CARS 2: A Klunker?

I wanted so badly to like it...I went in with low expectations too. I even talked my 16 year old son into going with to see it. I was also hoping to see something new and original in the PIXAR short series. The opening cartoon...HAWAIIAN VACATION revisited the TOY STORY 3 characters...it was ok. We did see this in 3D too..it was ok also (I would hate to own a 3D TV set with the things you would have to buy to watch on it).

CARS 2 has a SPY theme (One of my favorite genres) BUT right from the starting line I could see this was going to be a YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE type of film and not the GOLDFINGER, one would expect from PIXAR. Lots of racing and explosions BUT very weak on story. The first CARS film was sweet, because it focused on not passing life by via ROUTE 66 and took place mostly in RADIATOR SPRINGS with a sweet story line. This story was confusing and I think it was about MATER and LIGHTNING McQUEEN's friendship BUT I am not sure and it featured lots of racing and explosions inbetween and never reached the quality of the first. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't even know who many of them were. It was not clear. If I am not clear, how can it be clear to children? I have never had the urge to leave during a PIXAR film...until today.

Maybe DISNEY has too much of it's hand in the PIXAR films now. Maybe there are too many people and ideas running around to make a simple and sweet story there anymore. Less is more. I am still scratching my head. I am one of PIXAR'S biggest supporters!

After watching the previews and trailers, I think it is still safe to say PIXAR is still leaps and bounds ahead of it's competition. I am worried now though. There is a CGI CHIPMUNKS 3 coming out?!?!?*&^%$ SMURFS was insulting to the intelligence too. They even had a commercial for yet another new cartoon show on CARTOON NETWORK (MARBLES?) that looked like a first grader designed it.

I want to say good things about modern day Hollywood BUT they make it so hard :(