Cars 2

It is the sequel to Cars (2006), the second film in the Cars franchise, and the 12th animated film from the studio.

The film was directed by John Lasseter (in his final outing as director of a Pixar film to date), co-directed by Brad Lewis, produced by Denise Ream, and written by Ben Queen, Lasseter, Lewis, and Dan Fogelman.

In the film’s ensemble voice cast, Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Bonnie Hunt, and John Ratzenberger reprise their roles from the first film. George Carlin, who previously voiced Fillmore, died in 2008, and his role was passed to Lloyd Sherr.

They are joined by newcomers Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard, and Thomas Kretschmann.

In the film, Lightning McQueen and Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix which promotes a new alternative fuel called Allinol, but Mater accidentally becomes involved in international espionage that could determine both his and Lightning’s fate.

Cars 2 was first announced in April 2008 with a tentative 2012 release date, making Cars the second Pixar film to spawn a sequel after Toy Story (1995), as well as becoming a franchise.

Lasseter was confirmed to be returning as director, while Lewis was designated as co-director in June 2010.

The film’s story was conceived by Lasseter while he was traveling around the world promoting the first film. Michael Giacchino composed the film’s score, with artists such as Weezer, Robbie Williams, Brad Paisley and Bénabar contributing tracks for the film.

This was the final Pixar film animated with their old software system, Marionette, before being officially replaced with Presto in 2012. With an estimated budget of $200 million, Cars 2 is one of the most expensive films ever made.

Cars 2 premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 18, 2011, and was released in the United States on June 24, in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D as well as traditional two-dimensional and IMAX formats.

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, Cars 2 continued Pixar’s streak of box office success, grossing over $559 million worldwide, becoming the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2011 and the highest-grossing film of the Cars trilogy.

The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 69th Golden Globe Awards, but lost to The Adventures of Tintin. A sequel, Cars 3, was released on June 16, 2017.

He witnesses the lemons, seemingly led by weapons designer Professor Zündapp, loading an electromagnetic pulse generator, disguised as a TV camera, onto a shipping crate.

After discovering Turbo’s death, Finn’s presence gets exposed to the lemons but he escapes by faking his death.

After winning his fourth Piston Cup, Lightning McQueen returns to Radiator Springs to spend his off-season with his friends.

Italian formula race car Francesco Bernoulli challenges Lightning to participate in the World Grand Prix, an international three-race event created by former oil tycoon Sir Miles Axlerod, who intends to promote his new environmentally friendly fuel, Allinol.

Lightning and his best friend Mater — along with Luigi, Guido, Fillmore, and Sarge — depart for Tokyo, where the first race takes place.

At a World Grand Prix promotional event, Mater makes a scene after eating wasabi and seemingly leaking on stage, embarrassing Lightning.

While cleaning up, Mater interrupts a fight between American spy Rod “Torque” Redline and lemons Grem and Acer.

Redline plants his tracking device on Mater, causing Finn (who was supposed to meet him to receive information about the oil rig plot) and his associate Holley Shiftwell to mistake Mater for the spy. Meanwhile,

Redline is captured and killed by Zündapp, who reveals that Allinol ignites when hit with an EMP. He informs his superior, an unknown mastermind, that Redline passed on his information. Holley and Finn find and recruits Mater to stop Zündapp’s plot.

During the race, three racers are ignited by the camera. Lightning places second in the race after Bernoulli, due to miscommunication with Mater, who was evading Zündapp’s henchmen.

Mater is abducted by Finn, and they escape from the lemons in his jet, Siddeley. After traveling to Paris to gather intel from Finn’s old friend Tomber, they head to Porto Corsa, Italy, where the second race takes place.

During the race, Mater infiltrates the lemons’ meeting, just as the camera ignites some more racers, causing a multi-car pile-up, while Lightning wins. Due to controversy over Allinol’s safety, Axlerod lifts its requirement for use in the final race in London.

When Lightning decides to continue using it, the lemons plan to kill him in the race. This spooks Mater, and accidentally blows his cover, causing him, Finn, and Holley to be captured and tied up inside Big Bentley, where he admits to them that he is not the spy they think he is.

When the race starts, Lightning takes the lead before passing Big Ben, but the camera was inexplicably defective on him.

The lemons tell Mater that they planted a time bomb in Lightning’s pits as a backup plan, spurring him to escape. Finn and Holley later escape but realise that the bomb was fitted on Mater’s air filter instead.

As Mater flees down the track, Lightning pursues him to apologize for his outburst, while Finn apprehends Zündapp.

The other lemons arrive and outnumber Finn, Holley, Mater, and Lightning, but they are rescued by the other Radiator Springs residents and Sarge’s colleagues in the British Army.

Mater and Lightning go to Buckingham Palace, where Mater exposes Axlerod as the mastermind, proven when the latter uses his voice to deactivate the bomb.

It is then revealed that the World Grand Prix was Axlerod’s cover-up to turn the world against alternative fuels, and he leaked in Tokyo, for which Mater was blamed.

After Axlerod and the lemons are arrested by the London police, Mater receives a knighthood from the Queen, and he and Lightning reconcile.

Back in Radiator Springs, as Mater tells everyone about his experience, Fillmore reveals that Sarge has swapped Allinol with his organic fuel, explaining the camera’s ineffectiveness on Lightning.

A “Radiator Springs Grand Prix” is held, featuring the World Grand Prix contenders. Finn and Holley invite Mater to go on another mission, but he decides to stay in Radiator Springs.

While his weapons get confiscated, he keeps the rockets and speeds off with Lightning, just as Siddeley speeds into the distance.