'Cars 2' Fuels Energy Debate With Green Theme

ABC News ^

[Blue Turtle]

Pixar Animation mastermind John Lasseter says the company has no environmental agenda, but with "Cars 2," the blockbuster outfit does tap into today's eco-mindedness with a plot driven by oil vs. a cleaner alternative.

Debuting in U.S. theaters Friday, "Cars 2" sends race car Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) on a World Grand Prix circuit whose organizer fuels the vehicles with a green alternative called Allinol, prompting the bad guys to try to discredit the new power supply that threatens traditional gasoline.

[SJSAMPLE]

I'm not sure conservation can be considered a "far, left-wing message". The imagery of an abused and discarded planet, along with multi-generational sloth and gluttony should make everybody uncomfortable. If Disney ever made a film with a point with which I wholeheartedly agreed, this would be it. And judging from the box office receipts and audience approval, I'd say they hit all the right notes.

[wac3rd]

I think the message was intended in Wall E to be Left Wing (trashing the planet, consumerism, etc.) but it turns out the honest, hardworking, dedicated and heart-on-his-sleeve, monogamous Wall E. is the hero.

It shows what the Nanny state ends up being, obese and uncaring morons who have no respect for themselves or their environment.

Have you seen a Section 8 housing project? Garbage, drugs, disrepair, illigitimacy, gangs and obesity.

[BelegStrongbow]

I’m very sorry to read this. One thing about Pixar: you really can’t tell anything about the film from the trailers for some reason. They all look terrible at that point. Then you go see them and mostly, they’re astounding.

That said, they’re showing more of the content of Cars 2 and if this is the good stuff, then the film reeks just on the basis of narrative. Animation looks ok, but with idiot subtext and stupid kid-level jokes, this one is worth missing even for free.

[BelegStrongbow]

I’m very sorry to read this. One thing about Pixar: you really can’t tell anything about the film from the trailers for some reason. They all look terrible at that point. Then you go see them and mostly, they’re astounding.

That said, they’re showing more of the content of Cars 2 and if this is the good stuff, then the film reeks just on the basis of narrative. Animation looks ok, but with idiot subtext and stupid kid-level jokes, this one is worth missing even for free.

[SJSAMPLE]

Excellent point.
I don’t know how the points of WALL-E wouldn’t resonate with conservatives.

[BelegStrongbow]

I’m very sorry to read this. One thing about Pixar: you really can’t tell anything about the film from the trailers for some reason. They all look terrible at that point. Then you go see them and mostly, they’re astounding.

That said, they’re showing more of the content of Cars 2 and if this is the good stuff, then the film reeks just on the basis of narrative. Animation looks ok, but with idiot subtext and stupid kid-level jokes, this one is worth missing even for free.

[ArrogantBustard]

In the DVD commentary, the creators of Wall-e are quite explicit about intending a leftist, radical environmentalist message.

"Epic Fail", IMHO.

Other messages seem much clearer, to me ... primarily the enervating effects of rampant nanny-statism. The humans ended up being less human than the robots created to serve them; they recovered their humanity only by completely rejecting the nanny-state cruise ship which had (almost) destroyed them.

[God luvs America]

i absolutely agree with conservation- Wall-E was not about conservation...WSJ had an interview with Lassiter last week in which he said the big oil is the big bad guy in Cars 2...

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/20/with-cars-2-john-lasseter-gives-a-franchise-a-tune-up/

[texaschick]

Thankfully, my 5 yr old grandson doesn’t want to see this movie anyway.

[Jim Scott]

I liked 'Cars' but it's a Hollywood movie (Pixar's physical location is irrelevant) and it's from Disney, so the eco preaching was almost inevitable. We know the communists always tried to capture young minds with commie propaganda as early as possible and now, the American left does the same, including influencing the making of animated films aimed at young kids with their parents money as a side benefit. To the Hollywood left: everybody wins! The producers (Pixar) and distributors (Disney) feel noble for 'educating' the kiddies about the evils of oil/gasoline while making millions in the process. That 'renewable' energy is a leftist fantasy is irrelevant. To the left, it's the good intentions that count. These folks don't live in reality. It's Hollywood.

[ArrogantBustard]

And yes, I've seen Section 8 projects.

I've also seen Indian reservations, and their equivalent in Canada.

Social disaster is the norm.

[RockinRight]

My son LOVES the first Cars movie. Call me skeptical, but I really think the idea of a Pixar film being indoctrination a bit of a stretch. It’s just a movie.

[netmilsmom]

>>Go see “Thor” - a fun story, great effects, good humor, no profanity or sex.<<

I went to see Thor with my 18-year-old niece and my daughters who are 13 and 11.

Drool flowed. That was a MAN on that screen. Not some girlie man but a REAL MAN.

Loved Thor!

[dfwgator]

This is probably the first real bad goof-up by Pixar, and I even liked Ratatouille. Disney fell prey to the lure of more toy sales, than considering if a sequel to Cars was a good idea.

Toy Story sequels worked, but really all of the other Pixar movies, really don’t lend themselves to sequels. As great as “The Incredibles” was, a sequel would not work.

[wac3rd]

Is that like Al Gore taking a private jet to an event decrying carbon?

[LibertarianLiz]

Give us a break, please!! I was looking forward to seeing this new episode since I enjoyed the first one so much - it had visual interest and a great story. I think I’ll skip this eco-sermon.

My eldest daughter is coming for a visit and wanted to see Cars2. My husband wanted to see it, too. I just sent him this article asking if he is sure he wants to see this.

My late father used to complain about "message" movies. "I don't want to sit through some message movie." I'm finding myself saying the same thing more often. I suppose it never occurs to these guys that part of the reason that the number of people have stopped going to movies is because you ruin them with "messages".

[Little Bill]

Ain't captured my Grandson, likes vroom-vrooms fast and furious. Every time my son does work on one of his trucks there is a set of size 11’s and a set of size ones under the vehicle.

[MrB]

If anything, it’s the “green movement” that is using thug tactics on everyone else to promote their agenda.

[tophat9000]

Is liberalism really just a form of “Peter Pan syndrome”?

[GOP_Party_Animal]

The imagery of an abused and discarded planet, along with multi-generational sloth and gluttony should make everybody uncomfortable.

I agree completely. Sloth and waste were the themes of Wall-E. Real happiness only comes when the characters work for their own reward. "Waste not, want not" comes from my Depression era parents and does not go hand-in-hand with Gaia worship and misanthropy that is the heart of environmentalism.

From the WSJ article, it's pretty clear that Lassiter is trying to make a political point in Cars 2 despite his claim otherwise in the OP. What a disappointment. I'll make sure my 5-year old understands this when we go to see it.