Considering the success of Cars and its sequel Cars 2, we always knew a spin-off of the popular films was going to be inevitable. Disney have apparently made more money off Cars merchandise than all of the other Pixar films combined so it turns out John Lasseter’s dream project actually worked in his favour but is there really any substance to the Cars franchise and its spin off Planes?
Despite the fact that it did incredibly well at the box office and that kids seem to love it, Cars was most certainly the weakest film in the Pixar list. In fact, many point to Cars as the initial point where it all started to go wrong for Pixar, some declaring they had dismissed the magic in favour of their bank balance.
Unfortunately, Planes is not going to do anything to redeem the good Disney name. Strangely enough, the spin-off from Cars is not actually a Pixar production but is just a Disney feature, and Disney have made one big mistake, they forgot to make this film with any love.
Set in the “World of Cars”, Planes tells the story of Dusty Crophopper, a cropdusting plane who dreams of being a racing champion. Despite the fact that he is not the greatest racer and has a fear of heights (yes, he is a plane) Dusty dreams of joining the racing big leagues.
When he qualifies for the global Wings across the World race, Dusty knows that he does not have the same skills as some of the best racers in the tournament, but he does have his good-nature and his consideration for others and slowly becomes a favourite with those taking part in the race. However, can he fulfil his dream of becoming the racing champion and do his mentor Skipper and his friends proud?
There’s not really a lot to say about Planes. Frankly, as one particular critic pointed out, the film actually belongs on the Disney channel and doesn’t deserve a cinema release. It seems that the company have just rolled out another film in order to sell more toys, they will certainly make more money off kids wanting these guys on their shelves.
All of the characters are just fine, but you really don’t find yourself rooting for any of them, particularly Dusty, who you really should be rooting for to become the star. The animation is fine, but nothing spectacular. Perhaps the only saving grace is that the entire production goes on for only 91 minutes, a running time that seems a lot longer than it actually is.
For children under 10, Planes will work a treat but for anyone over that age, or for adults who will inevitably be dragged into to see this, it’s definitely sub-standard for Disney.
A big disappointment…
