Cars 2

Pixar do the most amazing movies.  Not just because they continue to break the boundaries of what can be achieved with computer generated images, but because they create astounding characters within wonderful stories.  I remember reading once that Pixar would never make a sequel to any of their movies, and then they brought out Toy Story 2, which was a massive success.  Years later, they decided to revisit the toy box and made the third installment in the 'Story'.  Their next movie was also a sequel, but one to a movie that no one expected.
Cars was not the darling of the Pixar lot.  It wasn't considered a classic along the lines of Toy Story or Finding Nemo, but I have to say, I also enjoyed it.  I loved the fact that it was not only a cool and funny cartoon about talking cars for kids, but it had a comment to make about rural towns that were being left behind when highways bypass them.  It examined the impacts on a town from businesses closing down and the residents moving away, something that John Lasseter himself observed on a road trip with his family and something that can be observed in a number of countries around the world.  When I heard there was to be a sequel, I was equally excited and apprehensive.  How could that write something that matches the quality of the first movie.  Well, I can't say that they truly succeeded.  That's not to say it is a bad movie.  On the contrary, it is quite good, but it is definitely not on the same level of Cars.
This time, they have cleverly mixed James Bond with Cars with the movie starting on the high seas in the middle of the night as British Secret Agent, Finn McMissile (voiced by the ever reliable Sir Michael Caine.  I wonder if they tried to get Sean Connery at all?) who is one cool car, infiltrates a massive oil rig in a sea of oil rigs to gather intel and find his accomplice.  There is a very violent end to one of the henchmen cars that chases after Finn.  He falls off the rig and crashes into the sea, exploding into pieces!  While Finn escapes with some information, he needs to collect a photo from another operative at the Japanese leg of the World Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, after four Piston Cup wins, Lightning McQueen is looking forward to having a break in Radiator Springs but his best friend, Tow Mater, gets him included in the Grand Prix.  The race is being sponsored by Sir Miles Axelrod who has developed an alternative fuel to oil called Allinol.  All race cars must race on Allinol to prove how safe it is.  McQueen takes Mater and the rest of his pit crew with him on his tour of the world.
While at the pre-race party, Mater is accidentally given the photo and then mistaken for the operative and so becomes embroiled in this espionage caper which starts to get nasty when the bad guys show up with a laser that shoots an electro-magnetic pulse that causes the Allinol to explode.  During the race, they aim it at cars and cause their engines to blow up!  McQueen is in the firing line and Mater has to save the day.
So the deeper story is about alternative fuels and corporate entities wanting to control global markets.  Of course there is the kid-friendly story to teach them to accept their friends for who they are and don't try to change them.  But that's pretty well it.
The CGI scenery is pretty impressive, from the wonderful neon city scape of Tokyo to the lovely Italian seaside town to the detailed London streets.  All of these have a Cars-esque touch.  One of my favourites was in place of the Tower Bridge, it's called The Tyre Bridge.  VERY clever and the film is filled with these.  Can't wait to get the Blu-Ray to find them all.  However, considering this is a movie about a race car, there is not enough racing in it.  What there was, was done very well.
This movie is Mater's film, not McQueen's and this is reflected in Larry The Cable Guy (doing Mater's voice) getting top billing over Owen Wilson!
This was a good movie, but it wasn't great.  I am sure that on second viewing, I will appreciate it more, but for my first cinema viewing, I give this 7/10.  Oh and there is nothing after the credits either!