History YMMV / Cars2

* [[SugarWiki/AwesomeArt Awesome Animation]]: While it's not a masterpiece story-wise, it's ''gorgeous'' to look at. The international locales of the ''Cars'' world (Tokyo and Italy especially) are vibrant, and the opening sequence is especially praised for how well directed the action is as well as setting the tone of the film.

* ContestedSequel: While the film is often seen as [[{{Sequelitis}} worse than the first film]], some audiences prefer this film for being SoBadItsGood and having genuinely spectacular fight scenes unlike the fairly mundane and slow first film.

* FridgeLogic: UsefulNotes/ThePope as a car (albeit a fictional one, not Benedict XVI) makes a brief appearance. As people have pointed out, that would imply that there's a car version of Christianity, with its own Jesus Christ (or [[JustForPun "Jesus Chrysler"]]). How would he even have been crucified? How do cars pray? Was there a car version of UsefulNotes/TheCrusades or UsefulNotes/TheSpanishInquisition? Given that the Popemobile has a glass shield, did a Pope in that world also suffer a murder attempt?

---> '''Lemon Kingpin''': They laughed at us, but now it's our turn to laugh back. [...] Embrace your inner Lemon. Let it drive you. [...] This was meant to be alternate fuel's greatest moment. After today, everyone will race back to gasoline and we, the owners of the largest untapped oil reserve, will become the most powerful cars in the world! [...] They will come to us and they'll have no choice! Because they will need us. [...] And they will finally respect us. So, hold your hoods high. After today, you will never again be ashamed of who you are! [...] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Long! Live! LEMONS!]]

** The Lemon mastermind's speech, coupled with his filtered voice and the footage of the Grand Prix racers exploding and crashing, is a legitimately powerful and intimidating moment for the otherwise pathetic and incompetent villains. [[spoiler:[[RewatchBonus Knowing the fact that]] the mastermind is Axelrod is particularly unsettling, as he founded the Grand Prix to willingly risk the lives of its contestants, and is now shamelessly gloating over it]].
---> '''Lemon Kingpin''': They laughed at us, but now it's our turn to laugh back. Embrace your inner Lemon. Let it drive you. This was meant to be alternate fuel's greatest moment. After today, everyone will race back to gasoline and we, the owners of the largest untapped oil reserve, will become the most powerful cars in the world! They'll come to us and they'll have no choice, because they will need us. And, they will finally respect us. So, hold your hoods high. After today, you will never again be ashamed of who you are. Long live Lemons!

* TheScrappy: [[spoiler:Sir Miles Axelrod]], the HiddenVillain. Though he's definitely a character that we're [[HateSink meant to root against]], the character is one of Pixar's most unpopular villains due to a lack of memorability as well as an utterly nonsensical plan. [[spoiler:Creating a fake alternative fuel solely to sabotage it and make the idea of alternative fuel look bad is not only ridiculously impractical and convoluted, but comes off as especially pointless due to the film's implication that alternate fuel isn't even being used that much yet]], and when Mater figures out that [[spoiler:Axelrod]] is the mastermind, many viewers have expressed both surprise and frustration that ''[[TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight he was actually right]]''. It doesn't help that the film already has an entertaining villain in the form of Professor Z, who is ultimately relegated to TheDragon in favour of the far less charismatic [[spoiler:Axelrod]].

** Between the racing theme, the SpyFiction elements, on-screen deaths, gratuitous of violence and firearms and some of the most terrifying and bloodthirsty villains Pixar has to offer, this film is essentially Pixar's closest thing to an animated adaptation of ''Franchise/TheFastAndTheFurious''... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs on steroids]].

* SpiritualAdaptation: Between the racing theme, the SpyFiction elements, on-screen deaths, gratuitous of violence and firearms and some of the most terrifying and bloodthirsty villains Pixar has to offer, this film is essentially Pixar's closest thing to an animated adaptation of ''Franchise/TheFastAndTheFurious''... [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs on steroids]].

** The movie makes a lot more sense if you consider it as a feature-length adaptation of "Mater's Tall Tales," a series of shorts which aired on Disney Channel between the two films in which Mater would tell Lightning a tall tale, only for Lightning to not believe him and be disproved by the end.
** The movie is sometimes called "a Creator/DreamWorksAnimation film made by Pixar" ([[TakeThat which isn't a compliment]]) and "a film made by Creator/DisneyToonStudios if John Lasseter didn't ban direct-to-video sequels".

** The movie is sometimes called "a Creator/DreamWorksAnimation film made by Pixar". [[TakeThat That isn't a compliment.]]
** The movie is called "a film made by Creator/DisneyToonStudios if John Lasseter didn't ban Direct-To-Video sequels".

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lETI7XgGBBc "Collision of Worlds" by Brad Paisley and Robbie Williams]] is a meaningful rock song set in a perspective of taking a WorldTour and explores the themes of CultureClash, including verses [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage comparing American and British terms]]. It's the first song played in the credits.

