Film Review: Planes: Fire and Rescue

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Planes: Fire and Rescue. Rated G (some scary scenes). 84 minutes. Directed by Bobs Gannaway. Written by Bobs Gannaway and Jeffrey M Howard. 

Verdict: An excellent, but much darker, follow-up to Disney’s wonderful world of Planes. 

In this sequel to Planes (2013), Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook) is spending his post-race glory in relative peace and quiet amongst his friends in Propwash Junction. But when his gearbox fails at high altitude and cannot be repaired or replaced, Dusty’s days as a world champion racer are suddenly numbered. 

Realising that he might never be able to race again, Dusty flies to Piston Peak National Park to learn how to become a certified fire-fighting plane. And when lightning creates a monster firestorm in the national park, Dusty learns that his daredevil racing heroics also have a place in his newfound career.

Like Planes, Mark Mancina’s fantastic score and the cavalcade of planes, cars, trucks and trains are superbly realised, with the 3D camerawork simply exceptional during the many aerial sequences. Gannaway captures not only the vast aerial sweep of the story, but also the sequences of powerful drama that some of the younger audience members might find a little overwhelming.

Gannaway and Howard’s action-packed screenplay certainly doesn't shy away from reaching for dramatic highpoints, and once the firestorm well and truly takes hold of Piston Peak National Park, there are very few places where either we, or the characters, can hide.

Setting the better part of the story in a National Park’s fire and rescue facility provides the animators with countless opportunities for wonderful environments and characterisations, with the Native American firefighting helicopter Windlifter (Wes Studi) an inspired piece of character design.

Planes: Fire and Rescue is often a breath-taking film to experience, and the young ones will more than likely love it for its vivid colour palette and its determination not to be patronising or condescending on any level.

This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.