Planes: Fire and Rescue," which opens in theaters this weekend, helps resuscitate the "Cars"-inspired franchise of animated movies that started last year with "Planes."
The biggest difference is that the sequel has an original story line. Unlike "Planes," the movie does not position its lead character, Dusty Crophopper (voiced by Dane Cook), to again rehash the popular racing saga of Lightning McQueen. When my family saw that movie last year, most of us agreed it felt tired and predictable -- obviously, with good reason.