| Planes | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Klay Hall |
| Screenplay by | Jeffrey M. Howard |
| Story by |
|
| Produced by | Traci Balthazor-Flynn |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | Jeremy Milton |
| Music by | Mark Mancina |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures[a] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $50 million[2] |
| Box office | $240.2 million[2] |
Planes is a 2013 American animatedsportscomedy film produced byDisneytoon Studios, and a spin-off ofPixar'sCars franchise. The film stars the voices ofDane Cook,Stacy Keach,Priyanka Chopra,Teri Hatcher,Brad Garrett,Julia Louis-Dreyfus,Roger Craig Smith,John Cleese,Carlos Alazraqui,Anthony Edwards,Sinbad, andVal Kilmer. In the film, Dusty Crophopper, a crop duster plane in the town of Propwash Junction, wants to complete the Wings Around the Globe racing challenge, despite hisfear of heights, with the help of naval aviator Skipper Riley.
The film was directed byKlay Hall and written by Jeffrey M. Howard. In developing a concept created byJohn Lasseter, the writers made a conscious effort to avoid remakingCars in a new setting, while reusing Keach and Danny Mann's characters from theCars Toons short"Air Mater". The production team conducted research by interviewing several pilots of plane types that were included in the movie.Jon Cryer was initially announced as the voice of Dusty, before being replaced by Cook. Despite dropping out, Cryer received credit on the film for "additional story material". The musical score was composed byMark Mancina, whilePrana Studios provided work on visual effects, animation and compositing.
Planes premiered on August 2, 2013, atEAA AirVenture Oshkosh, a gathering of aviation enthusiasts. It was initially intended to be released as adirect-to-video film, but was instead released theatrically on August 9, 2013. It received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $240 million against a $50 million budget. A sequel,Planes: Fire & Rescue, was released in 2014.
Dusty Crophopper, a youngcrop duster plane, works at a cornfield in Propwash Junction,Minnesota, and practicesaerobatic maneuvers in his spare time. He dreams of becoming a racer but is scorned by his boss, Leadbottom, and hisforklift mechanic friend, Dottie. However, he is supported by his fuel truck friend, Chug; Dusty and Chug train for qualifiers for the upcoming Wings Around the Globe Rally. On the night before the qualifiers, Dusty asks an elderly navy war plane named Skipper Riley to teach him to fly well, but Skipper declines. The next day, Dusty barely qualifies on alegal technicality.
Skipper eventually decides to mentor Dusty, and discovers Dusty has afear of heights. With training complete, Dusty travels toNew York City for the race. There, he befriends a Mexican racer named ElChupacabra, who falls in love with a French-Canadian racer named Rochelle but consistently fails to woo her. Three-time defending champion Ripslinger dismisses Dusty. Dusty falls in love with an Indian plane named Ishani, who becomes supportive of him. During the first leg of the race from New York toIceland, Dusty's refusal to fly high causes him to finish in last place.
During the second leg of the race to Germany, Dusty shows good sportsmanship by saving another racer,Bulldog, from crashing, gaining his respect but finishing last again. After the third leg of the race toAgra inIndia, Ishani invites Dusty to fly around theTaj Mahal and advises him to fly low through theHimalayas by following some railroad tracks. After flying through a tunnel, Dusty is in first place atUpper Mustang inNepal, but he is upset to discover that Ishani set him up in exchange for a new propeller from Ripslinger's team, and he shuns her.
The fifth leg is overthe Hump (the mountains between northeast India and south China) toShanghai, where Dusty gets into first place again. He manages to help El Chupacabra win over Rochelle with a romantic song. In the sixth leg of the race across the Pacific, Ripslinger has his sidekicks Ned and Zed break off Dusty's navigation antenna. Lost and low on fuel, Dusty comes across the USSDwight D. Flysenhower, the naval base of Skipper's squadron, the Jolly Wrenches, which allows him to land. On the carrier, Dusty discovers that contrary to Skipper's own descriptions, he only flew one mission during war. Before he can obtain answers, a thunderstorm strikes, and he is forced to depart by the carrier crew. However, he ends up crashing into the Pacific Ocean and is severely damaged.
