Planes: Fire & Rescue opened in theaters nationwide last weekend.
The first movie, Planes, from Disney Toons, caught a little bit of flack. Of course, everyone compared it to Cars, and honestly, there’s no comparison. My son loved it and, to me, that’s all that mattered. The sequel did try to incorporate a little more adult humor. Several times during the movie, my son asked me why I was laughing.
Synopsis: “Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a new adventure-comedy about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world-famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire-and-rescue helicopter Blade Ranger (voice of Ed Harris) and his courageous team, including spirited air tanker Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter (voice of Wes Studi), ex-military transport Cabbie (voice of Captain Dale Dye) and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.
My five year old loved it. He told me it was “totally awesome”. I still think it’s aimed at the 8 and under set, but there’s a lot more action than the first film. Older kids will likely give it a better response than the original.
The characters are great. You can’t help but fall in love with the slightly psycho Dipper as she tries her best to impress Dusty.
The fire scenes are a bit intense. They didn’t seem to phase my son, but he did say that he thought his three year old sister would have been scared. I’d proceed with caution for kids three and under.
All in all, I give it two stars. I probably wouldn’t have paid to see it in the theaters, but it’s definitely worth the rental or the Blu-ray purchase for multiple viewings.
All Dusty Crophopper fans will leave happy.
Rated: PG Runtime: 78 minutes
I was invited to an advanced screening of this movie for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.
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