Film review: even with a clichéd plot, Planes 2: Fire and Rescue offers a valuable shift in theme
The opening frame of Planes 2: Fire and Rescue dedicates the animated work to the bravery of firefighters.
PLANES 2: FIRE AND RESCUE
Voiced by: Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowe (English version)
Director: Roberts Gannaway
Category: I (English and Cantonese versions)
The opening frame of Planes 2: Fire and Rescue dedicates the animated work to the bravery of firefighters.
That, for the most part, sets the tone for this sequel to last year's hugely popular Planes. While the first film was all about competing, this incarnation is more about community and banding together for the betterment of others. It is a valuable shift in theme and sensibility.
In Planes 2, champion racer Dusty Crophopper (voiced again by comedian Dane Cook) is first seen swooping over fields in his typically carefree style. But he finds out shortly after that his gearbox is severely damaged, and he will have to stop racing. The scene is surprisingly powerful, presented like a human malady, and adding a layer of reality to this family movie.
A fire at the airfield (started unwittingly by Dusty as he endeavours to defy doctor's orders), which trusty but old fire and rescue truck Mayday (a genial Hal Holbrook) is unable to effectively put out, results in Dusty signing up to become a firefighting plane, pontoons and all. At that point, he has to shift gears, as it were, and it's a transition many of the adult viewers will recognise: involving a necessary change, an early retirement, a sudden termination of a beloved sport, a readjustment and a recalibration.