Planes 2

29 August 2014 First film of choice at the Plaza Dorchester tonight - Planes 2 - Fire and Rescue. Those who know me know that I am passionate about aviation and animation, so put the two together add a tub of popcorn and I'm in heaven. Another splendid offering from the mighty John Lasseter at Disney, Planes, like cars before, has a play on ordinarily life but this time with an aviation slant. There are planes doing human jobs, all the buildings, signs, billboards, restaurants etc are all designed to accommodate all kinds of aircraft from single turboprop, airliners and the large rotating blades of the helicopters. When Dusty Crophopper - air race champion - is found to have a gearbox problem he thinks his racing career is over and he goes to Piston Peak to train as a firefighter. He meets a whole new gang of planes - each with their own huge personalities and he goes through many highs and lows to achieve his goal. The best lines from the film were from the parachuting groundcrew who when told by their transport plane ' I never understand how you can jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane' replied - 'It's okay we are just jumping out of you!' A good soundtrack too, look out for the line dancing fork lift trucks, and at the beginning of the film I spotted a British airways airliner in the crowd.

Presenting itself as an episode, and not a sequel was key for Disney - Pixar in releasing Fire and Rescue. The subject, by all appearances in the trailer, sounded more like a children's TV show than a hour plus experience. As such, expectations of viewers are adequately set low for this pseudo sequel. Following the old adage, promise low, deliver high, Planes Fire and Rescue does just that; it promised little, and delivered more, showing that they may have learned from the lackluster cars 2.

The key here is that they delivered more, not to be confused with being great, and with sober expectations, can be enjoyed for what it is; a warm and fuzzy story for kids that is relatively content safe and funny. Strengths include revisiting a consistent portrayal of their source material, which is growing expansive. As such there are nods, often irreverently funny, to some of the recognizable entities in their other films. Rusteeze medicated bumper ointment and Dusty's former employer's pungent fertilizer make a return, one even justifying a short film on the Blueray/DVD release.

When looking at the plot itself, the writers come harrowingly close to undermining the basic point of the first film. By the end of the movie, they have corrected the deviation, though only by resolving things through the most obvious of manners. This resolution was so glaringly obvious that my own small children complained they could see it coming, though this shouldn't detract from the journey of getting to the end, which is a visual spectacle. They may have gone a little overboard on the fire, but the concern for Dusty is the anchor that keeps you engaged throughout the film.

With a significantly smaller story, and an ever ready abundance of new characters, this movie is sure to delight the small child audience for which it is intended, though sacrificing the depth of the original. Parents should know that there is more innuendo in this film, and like the original also contains several stereotypes that may offend. These include an native Indian helicopter and an inappropriately behaved fan who is present through most of the film.

Planes: Fire and Rescue is about second chances. Dusty is a hot shot plane until one day he is at a crossroads in life, so he decides to join the world of fire rescue. Filled with a cast of fun characters this movie touts on bravery and the forgotten machines that protect us during unexpected natural disasters. In this case it is fire. There is a little bit for everyone, excitement, romance, and team work. This movie is cute and has a fun story line. The animated characters give a reality to the behind the scenes of fire fighting. It also gives you a boast on the optimism of new opportunities. No matter what happens you are able to reinvent yourself and be a part of the team. Colorful and enigmatic Planes: Fire & Rescue make you ready to take on a life of adventure.

Dusty Crophopper is now a successful famous air racer. He returns to Propwash Junction to promote the upcoming Corn Festival. His gearbox malfunctions and there are no replacements. His racing career is over. He recklessly pushes to the limits and crash lands at the airport. Old fire truck Mayday barely is able to put out the resulting fire. Government inspectors put the airport on notice. They need another firefighting vehicle. Dusty decides to get certified as a firefighter.

I like the start of this movie a lot. I like Dusty's problem. I really like Mayday. I don't really like the move away from Propwash Junction. First it feels unlikely and unwarranted. Also it's just better to stay with some of the characters especially Mayday. The fire and firefighters could easily come to Propwash Junction. The stakes would be elevated if his hometown is threatened with destruction. The fire fighting scenes are quite exciting and a vast improvement over the first movie. This is generally a better movie than the first. It's rare but I think this movie is too short. There is a straight to video quality to this that better writing could solve.

I had great expectations for both "Planes" and "Planes: Fire and rescue". Both were letdowns! Neither film had the humor, heart and charisma that have characterized previous Pixar films. Ever since Disney bought out Pixar I have noticed a distinct decline in the quality of films made under the Disney Animation Studios logo. Disney has, in my opinion, ignored great Pixar directors like Andrew Stanton, Pete Doctor, and Lee Unkrich. These directors have made the best animated films on the planet and Disney doesn't use them! I have also noticed much of the production work is done in India with Indian animators and production staff. Is there a reason for this? I am not saying they are worse or better than animators in America. They are good. Disney needs to bring back Andrew Stanton, Pete Doctor and Lee Unkrich.