* MemeticMutation: "DADGUM THEY DUN HIT THE PENTAGAWN!!!"[[labelnote: Explanation]]A [[https://twitter.com/defconcity/status/1520780258974351362?s=20 tweet]] made in response to the [[FridgeHorror realization]] that the September 11th attacks occurred in the ''Cars'' universe. The tweet depicts Mater shouting the titular phrase with a screencap of him using a bidet in the Japanese bathroom. The tweet was later [[https://youtu.be/1UeR7T1X43w dubbed]] with a sound-alike voice actor.[[/labelnote]]

* CriticalDissonance: The sequel has been not very well received by critics, yet loved by its target audience of kids. It also has a lot of appreciation from older Pixar fans who felt it was the BreatherEpisode they needed after the last three successive tearjerkers. In addition, many who grew up watching the movie as kids look back on it fondly enough that they're often baffled to learn it was disliked.

* FridgeLogic: UsefulNotes/ThePope as a car makes a brief appearance. As people have pointed out, that would imply that there's a car version of Christianity, with its own Jesus Christ (or [[JustForPun "Jesus Chrysler"]]). How would he even have been crucified? How do cars pray? Was there a car version of UsefulNotes/TheCrusades or UsefulNotes/TheSpanishInquisition?
** And then, the fact that the Popemobile has a glass shield indicates that a Pope in that world has also suffered a murder attempt.

* StrangledByTheRedString: Holly Shiftwell considers herself Mater’s girlfriend at the end of the movie even though neither of them have had any interactions that would imply romantic attraction to each other. They haven’t even been on a proper date by the time the movie ends!

* OlderThanTheyThink: While this film is certainly BloodierAndGorier than both its predecessor and successor, the first film did have one FamilyUnfriendlyDeath in the form of Chick Hicks getting ''blended to pieces'' by Frank in {{McQueen}}’s nightmare. The difference is that it was just a nightmare and the death wasn’t really played seriously.

---> '''Lemon Kingpin''': They laughed at us, but now it's our turn to laugh back. Embrace your inner Lemon. Let it drive you. This was meant to be alternate fuel's greatest moment. After today, everyone will race back to gasoline and we, the owners of the largest untapped oil reserve, will become the most powerful cars in the world! They'll come to us and they'll have no choice, because they will need us. And, they will finally respect us. So, hold your hoods high. After today, you will never be ashamed of who you are. Long live Lemons!

--> '''Lemon Kingpin''': They laughed at us, but now it's our turn to laugh back. Embrace your inner Lemon. Let it drive you. This was meant to be alternate fuel's greatest moment. After today, everyone will race back to gasoline and we, the owners of the largest untapped oil reserve, will become the most powerful cars in the world! They'll come to us and they'll have no choice, because they will need us. And, they will finally respect us. So, hold your hoods high. After today, you will never be ashamed of who you are. Long live Lemons!

* CriticalDissonance: The sequel has been not very well received by critics, yet loved by its target audience. It also has a lot of appreciation from older Pixar fans who felt it was the BreatherEpisode they needed after the last three successive tearjerkers. In addition, many who grew up watching the movie as kids look back on it fondly enough that they're often baffled to learn it was disliked.

* TooCoolToLive: [[spoiler:Why would anyone cast Creator/BruceCampbell as a superspy just to kill him off? Not to mention that poor British spy crushed into a cube in the [[ActionPrologue beginning]]...]]

* OlderThanTheyThink: While this film is certainly BloodierAndGorier than both its predecessor and successor, the first film did have one FamilyUnfriendlyDeath in the form of Chick Hicks getting ''blended to pieces'' by Frank in {{McQueen’s}} nightmare. The difference is that it was just a nightmare and the death wasn’t really played seriously.

* CriticalDissonance: The sequel has been not very well received by critics, yet loved by its target audience. It also has a lot of appreciation from older fans who felt it was the BreatherEpisode they needed after the last three successive tearjerkers.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Rod "Torque" Redline, the spy [[spoiler: [[TooCoolToLive who gets blown up by the lemons early on in the movie]]]] has gained a fanbase for his style and [[CoolCar cool design]], as well as being voiced by Creator/BruceCampbell. His popularity even made him a playable character in the tie-in games.

* MemeticMutation:
** [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/this-nigga-eating-beans "I spilled baked beans all over myself watching Cars 2 in theaters & a black teenager shouted 'this nigga eating beans' & everyone laughed."]]
** [[IncomingHam SOY! FRANCESCO!]] [[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud FIAAAAAAAAAAAAUN!!!]] [[https://youtu.be/iE3kD4X_Fwg FRANCESCO! VIRGOLINIIIIIII!!!]]
** [[YourMom "Your mother.]] Oh no, I'm sorry, it was your '''''SISTER'''''. [[DeadpanSnarker Y'know, I can't tell them apart these days]]."

* SignatureScene:
** Lightning emerging from Ramone's paint booth in his redesign, complete with real working lights.
** The start of the World Grand Prix race in Tokyo.
** Mater trying on the many disguises.
** Lightning and Mater bumping tires following [[spoiler: Miles Axelrod's defeat]].
** [[spoiler: Mater being knighted by the queen.]]
* SignatureSong: "You Might Think" and "Collision Of Worlds".

* IdiotPlot: A common complaint leveled against the film's spy storyline is that it entirely hinges on Finn [=McMissile=], whom the film presents as a seasoned and highly competent secret agent, believing that [[HalfWittedHillbilly Mater]] is the American spy. Even when Mater shows no awareness of intelligence that he supposedly collected, causes constant setbacks for the mission, and even states ''multiple times'' that he's just an ordinary tow truck, Finn believes that Mater is just [[LostInCharacter extremely dedicated]] [[ObfuscatingStupidity to his cover story]], until the plot finally demands that he realise the truth in the third act.