Dusty is salvaged and transported toMexico where his concerned friends are also present. Skipper confesses his entire squadron perished when he was coaxed to lead an attack by one of his fighters on a recon mission; he never flew again after the navy salvaged him. Dusty considers dropping out of the race, but is encouraged to continue by many of his fellow competitors, who donate parts to repair the damage he sustained. Ishani also gives Dusty her new propeller, reconciling their friendship.
Racing back to New York, Ripslinger plots to finish off Dusty again but is thwarted by Skipper, who regains his courage to fly. Dusty conquers his acrophobia when he rides ajetstream. Nearing the finish line, Ripslinger slows for the cameras, which allows Dusty to pass him at the last second and win. Dusty is congratulated by his friends, and Skipper thanks him for giving him the confidence to fly again. Dusty and Skipper visit theFlysenhower, where the former is inducted as an honorary Jolly Wrench in recognition of his victory. The two are launched off and decide to race back to Propwash Junction.
Planes is based on a concept created byJohn Lasseter.[16] AlthoughPixar did not produce the film, Lasseter, then-chief creative officer of both Pixar andWalt Disney Animation Studios, and director ofCars andCars 2,[17] was also the executive producer of the film.[6] The writers made a conscious effort to not remakeCars in a new setting, rejecting ideas that were too close to ideas inCars while reusing the characters Skipper and Sparky fromCars Toon episode"Air Mater", withStacy Keach and Danny Mann reprising their roles.[18] The team also conducted research by interviewing several pilots of plane types that were included in the movie.[18]Jon Cryer was initially announced as the voice of the main protagonist Dusty,[17] but later dropped out and was replaced byDane Cook.[3] A modified version of the teaser trailer for the film (featuring Cook's voice in place of Cryer's) was released on February 27, 2013.[19] Cryer did however receive credit on the film for "additional story material", along withBobs Gannaway.[20]Prana Studios provided work on visual effects, animation and compositing.[21]
Planes was originally set to be released in North America as adirect-to-video film in Fall 2013,[23] while having a theatrical release in Europe.[24] However, in December 2012 Disney announced that the film would be released theatrically.[25] This was the firstDisneytoon Studios film released theatrically in North America sincePooh's Heffalump Movie eight and a half years earlier in 2005.
The film premiered on August 2, 2013, at a special screening at The Fly-In Theater atEAA AirVenture Oshkosh, an annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts inOshkosh, Wisconsin.[26] Along with the special screening of the movie, Disney brought a real life Dusty to be part of the activities. The real life version of Dusty was anAir Tractor AT-400A piloted and owned by agriculture pilot Rusty Lindeman.[22] The film was theatrically released on August 9, 2013,[25] when it was also screened at theD23 Expo inAnaheim, California, a biennial convention for Disney fans.[27]
Planes was released byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD,Blu-ray andBlu-ray 3D on November 19, 2013. Blu-ray bonus features include "Franz's Song", an alternate sequence produced exclusively for the Blu-ray and HD digital releases, the featurette "Klay's Flight Plan", which follows directorKlay Hall's personal journey during the making of the film, two deleted scenes with introductions by the director and producer, character interstitials, and "Top Ten Flyers", a countdown of history's greatest aviators hosted byColin Cowherd.[28]
Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported a 26% approval rating with an average rating of 4.60/10 based on 121 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Planes has enough bright colors, goofy voices, and slick animation to distract some young viewers for 92 minutes -- and probably sell plenty of toys in the bargain -- but on nearly every other level, it's a Disney disappointment."[29] Another review aggregator,Metacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 39 based on 32 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[30] However, the film earned an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale from audiences polled byCinemaScore during the opening week.[31]
Peter Hartlaub of theSan Francisco Chronicle gave the film two and half stars out of four, saying, "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."[32] Alonso Duralde ofThe Wrap gave the film a positive review, saying, "As shameless an attempt by Disney to sell more bedspreads to the under-10s asPlanes 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."[33] Justin Chang ofVariety gave the film a negative review, saying, "Planes is so overrun with broad cultural stereotypes that it should come with free ethnic-sensitivity training for especially impressionable kids."[34] James Rocchi ofMSN Movies gave the film one out of five stars, saying, "Planes borrows a world fromCars, but even compared to that soulless exercise in well-merchandised animated automotive adventure,Planes is dead in its big, googly eyes and hollow inside."[35] Michael Rechtshaffen ofThe Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying, "Despite the more aerodynamic setting, thisCars 3D offshoot emerges as an uninspired retread."[36] Jordan Hoffman of theNew York Daily News gave the film one out of five stars, saying, "The jokes inPlanes are runway flat, and parents will likely reach for the air-sickness bag."[37]
