Les avions

I've just bought a new food processor. If you put in every animated film ever made, and set it to the highest setting, you may come out with something like Planes.

You have the plucky young dreamer who seems destined to a life of drudgery, but aspires for higher things. He has a stoopid best friend, who is charming in his own special way. There is an elderly mentor, who initially turns down the whippersnapper when he asks for his help... but gosh darn it, he changes his mind once he sees how determined the kid is. The bad guy is an irredeemable moustache-twirler with two giggling goons who follow him around everywhere. A 'comedy relief' is a cheeseball Mexican who is obsessed by dance and romance (of course, and this guy outstays his welcome from his first syllable). As for the love interest, she starts off working for the evil dudes, but soon discovers her true feelings, and...

So on, and so forth. There isn't one original idea in the whole farrago... and that's without even getting into the recycled story or the below par animation. The fact is, this is film-making by committee: it ticks every box, caters for every demographic but missing that all important ingredient: soul. If you respect your kid's intelligence, take 'em to see something else this Summer. 5/10