Towing Mater

     In Cars II, Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), Lightning McQueen's tow-truck best friend from Radiator Springs, takes center stage.  Mater joins Lightning (Owen Wilson) on his trip to Tokyo, Italy, and London to compete in three separate World Grand Prix races.  While in Tokyo, small town native, simple-minded Mater embarrasses his famous race car friend with antics such as mistaking wasabi for pistachio ice cream.  This ignorance and provincial mindset is the center of the flick's comedy.  The jokes were funny, though many young children would not pick up on them.
     Later on, Mater gets mistaken for a canny American spy by secret agent Finn McMissle (Michael Caine) and his partner, Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer).  So, Mater gets pulled into helping to dismantle a worldwide coalition of terrorist cars.  This latest Cars film's action adventure plot line is pleasantly surprising and amusing, but also somewhat confusing.
     Film composer Michael Giacchino's (Up, Ratatouille) soundtrack was ultimately disappointing.  The music towards the beginning of the movie was gripping or enchanting, depending on the mood of the scene, but after about the first two songs, the soundtrack pretty much just blended in with the rest of the movie.  It was  unnoticeable and definitely forgettable.
     Perhaps Cars II's best characteristic was its animation.  The cars are charming; the Japanese girls look the part, with flowers on both sides of their heads, and the queen of England looks utterly comical in her crown and powdered wig.
     Overall, the second Cars movie really showcases Mater's great personality.  It has a lot of humor, heart, and action.  There's something there for everyone.