The Argument: The finale of Cars 2 sees the bad guys attempting to kill Lightening McQueen. Their initial plan is to use a deadly video camera to heat the eco-fuel he's using, but when that fails they go to Plan B; blow him up with a bomb. Said bomb is inside Mater, who is trapped in Big Bentley (shudder) about to be killed by its gears. The only way Mater gets near McQueen is by defying the villain's plan and escaping. It's a convoluted, narrative-serving plan that doesn't stand up to scrutiny, near or far. Pixar's spy sequel to their 2006 toy spinner is full of these sorts of nonsensical plot elements and, with Larry the Cable Guy's Mater the lead, is woefully light on laughs. Some people would argue that in having a go at it for that we're being too harsh; it is just a film for kids after all. Why It Doesn't Work: We could have picked any questionable kids film for this entry, but Cars 2 is best because there's some immediate examples of why this school of thought is wrong. Pixar had crafted its lofty reputation exactly because its movies appealed to children, their parents and just about anyone else; the previous two films from the studio had not only proved a box office hit, but also got nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Cars 2 may have skewed younger, but that's no excuse for a bad movie.
