Planes: Fire & Rescue

[Scar]

I'm disappointed that there aren't as many animated films coming out in theaters this summer. Isn't summer usually the time that animated films rely on for support from the kids staying at home during their vacation from school? I think the only other animated film coming out is that new Legends of Oz movie.

[eddievalient]

Unfortunately, I think Oz is going to be a victim of bad timing. Between X-Men, Spider-Man, Godzilla and Maleficent all coming out the same month, it's very likely to get buried.

[Ben]

Having seen the "quality" of Oz, I must say I find that most *fortunate*...!

And, for the record, I have mentioned that I didn't think Frozen was "all that". It has its moments, but structurally it's all over the place.

Despite the money they make, I am actually pretty despondent about the shape of feature animation at the moment.

[Buzz Bumble]

ComingSoon.net has a new trailer ... sort-of ...

A Planes: Fire & Rescue Clip Shows Its CHoPs
Walt Disney Pictures has released a new clip from their upcoming Planes: Fire & Rescue, opening in 3D and 2D theaters on July 18. This one's a bit different from the clips we've seen in the past, however, as it shows off a faux television show that exists in the world of the film. CHoPs stars Blazin' Blade Ranger and Nick Loopin' Lopez (appropriately voiced by Erik Estrada). Check it out at ComingSoon.net!

We had Cars and Planes, so when are we getting Trains and Ships? And when is the Thomas the Tank Engine creator going to sue them?

[Dacey]

Disney has really been ramping up the marketing for this one as of late, apparently trying to make this seem like the animated "event" of the summer after Dragon 2 (unfortunately) more or less underperformed.

If the kids like it, then fine, but I literally have next to no interest in this one...and I say this as someone who actually kinda enjoyed the first Planes!

[James]

We posted an article about this recently. I think what they might be hoping for is a big hit by default since everything else has kind of sputtered and nothing else is coming after it for awhile.

[Ben]

Plus it has the Cars/Planes/Disney branding and comes but a year after the first, so lots of recognition awareness out there.

(BTW, the original creator of Thomas The Tank Engine, W Audry, died a long time ago.)

[Buzz Bumble]

Yep, I really meant those making the Thomas TV shows. Of course there is an even more obvious rip-off in the show Chuffington.

[EricJ]

Disney has really been ramping up the marketing for this one as of late, apparently trying to make this seem like the animated "event" of the summer after Dragon 2 (unfortunately) more or less underperformed.

If you're comparing it to how Disney suddenly had to boost-promote "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" as the Family Event of the Summer after Brave made a quick unexpected exit, it's not quite that.
(Only DW core fans and gullible BO analysts were expecting Dragon 2 to be the "event" of the summer, most of the mainstream audience were unpersuaded.)

It's more a case that Disney was genuinely surprised that their August "dump" of the first movie was so well received, they wanted to make the late post-season doldrums family film more of an established event while they had the chance this time around, before their own Marvel movie showed up for marketing competition. (Where the Planes movie would normally be, in August.)
Still haven't caught the first movie on B3D, but thought I might unexpectedly catch the second on an impromptu shopping trip to the mall 'plex. Given the word of mouth on the first one, I can go in relative safety despite knowing almost zero past the title and the plot setup.

[Dacey]

There was every reason to assume that Dragon 2 would fly higher than it did. The original was a leggy word-of-mouth hit back in 2010, sold very well on DVD, and had a fairly popular TV series to keep the characters in audiences' minds as they waited or the sequel. Add to that that it's really the only major animated movie to come out this summer, and that reviews and buzz going in were incredibly strong, so it made sense to think that the movie would make at least $200 million. I was honestly expecting it to be the biggest movie of the summer, but I guess no one was counting on Maleficent to be as big as it was.

And you and I remember Brave's $237 million box office take very differently.

[EricJ]

And having seen said movie on said impromptu mall trip, it IS pretty good--
Wouldn't say "best" good (as one critic pointed out, there's an awful lot of talk for a movie about talking vehicles), but there's more focus on the action than the wacky international-stereotypes of the first "race" movie, and although I still have yet to rent that one, I'd agree with the critics who called this "better".
And as for action, the scene where

a lightning fire sends the rescue team on their first scramble, and we hear the AC/DC guitar riff to "Thunderstruck"

can teach certain other studios a few good lessons about how to use corny overexposed-soundtrack songs in a kids-CGI movie.

I won't say "I can't understand" the wave of murderous post-Cars2 venom toward the Planes franchise ("It's a conspiracy! They're just dumping their video movies in our theaters, to continue corrupting the innocent!"), but I will say I can't sympathize with it:
Even if the ToonStudios spinoffs are Pixar just "sleepwalking" through the Cars franchise, well, Pixar's got their character-pathos and care for the subject matter (check out the director interview on the front page) so down to a science, they CAN do good movies in their sleep.

[Ben]

Timothy Green freaked me out.

[James]

AV review:
http://animatedviews.com/2014/planes-fire-rescue-film

[Dacey]

Hal Holbrook is in this thing?! That's news to me!

[Randall]

Even here in Europe (on vacation right now), there are big ads for F&R everywhere, which I find bizarre.