Planes: Fire and Rescue (2014)

29 August 2014 First film of choice at the Plaza Dorchester tonight - Planes 2 - Fire and Rescue. Those who know me know that I am passionate about aviation and animation, so put the two together add a tub of popcorn and I'm in heaven. Another splendid offering from the mighty John Lasseter at Disney, Planes, like cars before, has a play on ordinarily life but this time with an aviation slant. There are planes doing human jobs, all the buildings, signs, billboards, restaurants etc are all designed to accommodate all kinds of aircraft from single turboprop, airliners and the large rotating blades of the helicopters. When Dusty Crophopper - air race champion - is found to have a gearbox problem he thinks his racing career is over and he goes to Piston Peak to train as a firefighter. He meets a whole new gang of planes - each with their own huge personalities and he goes through many highs and lows to achieve his goal. The best lines from the film were from the parachuting groundcrew who when told by their transport plane ' I never understand how you can jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane' replied - 'It's okay we are just jumping out of you!' A good soundtrack too, look out for the line dancing fork lift trucks, and at the beginning of the film I spotted a British airways airliner in the crowd.

Fmovies: It was great to see a true kid movie that was still entertaining for adults. The movie was well geared towards young kids, with age appropriate themes, just the right amount of tension, and a solid story. A much more cohesive movie than Cars 2 and a different style story from either of the Cars movies or the 1st Planes. In truth, my kids would have loved to see another racing movie as they love cheering Dusty or Lightning McQueen on, but as the parent, it was nice to see a different story line. This is not a movie I'd seek out as an adult without young kids, but tagging along with them was a fun time for all. The tribute and dedication to actual firefighters was a nice touch as well, adding some depth to a kid fair. Some reviews have criticized the film for lack of depth, intensity, detail of animation, etc., etc. Those reviews are misplaced as the movie is not aiming to be Citizen Kane or art house fair. Its a young kids movie, plain and simple, and its a good one at that. Nothing wrong with being a good kids movie that is aiming to only please kids. My kids loved it and could care less if the frame rate matched that of Frozen or Toy Story.

Dusty Crophopper is now a successful famous air racer. He returns to Propwash Junction to promote the upcoming Corn Festival. His gearbox malfunctions and there are no replacements. His racing career is over. He recklessly pushes to the limits and crash lands at the airport. Old fire truck Mayday barely is able to put out the resulting fire. Government inspectors put the airport on notice. They need another firefighting vehicle. Dusty decides to get certified as a firefighter.

I like the start of this movie a lot. I like Dusty's problem. I really like Mayday. I don't really like the move away from Propwash Junction. First it feels unlikely and unwarranted. Also it's just better to stay with some of the characters especially Mayday. The fire and firefighters could easily come to Propwash Junction. The stakes would be elevated if his hometown is threatened with destruction. The fire fighting scenes are quite exciting and a vast improvement over the first movie. This is generally a better movie than the first. It's rare but I think this movie is too short. There is a straight to video quality to this that better writing could solve.

Planes: Fire and Rescue fmovies. I love this movie and the first one. I don't care if it's made for kids; I'm 30 years old and have a great time with these movies!

What really makes me love them so much is Dusty. He is a kind, caring character who never puts himself before others. The voice work is really good as well, as are the aerial shots. The filmmakers go to a lot of trouble to depict the flying sequences with as much realism as possible.

The plots are pretty basic, but that's okay. This isn't The Lion King or How to Train Your Dragon level of story-telling, it doesn't need to be.

I want to see more adventures with Dusty and his friends. I hope they are making a third one!

What a funny and entertaining film! I did not know what to expect, this is the fourth film in this vehicle's universe with the two Cars movies and then the first Planes movie. I was wondering if maybe Disney pushed it a little bit. However, Planes: Fire and Rescue is an entertaining film that is a fantastic sequel in this magical franchise. The story isn't about just one topic. This is a little bit of humorous romance and also a lot of action. They make some pretty funny jokes while adding a little sprinkle of drama and a great message for the kids as well. The story starts when Dusty sadly learns that a key component in him is broken and he thinks he will never race again. When a fire breaks out in his airport, they realize the town needs a second firefighter. Dusty steps up to the plate and goes into training. If you want to find out what happens and if he becomes a firefighter, you have got to watch the film. What a great add-on to the series; the jokes are perfect. Julie Bowen (Lil' Dipper) is funny through the end. Also, there are a lot of great messages and a lot of references to things in real life. However, this film is very predictable. Ten minutes in, I knew the ending, so it probably would be more captivating for a younger audience. Also, Planes: Fire and Rescue is very similar to the last three films. There is a challenge, a serious character and some comedy. Other than that, the voices are well done and they even changed a Native American folk tale into the version of vehicles just for this film! Very clever! My favorite scene is when Dusty first arrives at the firefighting station for his training. He is introduced to some Smoke Jumpers, cars that parachute into the fire to tackle fallen trees and save wildlife. One nearly takes off his head and the other two introduce themselves. Once they all get acquainted, the first fire breaks out and cars and planes all get into action in a well-choreographed manner! This is a kid's film and nothing really is here that parents should be worried about. I recommend it for ages 3 to18. Even kids that don't understand it will enjoy the bright colors. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars for great jokes and a fantastic story line, even though a bit predictable. Reviewed by Gerry O, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

I do not understand why everyone is so down on this movie. The story is original - talking planes fighting forest fires - can't recall that being done before. The animation is top notch. The characters are funny. The movie went really quick....which is a good thing in my mind. There were NO political messages as was the case with the Cars movies. They could have easily spun a global warming message with the fire fighting but didn't go there.

Be sure to sit through the credits to find what happens to the park administrator. This movie is much better than Planes and almost on par with Cars II.