Flying in familiar territory, "Planes" is still silly fun
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| Disney's "Planes" |
"Planes" isn't anything groundbreaking in terms of animation or storytelling, but it is predictable, silly fun for the young set and only has us longing for the next great Pixar film. A spin-off set in the world of Pixar's "Cars," "Planes" may not soar in terms of originality but its charm carries it through its more calculated moments. Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook) is a small-town cropdusting plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer, but must overcome his lack of racing skills and fear of heights. Dusty's courage is really put to the test when he competes in the big race with help from his friends. From Walt Disney's DisneyToon pictures and directed by Disney employee Klay Hall, the energetic, entertaining "Planes" is best for young kids though it seems second-rate comparatively speaking. It lacks the wit and originality of a true Pixar effort, though Pixar's John Lasseter, the man responsible for "Cars," is executive producer and is given story credit here. Some his clever Pixar-ian touches are evident, especially if you pay close attention to the background landscapes (hint: they're all planes) and there are some colorful moments in this journey along with a peppy score by Mark Mancina, who scored some of the songs from Disney's mega-hit "The Lion King." The voice cast seemingly has a good time, with serviceable work from Cook and veteran Stacey Keach as the leads, though second-tier actors and comedians Cedric the Entertainer, Brad Garrett, Gabriel Iglesias, Sinbad, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus all contribute some amusing moments as well; even Brent Musburger as his "Cars" doppleganger Brent Mustangburger is cute too. "Planes" is lightweight but silly, late-summer clean fun for the young set, and should be a modest hit (and a sequel is already planned), though it could've easily gone its originally-planned straight-to-DVD route and done just as well.
Wes's Grade: B-
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