing Cars 2 tomorrow (using my free ticket) and I will decide for myself if it really is as bad as critics say it is.

[Neal]

I dreamed I saw Cars 2 last night, it was strange - Mater and Lightning were kind of Japanese chibi style/smaller - and they were in a kitchen trying to cook a meal.

[disneyboy20022]

I dreamed I saw Cars 2 last night, it was strange - Mater and Lightning were kind of Japanese chibi style/smaller - and they were in a kitchen trying to cook a meal.

Seems "The Ghost Light" is up to some tricks in your dreams

[Disney's Divinity]

And <i>Cars 2</i> still has a healthy lead day-by-day over <i>Kung Fu Panda 2</i>.

Which is unfortunate, because KFP2 does look to be the better film of the two.

[Neal]

Straight from Disney:

"CATCH THAT?

Disney-Pixar’s “Cars 2” Features Hidden Gems for Savvy Moviegoers


HIDDEN GEMS

Blink-and-You’ll-Miss-‘Em

NOD TO THE NUMBER — The number A113, which refers to John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton’s former classroom at CalArts, makes an appearance in every Pixar film. In “Cars 2,” you can see A113 in two places: as the number on Mater’s license plate, and as the number on Siddeley the spy jet’s tail fin.
THAT’S INCREDIBLE — In Radiator Springs, Mater drives past the Radiator Springs Drive-in, and the movie displayed on the marquee is “The Incredimobiles,” a car-ified version of Disney?Pixar’s 2004 film “The Incredibles.”
TAKE OUT OR DELIVERY — The Pizza Planet Truck, first seen in the original “Toy Story,” makes an appearance in almost every Pixar film. It actually appears twice in “Cars 2”—as a guest on the “Tire Talk” television show just before the Mel Dorado show comes on, and in the Radiator Springs epilogue as a race spectator when the jet-propelled Mater flies by.
SNEAK PEEK — In every Pixar film, savvy viewers can catch a sneak peek at a tease for the studio’s next release. In “Cars 2,” there is a “car-ified” version of prominent figures from 2012’s “Brave.” When the Lemons crash into Ye Left Turn Inn in the London sequence, look closely!
DINNER IS SERVED — In Paris, there is a restaurant called Gastow’s, a car-ified reference to Gusteau’s, the gourmet Parisian restaurant from “Ratatouille.”
MAKING THE ROUNDS — In the London leg of the World Grand Prix, a banner advertising “Lassetyre” tires is visible, a reference to director John Lasseter.
FROM V8 TO V9 — The exterior of Flo’s V8 Café has been extended in “Cars 2” to accommodate the set for “Flo’s Cooking Show,” which was to be featured in a segment of the film that was eventually cut. However, you can still catch a glimpse of the extension when the café is viewed from the outside.
A STAR IS BORN — “Cars 2” director John Lasseter voices two characters in the film: John Lassetire, Jeff Gorvette’s crew chief, and a gambling car in the Porto Corsa Casino. His Porto Corsa line: “C’mon, fuzzy dice!”
LEWIS LENDS A LINE — “Cars 2” co-director Brad Lewis performs the voice of Tubbs Pacer, one of the Lemonheads featured in Porto Corsa.
WATERCOLOR WARFARE — Thompson, the spy train in “Cars 2,” contains many weapons with which the spies are outfitted. In the scene in which Mater is being equipped for his espionage duties, one of the weapons on display is actually a very lethal looking paintbrush.


JOINING THE “CARS 2” WORLD

Filmmakers “Car-ify” Iconic Global Locations

FIRST STOP—TOKYO – The World Grand Prix begins in Japan.

Mount Fuji, seen during the Japan trip in “Cars 2,” has been “car-ified” for the film. It has snow runoff that looks like tire tread-marks.
The Rainbow Bridge seen in Japan is made up of automobile parts, including valves, rocker arms and springs.
The World Grand Prix kick-off party was not in the film when the production team visited Tokyo’s National Art Center, but was added because the design and look of the space inspired the scene. Glass elevators in the museum were turned in to tubular elevators with piston-shaped platforms in the film.
OUI OUI PARIS – Though there is no racing in Paris, Mater visits the iconic city as part of his role in the elaborate international espionage storyline.

Paris’ iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in the film is adorned with 24 “car-goyle” statues and flying buttresses in the shape of exhaust pipes.
The Pont des Arts in “Cars 2” is made with automobile leaf springs – a type of spring used in car suspensions.
The top of the Eiffel Tower seen in “Cars 2” is the shape of a 1930’s European spark plug; its base contains the features of a French wire wheel.
The top of the Arc de Triomphe in “Cars 2” was designed in the shape of an engine block with headlights in the front features.
A longstanding Pont des Arts custom calls for couples to attach a padlock to the railing and throw the key in the river, sealing their love forever. The bridge features padlocks on the railing in “Cars 2.”
John Lasseter and wife Nancy learned during a visit to Paris that couples should kiss when they cross the Pont Des Arts. Two characters kiss on the bridge in “Cars 2”—and one is lavender, Nancy’s favorite color.
THE BEST OF THE EUROPEAN RIVIERA – In creating the look of the fictitious Italian seaside town Porto Corsa, “Cars 2” production designers combined the racetrack of Monaco with the terrain of the Amalfi Coast.

The casino in Porto Corsa is built on a rocky outcropping shaped like a 1948 Fiat 500 Topolino.
The Porto Corsa Marina is shaped like an automobile wheel.
The church in Uncle Topolino’s village is called “Our Lady of Automobiles.”
At the craps table at the Porta Corsa casino, the game is played with fuzzy dice, much like the kind you might find hanging from a car’s rearview mirror.
CROWNING THE CHAMPION – The World Grand Prix comes to a close in London.

In the London of “Cars 2,” the landmark dome of St. Paul’s cathedral is shaped like a car’s differential gear casing.
London’s famed clock tower, Big Ben, is named Big Bentley in “Cars 2,” and is made up of Bentley grilles and hood ornaments.
The Latin inscription below the clock dial on Big Bentley reads “God Salvage Crown Victoria the First” – a reference to the Ford Crown Victoria."

[Disney Duster]

You know, everyone can have their opinion, but it doesn't matter. The fact is I am quite glad that Pixar is no longer seen as so perfect in so many people's eyes.

And yes they do compete with each other even though they belong to the same company. It is a strange double thing. They make money for each other, but also, they compete in what people think of them individually.

Disney is not Pixar. They started as seperate things with seperate names, and no matter who buys who, even if they renamed them to be the same name, I would always know they were different.

And I think it's very obvious Walt Disney would never buy another movie studio to help him, I see it is obvious that he would rather he makes his own Disney movies and he succeed on his own movies' merits.

As for Pixar's success helping Disney, all it helps is monetarily. The money that goes to Disney could allow Disney to both be itself and experiment, meaning it could have made Rapunzel more like a traditional Disney fairy tale that didn't need money from non-Disney loving modern audiences, yet they decided to make Rapunzel pander to modern non-Disney loving audiences anyway.

Pixar's help to Disney is only in money, because the other things Pixar does is two bad things: One, is confuse people to make them think that Pixar is the same as Disney, all made by the same thing, even to the stupid idea that Walt Disney founded Pixar or something, and the other bad thing they do is make people think that Pixar is better than Disney.

How no one sees that Pixar's success "becoming" Disney's success is just Disney stealing Pixar's success instead of making their own for themselves is beyond me.

Whatever, a lot of people won't like me saying all this, I know a lot of people won't like me for this, but I'm sorry, I plainly see this as the truth, however bad it is.