“Kids” Film CARS 2 Is a Load of Big Oil Bashing
A friend of ours stayed the weekend with us and we decided to take our toddlers to see the new Pixar movie CARS 2.
After all, the first one was a classic enjoyed by millions, including the members of our households. The charm and nostalgia and sweet story of the original never led us to suspect anything nefarious about the sequel released Friday.
But it wasn’t far into the overly long film (Gingy and other kids were falling asleep left and right) that the film’s villain was revealed with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the head: BIG OIL.
Can you BELIEVE this? In retrospect, it’s obvious why an opening scene takes place on oil rigs out at sea. It’s the hideout and secret rendezvous point for the bad guys in the movie.
The plot involves an International race sponsored by a green fuel company (I am not kidding you!!). The protagonist “cars” from the original film reunite and several travel to Europe and Japan for the exciting challenge.
Only problem is the ulterior motive is to sabotage the race and “kill” cars to make it look like green fuels are bad and dangerous. And yes, it’s revealed that BIG OIL is behind the diabolical plan. Big Oil in the movie actually created a weapon to destroy cars in the race, all in the name of greed and control and to subvert the progress of greener, alternative fuels.
TALK ABOUT HEAVY HANDED.
We’d expect this to be the plot of a Michael Moore movie, not of a Pixar film.
How the creative geniuses, including director John Lasseter, could go from the innocence of the first film to the overly complicated, left wing paranoia and screed that the sequel was is beyond comprehension.
Wonder if Lasseter will limit the sale of franchise toys, games, backpacks, and plush car pillows in order to limit all that oil that the big 18 wheelers will be GUZZLING to deliver his products to the stores. If not, it’s the old proverbial DOUBLE STANDARD.
We plunked down FIFTY DOLLARS to see this movie (and that was matinee prices!!) and that doesn’t include the $30 at the concession stand that our friend treated us all to. So all in all almost $100 (and that was with 5 of our kids away!!) spent to be bombarded with left wing politics in a CARTOON.
PATHETIC. I was–and am–beyond angry and resentful. It’s flat out LAME that Pixar couldn’t come up with a plot to a kids classic franchise that didn’t involve Leftist, Environmental Fascist politics and policies in my opinion.
And not just in my opinion. Director John Lasseter, who has made tens of millions of dollars as the head of Pixar, ADMITTED in interviews that Big Oil was the villain in this film.
One of the reasons Pixar used to be so charming was that they came up with the most innocent tales for children of all ages to be in utter awe over. Look at the TOY STORY films. Plot? The evolution of a kid’s relationship with his toys and the feelings of the toys as they are slowly but surely left behind by a kid growing up. Sweet, sentimental, and honest. Their movie UP makes me tear up every time I watch it and is about a senior whose wife of 50 years dies and leaves him lonely and on a quest to fulfill her dream. Again, sweet…sentimental…honest.
The hint that this was changing was Pixar’s WALL-E, which was heavy handed as well.
For some reason, Hollywood liberals just can’t keep their politics, paranoia, angst, and chips on their shoulders out of their finished products. It’s getting worse and worse. Now it’s insidious enough to be the plot of a wildly successful ($68 million grossed and #1 at the box office in its opening weekend) kids movie.
Kids aren’t stupid. It’s a trickle down effect. Hmmmm. They may not understand Big Oil the way the filmmakers and other adults do. But they DO know that Big Oil was trying to KILL Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, two ICONS and FILMIC HEROS of a small child’s world.
And that’s not cool.
Why wasn’t Pixar more up front in their trailers that Big Oil would be bashed left and right? Maybe they were afraid that the MAJORITY of their audience who live in the REAL WORLD that is RUN on oil would be turned off and not take their kids to see it? Why make it look like a James Bond inspired action flick when it’s really about a left wing political message??
Shame on Pixar. Hopefully they will return to more innocent story lines with future films. But based on the opening weekend numbers and success of CARS 2, maybe the next project will wag its finger at nuclear power. Or Sarah Palin could be the villain! Maybe it could all be about the rich and the poor set up against a plot involving small, furry animals that would make instant plush toy classics!
LAME.
I focused on the whacko left wing storyline. I could write a separate blog just on the intensity of the VIOLENCE in CARS 2. They went from fender benders in the original to missiles and machine guns and KILLING cars and TORTURING them into giving information (thought liberals weren’t cool with that…oh wait…Big Oil was doing the torturing, so it’s ok to portray them that way). The kids who don’t fall asleep in this flick will be frazzled wondering if their favorite Mater survives the BOMB he’s been rigged with by the evil oil tycoons.
Please Pixar. Get back to your innocent roots. Hollywood doesn’t have a shortage of left wing diatribes and actors who can’t keep their mouths shut.
Please don’t become the Michael Moore for the kiddie crowd.