Movie review 'Planes: Fire and Rescue': There’s nothing that stays with you after the film is over

Director: Roberts Gannaway

Cast (voiced by): Dane Cook, Julie Bowen, Ed Harris, Curtis Armstrong, Wes Studi, Stacy Keach, Dale Dye

Rating: Two stars

After watching the first installment of Planes, I was convinced that Disney would do a creative reassessment and move on to other projects. So when the new Planes was announced, I had almost no expectations. Sadly, even after watching the film, the sentiment really hasn’t changed.

Pixar’s Cars was one of its widely panned animation efforts and its sequel much more so. Cars was no Herbie, the definitive children’s film on an animated car, and what’s tragic is that Planes was no Cars either.

So with such a low benchmark we enter the world of Dusty Crophopper (voiced by Cook), an enthusiastic plane who loves a good race. Sadly for him, he gets his wings clipped in a mishap that blows his gearbox. A mechanic plane tells him that his speed needs to be curtailed if he wants to avoid coming crashing down.

Let down by the turn of events, Dusty chances upon Blade Ranger (voiced by Harris), a fire chief and his merrymen among whom are Lil’ Dipper (Bowen), a heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter (Studi) and cargo plane Cabbie (Dye).

The thrill of racing being a distant dream for Dusty, he gingerly goes about adapting to his new job of being a member in a fire squad. The need for speed gave him a risk-taking feeling, one that he feels again in this new assignment which comes with its own set of dangers. Dusty acquires newer skills and in the process learns to move on from his racing accident.

The visuals are stunning in parts but largely the movie fails to make you sympathise or even relate to Dusty. Good animation films make you feel a connect -- ironically – a very Disney style of filmmaking. The lines are riddled with predictable aircraft puns but lack the wit or humour that make these movies as much for kids as they are for adults. There’s nothing that stays with you after the film is over and it seems as random as Disney’s most random film Brother Bear.

There’s actually nothing wrong with the film but it does very little that feels right either. Go for it if you want to hide from torrential rains or if the power cut at home is driving you nuts.