Cars 2

Play trailer

2:10

Cars 2

G

2011

1h 47m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

40%

Tomatometer

216 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Racecar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his tow-truck buddy, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), have had their share of adventures together but nothing like what they experience when they head overseas for the first-ever World Grand Prix. While Lightning has his eye on the road to the championship, Mater takes a detour to international espionage when he meets British master spy Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer).

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Cars 2 is as visually appealing as any other Pixar production, but all that dazzle can't disguise the rusty storytelling under the hood.

Read Critics Reviews

Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

04/02/2019

2/5

The trouble with stuffing too much into a film quickly becomes evident in Cars 2, as the plotlines tumble and collide with each other creating, mostly, cacophony.

Go to Full Review

Leah Rozen

TheWrap

10/07/2011

Don't tell the kids, but Santa Claus isn't real and Pixar is fallible.

Go to Full Review

Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

07/22/2011

3/5

It is all quite jolly and fast-paced, a feast for the eyes, but there's not much for the mind or the heart.

Go to Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

07/17/2025

3/5

Cars 2 gives us a fun James Bond-style brainless plot that flat out entertains.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

03/12/2023

3/4

It may not live up to the usual sophistication associated with the animation studio, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad film.

Go to Full Review

Petrana Radulovic

Polygon

03/01/2021

It's all the delight of a spy movie, but with the added fact of Oh right, they're all cars!

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Abby A

@AABBYY 1d

It’s not THAT bad. The reason why I’m saying this is because the alt-rock spy score fits my musical category, and Mater is my favorite character because I relate to him plenty. I don’t care what others say about it being off-topic. I actually prefer the sequel over the rest of the franchise

See more

Alfredo P

@RT03403867 6d

I did quite enjoy movie from seeing the action and suspence going on. As well as seeing many different places in the world. Though making a movie that was brought inspired from Mater's Tall Tales might have been a bad idea to continue off a story after the first movie.

See more

Max B

@Socialism 6d

This is literally my favorite Pixar movie despite everyone saying it's trash.

See more

Kororia M

@RT23184159 Jul 10

While Cars 2 could've become a great sequel on discrimination and loving yourself, it definitely thought about the action more than the actual message. The story focuses more on an international spy adventure with Mater rather than on racing or the friendships that audiences had grown attached to. Lightning McQueen takes a smaller role, while the fast-paced plot can feel confusing and disconnected from the themes of the original film. Because of this shift in tone, the movie often feels more like a spy parody than a true sequel to Cars. Sir Miles Axlerod's reveal as the main villain can come across as boring, uninspired, and even a little silly because his motivations are underdeveloped and the twist isn't especially surprising or emotionally impactful. Overall, although Cars 2 has entertaining moments, I think it's the weakest film in not only the trilogy, but Pixar's overall line up of films.

See more

vince paolo V

@Vince-Paolo Jul 4

This movie is underrated in my opinion. The plot of the movie is crazy, scary, and crimes.

See more

Movie G

@Movieguy565 Jul 4

Guys, this movie is not bad! Idk why I always hear people call this the worst Pixar movie, which is bull shit!!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

John Lasseter

Director

Owen Wilson

Lightning McQueen

Larry the Cable Guy

Mater

Michael Caine

Finn McMissile

Emily Mortimer

Holley Shiftwell

John Turturro

Francesco Bernoulli

Cars

74%

80%

Cars

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Cars

Cars 3

70%

69%

Cars 3

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Cars 3

Finding Nemo

99%

86%

Finding Nemo

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Finding Nemo

The Fox and the Hound 2

20%

44%

The Fox and the Hound 2

Watchlist

Curious George

70%

70%

Curious George

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

All Pixar Movies Ranked From Best to Worst

Poll: Which Pixar Sequel Would You Like to See Next?

Box Office Guru Wrapup: Cars 2 Finishes First

Cars 2: Trailer 3

2:10

Cars 2: Trailer 2

1:26

Cars 2: Trailer 1

2:31

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Racecar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his tow-truck buddy, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), have had their share of adventures together but nothing like what they experience when they head overseas for the first-ever World Grand Prix. While Lightning has his eye on the road to the championship, Mater takes a detour to international espionage when he meets British master spy Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer).

Director: John Lasseter
Producer: Denise Ream
Screenwriter: Ben Queen
Distributor: Walt Disney, Pixar Animation Studios
Production Co: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 24, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS