During the Cars 2 video game press event last week, director John Lasseter was asked by a member of the audience whether Cars 2 would be a film that the entire family would be able to watch together. She said that she had watched the first film with her children dozens of times and she did not worry about the content of the film. However, given the amount of weapons and action that has been seen in the trailers for the sequel, she stated that she was worried that Pixar was going to make its first film that would not be appropriate for all ages. In response, Lasseter insisted that the studio was not changing its approach and that the upcoming film would be fine for the old as well as the young.
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This seems to be a question asked by many who have seen the trailer footage for Cars 2. The film is a spy story, so inevitably the film has to feature more weapons and action than the first film, because the original’s “slow down and enjoy life with friends” theme did not allow for it. Even the opening of the sequel film has a darker aspect to it, which will likely let the audience know that Pixar is serious about doing a spy film.
However, Lasseter said that the footage that the world has seen so far has focused on the action that will be in the film. Referencing the emotional openings for Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3, and Up, he said that Pixar has not shied away from dealing with death and serious themes in their films, but the films’ creative teams have never lost their drive to highlight the character development and the heart that makes the film enjoyable for every age group. That has not changed for Cars 2, he said, and will not change for their upcoming films.
Finally, in response to the question of how much action will be in Cars 2, Lasseter said that it will be no more than what was present in The Incredibles. For those that remember The Incredibles (and if you don’t, watch it again because it is amazing), it is a masterpiece at pacing and balancing the action and character development. If Cars 2 can even approach the greatness of The Incredibles, then we will be getting quite a great film.
Cars 2 drives into theaters on June 24!
