Planes 2013

James Rocchi, MSN Movies: "Planes" borrows a world from "Cars," but even compared to that soulless exercise in well-merchandised animated automotive adventure, "Planes" is dead in its big, googly eyes and hollow inside. Read more

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: "Planes" is for the most part content to imitate rather than innovate, presumably hoping to reap a respectable fraction of the box office numbers of "Cars" and "Cars 2," which together made hundreds of millions of dollars. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: It's engaging enough, driving home the familiar message of following one's dreams and the less hackneyed theme of facing one's fears. But it feels far too familiar Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: Has the look and feel of Pixar's 2006 hit, "Cars," if not the latter's charm or strong story. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: "Planes" is so overrun with broad cultural stereotypes that it should come with free ethnic-sensitivity training for especially impressionable kids. Read more

A.A. Dowd, AV Club: It's the cinematic equivalent of those Chinese knockoff luxury sedans. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: "Planes" was originally scheduled to be released straight to video. Although the smallest children might like bits and pieces of it, there's nothing in the movie that suggests why Disney strayed from its original plan. Read more

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: Seems ... like a lesser version of what may be Pixar's two weakest efforts, the "Cars" movies. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: "Cars," with planes. And some cars. And a truck or two. Read more

William Goss, Film.com: A visually colorful but otherwise vanilla continuation of the series. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: Despite the more aerodynamic setting, this Cars 3D offshoot emerges as an uninspired retread. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: As with "Cars," the world of "Planes" feels safe. A little too safe, perhaps. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: If "Planes" were a reasonably priced download, you'd gladly use it to sedate your kids during a long car ride. As a theatrical, 3-D release, however, "Planes" will sedate you, too. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Strictly by the numbers, from the believe-in-yourself moral to the purely predictable ending. Read more

Jordan Hoffman, New York Daily News: The jokes in "Planes" are runway flat, and parents will likely reach for the air-sickness bag. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: A charmingly modest low-budget spin-off from Pixar's "Cars'' that provides more thrills and laughs for young children and their parents than many of its more elaborate brethren. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: A zippy little programmer designed to exploit the same vehicles-as-people formula as the Cars franchise. Read more

David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: Has all the hallmarks of a straight-to-DVD project - inferior plot, dull writing, cheap drawing - perhaps because it was intended for the bargain bin at Target, Walmart, and Costco. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: Many will enter theaters thinking this is a Pixar film, with the raised expectations that accompany that mistake. But even cynical animation fans will see there's quality here. After a little turbulence, "Planes" comes in for a nice landing. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: While the plotting is rather pedestrian, the humour mostly lame, what makes Planes a stand-out experience - not surprisingly, based on Disney's vast and impressive history of animated classics - is the visuals. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: As shameless an attempt by Disney to sell more bedspreads to the under-10s as Planes is, it nonetheless manages to be a minor lark that will at least mildly amuse anyone who ever thrust their arms outward and pretended to soar over the landscape. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: An endearing enough David-and-Goliath tale, aimed squarely at younger kids. Read more

Keith Uhlich, Time Out: Strangest is the film's tendency toward racial stereotyping, which comes off as breezily silly at best and downright insensitive at worst (Cedric the Entertainer voices a Southern-accented laze-about biplane named Leadbottom). Read more

Amy Nicholson, Village Voice: Allegedly next on the assembly line: Trains and Boats. All aboard? Do we have a choice? Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: It's not terrible, but it still feels like a waste. Read more

Jen Chaney, Washington Post: This film is 100 percent devoid of surprises. It's the story of an underestimated underdog that's like every other kid-friendly, life-coachy story about an underestimated underdog. Read more