Planes: Fire & Rescue (July 18, 2014)

I have the dubious distinction of having watched the first Planes movie in theaters. I went into the showing with low expectations for the film, but I left pleasantly surprised. It was by no means a great movie and was derivative of Cars (which is a far superior film) but it held my attention and I enjoyed the aerial perspective of the planes. I was surprised how fast this sequel was put together as I did not believe the first film, released in 2013, did particularly well. This series is the quintessential cash grab, having been created on account of the success of the Cars franchise. Unfortunately, they do not add much in the way of additional lore or worldbuilding besides some additional vehicle types. Additionally, neither film was produced by Pixar, which you can tell by the inferior quality. Focusing in on this sequel, the plot is that Dusty’s (a former crop-duster, turned racer) gearbox is failing and there is no replacement. This means he can no longer race or risk crashing. He instead has to shift gears and decides to become a firefighting plane. This could have been an interesting concept on the surface but, as it is presented, it is a rehash of the first cars film. I was extremely disappointed as I found the similarities between the two films piling up and, as such, I cannot recommend watching this film (although the firefighting sequences were well done). I wish Disney had focused on a separate plane instead of continuing with Dusty as it would have allowed this film to stand on its own while exploring the intense world of firefighting.

Final Rating: 3/10