Disney’s Planes is in a lose-lose position. It’s going to be judged by everyone, not only critics, in the wrong light. The majority of critics were never meant to see this film as it was originally slated as a direct-to-video release and we all know the kind of effort that goes into most direct-to-video releases compared to even the worst films that make it to the big screen. On top of that, it’s a DisneyToons film, not a Pixar Animation film, and yet the fact it is marketed as existing in the “world of Cars” and has the initial appearance of being a spin-off direct from the makers of Cars it will be judged as, and assumed by many audience members to be, a Pixar film. It’s not and with all of this taken into consideration, to review it seems like a waste of time.
Planes is something of a Cars meets Turbo mash-up in terms of its narrative, but in no way does it resemble either in terms of execution. A crop duster named Dusty (Dane Cook) hopes to compete in a round-the-world race, but he’s a crop duster, how can he compete with planes designed for speed? How indeed!
Taking an approach similar to Cars, Dusty actually has the speed to compete unlike the snail in Turbo, but his issue is that he’s afraid of heights as he’s more accustomed to his low-flying crop-dusting duties than swirling in the tailwinds high above. This is merely a small detail and something for the character to overcome as the film plays out along with a few other obstacles thrown in Dusty’s way so as to avoid getting into any kind of particulars to suggest how the race is actually proceeding.
Due to a technicality during the time trials Dusty actually makes it into the race and thanks to the help of a veteran plane named Skipper (voiced by Stacy Keach) — essentially filling in for the role Paul Newman voiced in the original Cars — a brief montage suggests Dusty can now compete with the best despite his phobia. Then it’s off to the race, rivalries and alliances are made, blah, blah, blah…
The story is generic in every way and not at all meant to engage a thinking audience and I’m struggling to remember even the slightest attempt at humor, though it does manage to fit one fart joke in early, though I’m not sure that classifies as “humor”.
Beyond a script unconcerned with any measure of a layered story, Planes lacks additional attention to detail in that the animation is somewhere in that “good enough” range. It’s like comparing Playskool toys to Legos, the latter of which is hardly the work of architects, but still it’s more detailed than a three-year-old pushing a firetruck around the living room floor going, “Woo woo woo woo!”
Where most “bad” animated films are concerned, they typically target younger children around 8-10 years old, just on the cusp of knowing better, but still young enough to take some level of enjoyment out of minor diversions. Planes, on the other hand, is more of a film for the five-years-and-below crowd. If it’s still a concern your child may eat paste if it’s left out, or coloring within the lines is still an issue, then Planes may be a viable option. Otherwise, look out for bored kids in the seat next to you as you struggle to ensure they’re paying attention just as the youngster that sat near me during my screening.
However, like I said, the film can only be judged unfairly because how often are direct-to-video features put under the critical microscope? In the case of animated films they’re meant for audiences without a discerning bone in their body and the only reason Planes is even hitting theaters is because Disney saw the marketing and merchandising opportunity and there must be some sort of tracking they’re looking at as the sequel, Planes: Fire & Rescue, is already set for a July 2014 release.
I imagine screenings of this film will be a nightmare for the majority of parents as the target audience is simply too young to sit still in a movie theater long enough to let even this 92 minute film play out to its fullest. The characters are in no way fun or the least bit entertaining as this paint-by-numbers story satisfies only the simplest of beats before crashing to a conclusion.
