'The Little Cars in the Great Race' is among the worst of Video Brinquedo's (dubbed The Asylum of animation for a reason) consistently terrible output, where even when given a fair chance there isn't a single worthwhile title among them.
It would have to take a lot for 'The Little Cars: Rodopolis Adventures' to be worse, considering that it's a sequel and there are (despite very notable exceptions) not many sequels either equal to their predecessors or better. The good news is that 'The Little Cars in the Great Race' is still worse. The bad news is that 'The Little Cars: Rodopolis Adventures' had every opportunity to improve on its predecessor, but never does so and is actually almost on the same level, it's only improvement being that it isn't quite as blatant a rip-off.
Say what you will about 'Cars', which is generally considered a lesser Pixar effort and it and especially its sequel have gotten a fair share of indifference or dislike. Personally thought that 'Cars' was a decent film, but was a little disappointing considering that Pixar have been responsible for some great films and even masterpieces. Whatever one's opinion on 'Cars' is, 'The Little Cars' franchise are so bad that, regardless of how problematic or disappointing the 'Cars' films are, they are guaranteed to make one appreciate 'Cars' (and its sequel) better.
For starters, the animation is incredibly lazy, looking like it was only done in a few minutes or less. Again it is filled with forced character designs, incredibly flat colours(even badly coloured crayon pictures have more refinement), recycled shots galore (getting worse with each repetition) and backgrounds that are lacking in any kind of fluidity coming across as static and simplistic instead.The music also sounds cheap and more suited to a low budget video game or a slots game, also never fitting and completely disconnected. The sound effects are just bizarre, some sounding like they belong more in a porn film, and often very randomly placed.
The writing once again is appalling, and doesn't even have unintentional humour value, with clunky and draggy exposition, nonsense and irrelevant chatter and unfunny and intelligence-insultingly stupid jokes. There is even some stomach-churning sexism that offends one just as badly as the racism in 'Little and Big Monsters'. Adults will find it too juvenile and even kids will feel like it went well overboard trying to dumb down to them. Again a big problem when so dialogue-heavy, where there is a lot of milling around and irrelevant conversations that one doesn't remember the race sequences.
Furthermore, the story is once more interminably dull, managing to completely take the thrill out of car racing. Scenes drag on and on, some serving little or no point, making the short length (though longer length than previously) feel twice or even triple times longer. The characters on top of being hideously animated are both bland and irritating, a few unintentionally creepy, anytime a character makes a mistake they don't ever seem to learn from it or care. The voice acting is lifeless, like they didn't even try or even want to be there, it was almost like they were bribed or would do anything to get some quick cash.
Overall, a dreadful sequel that is on the same level as 'The Little Cars in the Great Race'. 1/10 Bethany Cox
