Well. This one seems a little self-explanatory.
Welcome back to another edition of Airport Cinema. This time, we look at an animations featuring planes: Disney’s 2013 film ‘Planes’ and its 2014 sequel ‘Planes: Fire and Rescue’.
The films are the inventively titled spin offs to the equally inventively titled Pixar ‘Cars’ film. They are commonly mistaken as a product of Pixar; the films were not in fact produced by the classic animation studio. They did come from a concept pitched by Cars director and former Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, but to give the series a fresh pair of eyes and to avoid similarities with the original film, production was moved to Walt Disney Studios.
The first film follows Dusty, crop duster plane with dreams of becoming a racer. Dusty’s design is inspired by Air Tractor AT-502, Cessna 188 and PZL-Mielec M-18 Dromader.
Frankly, I find this film very unsettling. The best way to enjoy the film is to not ask too many questions about the world the film is set it. Pull too hard on one thread and the whole plot unravels. Why is the lead character a cropduster? No one eats any food in the whole film! Do these planes eat food? HOW? How do these planes eat?
Attention to detail
Plane logic aside, the film plays close attention to the design of the aircraft, and a keen aviation enthusiast could take great joy in watching the film and working out what planes were used to inspire the design the vehicles.
The films 2014 sequel takes the plot in a different direction and explores the premise of the lead character becoming an aerial firefighter.
While the idea of having a film centred on this profession is one I would love to see more of, perhaps this series was not the one to take up that challenge. Steven Spielberg’s 1989 film ‘Always’ had a go at dramatising the profession, as did 2017s ‘Only The Brave’, but we are yet to see a great film about it. Surely it is only a matter of time.
That being said, ‘Planes: Fire and Rescue continues to pay the same close attention to detail as it predecessor did. If you’re an eagle-eyed plane lover, maybe check it out.
Perhaps this is the best way to go plane spotting without even leaving your home?
