Simon Dillon reviews the film

The unthinkable has happened. For the first time ever, a Pixar film has been released that is actually not very good. No, you are not misreading this. Nor is it the 1st of April. Nor is this a parallel universe. Cars 2 is, alas, a crushing disappointment.

Perhaps I'd better put this in perspective. The genius of Pixar has been that their films work on multiple levels. They are stunningly animated with amazing stories, memorable characters, chock full of laughter and tears, and even a modicum of social comment alongside the positive moral and spiritual messages. Like all the best stories, they appeal to people of all ages. For instance, Finding Nemo was all of the above because it provided children with a great message about overcoming fear, and adults with a great message about overcoming mollycoddling.

By contrast Cars 2 works only on the most basic level of being a mildly diverting picture for children. The animation remains stunning, and there are a few laughs and plenty of action for younger audience members, but that is about all that can be said in the film's favour. There is none of the poignancy, wit or insights into breakdown and burnout that made its predecessor so memorable (even though Cars was considered a disappointment by some - wrongly in my view). The original film was a highly personal project for its director John Lassetter because it dealt with something he went through himself, as well as his passion for automobiles. The totally unnecessary sequel feels like a calculated attempt to sell merchandise.

The story is all over the place. For reasons too convoluted to explain, Lightning McQueen's best friend Mater is mistaken for a spy during a World Grand Prix tournament which is taking place to promote a new environmentally friendly fuel. The spy aspect of the story mixes uneasily with another plot which sees the friendship between McQueen and Mater tested to the limit, and alongside this is yet another plot involving McQueen's rivalry with an Italian race car. In the end, this uneasy mixture means that everything feels half baked, and whilst there are plenty of cool gadgets and fast chases to distract the children, I suspect adults will be unimpressed.

The returning vocal cast - Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy et al - all do as well as they can with the material they are given, and Michael Caine is fun as British spy Finn McMissile. But although there is a real sense of the filmmakers throwing everything and the kitchen sink in for the sake of an entertaining show, it simply doesn't stick. Because the story doesn't work everything else falls apart. Also, there are none of the poignant moral/spiritual insights one has come to expect from Pixar films, beyond a very trite affirmation of the power of friendship.

For any other animation studio Cars 2 would be considered just about passable. For Pixar however, given the impossibly high standards they have set, it is just not good enough (especially considering the preceding Toy Story short has more laughs and heart than the main feature). Perhaps its best to discreetly overlook Cars 2 - after all, no-one is perfect - and hope for better things with next year's Brave.