PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE

US, 2014, 84 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen, Curtis Armstrong, John Michael Higgins, Hal Holbrook, Wes Studi, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Stacy Keech, Cedric the Entertainer, Barry Corbin, Regina King, Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller. Fred Willard, Erik Estrada, Patrick Warburton, Rene Auberjonois.
Directed by Roberts Gannaway.

A film for parents and children who enjoyed the two Cars films as well as the original Planes. This will be an enjoyable outing, possibly better than the other three films.

But, for one thing, it depends on audience ability to accept cars and planes and other vehicles as the equivalent of human beings, talking in the same way, doing the same things, particularly idiosyncrasies, and, of course, the heroism of winning.

Actually, the anthropomorphism is a strange experience. Here are obvious-looking cars and planes, and vehicles old and new (perhaps that should be ‘younger’) who substitute for human beings, not in the was animals do when they can talk and laugh and cry, but here are machines who are human! Most of this is done, quite effectively, with eye movements and some brow movements. Then there are the slits or other openings in the planes and vehicles which can be the equivalent of mouths. And, off they go, tearing along the highway, sweeping through the air amidst forests and mountains, having parties and refuelling with gasoline, off to a tourist resort for holidays, and even doing line-dancing.

Dusty Cropduster was the hero of the first film, a little plane, coming from behind to win races, eventually becoming the champion of the world, doing a complete circling of the world. Now he is back home, the champion and well-liked, revelling in his fame, but what is Dusty to do in his old backwater town, despite all the encouragement of his old friends, The Skipper, Mayday and that whizz at fixing machines, Dottie.

Something has to happen to keep the film going, so what does happen is that Dusty finds that his bearings have gone. If he goes too fast and energetically, he will crash. Unfortunately, his type of engine is now out of date and so there is little hope for replacement.

In the meantime, with Dusty unable to do his flying, his hometown will be unable to cope with security and repairs at the annual Corn Festival. Will Dusty save the day and the Festival? (Obviously that is a completely superfluous question!).

What Dusty does is to go off to another town to join the firefighting force. He is more than a little arrogant, relying on his reputation (which they all admire) but too ashamed to tell anyone that his bearings have gone. He undergoes the training, with the demanding Blade Ranger as well as the Native American plane, Windlifter. It certainly is not as easy as Dusty had thought and he doesn’t do too well with his training, being too presumptuous, and being careful with his engine bearings.

While the film is in the air, it is quite exhilarating, wonderful flying sequences, through mountains, over rivers and, eventually, in the firefighting sequences. Once again, Dusty is too presumptuous and does not work effectively as a team member, even crashing into a river and having to be pulled out by Blade Ranger.

In the meantime, a very vain and fussy bureaucrat car has arranged a meeting at a resort, full of cars, and in the presence of the Secretary of the Interior. The bureaucrat will take no advice, ignoring the advancing fires so that he can finish his speech, only to find that the danger is real and there has to be a huge evacuation, even cars on a railway station getting into a train to take them to safety, others going by road and stranded on the highway. Small vehicles have to be parachuted into the danger area to clear the roads and the lines.

By this stage we are so identifying with the planes and cars that we are in danger of forgetting that they are not human beings! Needless to say, but saying it nonetheless, Dusty comes good, does a heroic rescue of a romantic couple who are on a bridge reminiscing about when they met and then stranded needing action while the bridge collapses under them. And they are rescued.

The animation is bright and colourful, the flying sequences and the fire sequences very effective, and there is a very good voice cast led by Dane Cook as Dusty, Ed Harris as Blade Ranger, Stacy Keach as The Skipper, Wes Studi as Windlifter.

Not the greatest of animation films, but very enjoyable in its own way.

1. The popularity of the Cars films? Of Planes? An enjoyable sequel?

2. The brightly coloured animation? The forest location photography? The old town? The fires and the action? The flight sequences? The views of the forests by the planes? The firefighting, the targets in the forest, the buildings, the bridge, the rescues?

3. The visualising of the planes, the reliance on their eyes and brows, the various slits and spaces for mouths? The different personalities of the planes? The voice cast?

4. The anthropomorphic aspects of the planes? No humans to be seen? The plains and the vehicles being so humanised that audiences accept this, the look and personalities, their interactions, their activities, at home, getting old, needing fixing, the picnics and the fuel, the line-dancing, the audiences for the Festival, the guests at the tourist resort, filling the train, the escape of the cars, being held up on the highways by the fires…? Musical score?

5. The further adventures of Dusty Crophopper? His past achievements? The town proud of him? His friendship with the crew? Dotty and her ability to fix things? The old-timer, Mayday, and the need for upgrading? The Skipper and his experience and advice?

6. Dusty and his flying, the bearings, effect on his intention, his having to land dangerously, Dotty and her verdict, the difficulty of getting the new part? Dusty and his initial inability to accept this?

7. The town, needing proper vehicles for the Festival? Dusty and his decision to help with the firefighting?

8. The training for firefighting, Blade Ranger and his demands, speeches? Dusty and his not really responding well? Windlifter and his Native American personality, accident and advice? The other members of the team, Lil dipper doting on Dusty, the repair vehicles? The requirements for firefighting? Dusty and his unwillingness to tell people the truth about his bearings?

9. The obsequious official, the resort, his speech, ignoring the planes’ advice, ignoring the fire, the Secretary of the Interior? The tourist vehicles? The parallel with humans on holidays?

10. The range of fires, the material to suppress them, the flying boat apparatus, the ability to draw in the water? The teamwork for dousing the fires?

11. Blade Ranger and his puzzles about Dusty? Giving orders? Going under the bridge? Working as a team for conquering the fires? Blade Ranger wanting to forbid Dusty from working?

12. Dusty, his determination, his seeing all the planes in action, the parachuting of the repair vehicles, their work with the stranded cars, the train with all the cars within, fixing the line so that the train could go through?

13. The couple, on the bridge, remembering their meeting? The rescue, their being winched to safety with the bridge collapsing?

14. The dangers of the fires, Dusty and his fall, in the river, the waterfall, rescued by Blade Ranger?

15. Dusty, his final heroism, its being recognised? The good news about the new engine and its being installed? The town able to have the Corn Festival?

16. A colourful and cheerful entertainment for the whole family?