Cars 2

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2:10

Cars 2

G

2011

1h 47m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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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).

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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.

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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.

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Leah Rozen

TheWrap

10/07/2011

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Abby A

@AABBYY 6d

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

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Alfredo P

@RT03403867 Jul 14

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.

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Max B

@Socialism Jul 13

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

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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.

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vince paolo V

@Vince-Paolo Jul 4

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

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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!!

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John Lasseter

Director

Owen Wilson

Lightning McQueen

Larry the Cable Guy

Mater

Michael Caine

Finn McMissile

Emily Mortimer

Holley Shiftwell

John Turturro

Francesco Bernoulli

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Cars 2: Trailer 3

2:10

Cars 2: Trailer 2

1:26

Cars 2: Trailer 1

2:31

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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