Planes: Fire and Rescue Review

Planes: Fire and Rescue

All passengers please head to your local theaters; Dusty Crophopper is ready for departure. The sequel to the DisneyToon’s film “Planes” has arrived. Dusty has been enjoying his life as a world famous air racer, but when an internal injury almost leads to a fatal crash, he decides to shift gears (so to speak) and train to become air firefighter. Along the way, he meets Lil Dipper, a hyper plane and his biggest fan and his no-nonsense trainer Blade Ranger. In addition to learning new techniques necessary to his new assignment, Dusty also learns the different between racing and being a firefighter- it takes speed to win a race but it takes courage to be a hero.

For most of us, when we hear the words “Disney sequel” we usually raise an eyebrow and wonder if it will live up to the original. In the case of “Planes: Fire and Rescue”, it does a decent job. While the plot could be viewed as a typical “I can do anything I set my mind to” story, I believe this story digs deeper. It addresses some important truths and underlining themes, such as having to leave the past behind and move forward and that sometimes, in the face of tragedy, the best thing we can do is learn from it and apply the lessons to our new path. John Lasseter and his brilliant story team have once again given us an amazing story that doesn’t just entertain us but inspire us. In the first film we see Dusty realize his dreams, in this film, we see him realize his potential. We see him, in a sense, mature from a simple dreamer to a brave and mature hero. In terms of animation, the same beautiful animation we saw in the first film is there once again and for those of you who are wonder if it’s worth seeing in 3D, in all honesty, you will receive the same level of quality in both formats. The only complaint about this film was, while the lessons were appropriate, I felt the tone of the picture was a little dark. The whimsical element of the first film isn’t there and there are some moments in the films where you feel as if the hero may not make it. I was also surprised by one statement made in the film (you’ll have to see it to find out which one I’m referring to). Rest assured it wasn’t inappropriate, just a statement that, in my opinion doesn’t belong in a Disney film. Aside from those two elements, the film overall is enjoyable and is sure to leave the audience wondering what will happen next in Dusty’s story. So from the Mickey Mouse Movie House, the film receives a B+. 

- Marc