Review of Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014) by Kristin W — 05 Nov 2014

Planes: Fire and Rescue is quite possibly the most formulaic and predictable film of the year, due to some insanely poor writing and direction; ten year old children should be able to decipher the end result of the picture, as well as the events preceding it, well before half an hour into the running time, a poor excuse for a kids film. The animation, whilst sometimes outstanding, is often bland and one dimensional, lacking the details and scope of other 2014 animated films such as How To Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6 or The Book of Life.

The most disappointing component of the film is the voice work, which possesses little-to-no charisma in the slightest. Dane Cook's vocals are so bland and lacking enthusiasm, it feels as if he's simply showing up for a paycheck; Julie Bowen and Ed Harris prove but slightly better. Fortunately, the film sports a strong score from Henry Mancina, which adds emotional and character-related depth to a number of sequences, and the camerawork is in a few rare portions utterly outstanding, propelling you into the world of high speed flight, so the film is not a complete waste of time. Ultimately, though, it's too late for a film which lacks emotional gravity, as well as strong characterization or an original thematic centre.