Bill Goodykoontz ofThe Arizona Republic gave the film two out of five stars, saying, "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."[38] David Hiltbrand ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film one out of four stars, saying, "The animated film 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."[39] Jen Chaney ofThe Washington Post gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying, "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."[40] Rafer Guzman ofNewsday gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying, "IfPlanes 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."[41] Neil Genzlinger ofThe New York Times gave the film two out of five stars, saying,Planes is for the most part content to imitate rather than innovate, presumably hoping to reap a respectable fraction of the box office numbers ofCars andCars 2, which together made hundreds of millions of dollars."[42]
Bruce Demara of theToronto Star gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "While the plotting is rather pedestrian, the humour mostly lame, what makesPlanes a stand-out experience — not surprisingly, based on Disney's vast and impressive history of animated classics — is the visuals."[43] Claudia Puig ofUSA Today gave the film two out of four stars, saying, "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."[44] Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "As withCars, the world ofPlanes feels safe. A little too safe, perhaps."[45]Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film a C, saying "Planes moves along quickly at a running time of 92 minutes, occasionally taking flight with some pretty nifty flight sequences. The animation is first-rate, and the Corningware colors are soothing eye candy."[46]
Tom Keogh ofThe Seattle Times gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "Though not officially a Pixar production, the newPlanes — released by the beloved animation studio’s parent company, Disney — has the look and feel of Pixar's 2006 hit,Cars, if not the latter's charm or strong story."[47] Stephen Whitty of theNewark Star-Ledger gave the film two out of four stars, saying, "It's strictly by the numbers, from the believe-in-yourself moral to the purely predictable ending."[48]Owen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film a B, saying, "WhatPlanes lacks in novelty, it makes up for with eye-popping aerial sequences and a high-flying comic spirit."[49] A. A. Dowd ofThe A.V. Club gave the film a D+, saying, "Planes cuts corners at every turn, a strategy that leaves it feeling like the skeletal framework of an incomplete Pixar project."[50] R. Kurt Osenlund ofSlant Magazine gave the film one out of four stars, saying, "The film feels second-rate in every sense, from the quality of its animation to its C-list voice cast."[51] Dave Calhoun ofTime Out gave the film three out of five stars, saying "Planes isn’t a Pixar film, even if it’s related to one (Disney bought Pixar in 2006), and there’s nothing groundbreaking about the animation or script. That said, the characters and story still offer low-key charms."[52]
Planes, despite negative reception, grossed $90,288,712 in the United States and Canada, and $149,883,071 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $240,171,783, and was a box office success.[2] The film opened to number three in its first weekend, with $22,232,291, behindElysium andWe're the Millers.[53] In its second weekend, the film dropped to number four, grossing an additional $13,388,534.[54] In its third weekend, the film dropped to number five, grossing $8,575,214.[55] In its fourth weekend, the film stayed at number five, grossing $7,751,705.[56]
Planes was nominated to the BAFTA Kid's Vote for films at theBritish Academy Children's Awards.[57]
| Planes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | August 6, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Genre | Film score | |||
| Length | 53:24 | |||
| Label | Walt Disney | |||
| Mark Mancina film scores chronology | ||||
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In February 2012, it was revealed thatJames Seymour Brett would compose the film's score.[58] However, in May 2013, he was replaced byMark Mancina, who took over scoring duties.[59] The soundtrack was released byWalt Disney Records on August 6, 2013.[60]
Disney Interactive releasedDisney Planes, a video game based on the film, on August 6, 2013. It was released onWii U,Wii,Nintendo 3DS andNintendo DS.[61] A version forWindows PCs was also released on the same day.
A sequel, titledPlanes: Fire & Rescue, was theatrically released on July 18, 2014.[62][63]Bobs Gannaway, co-creator ofJake and the Never Land Pirates and co-director ofSecret of the Wings, directed the film.Dane Cook reprised his role of Dusty, and was joined byJulie Bowen as the voice of Lil' Dipper.[64] Rather than publishing anArt of book forPlanes, Chronicle Books publishedThe Art of Planes 1 & 2 alongside the sequel's theatrical release.[65] The music for the film was again composed byMark Mancina.[66]
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