It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Disney’s PLANES!

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There’s a new movie out this weekend and in case you’ve been hiding under a rock, or maybe you just don’t have kids, it’s Disney’s PLANES.

Let me explain this difficult concept: It’s just like Disney’s CARS but with PLANES.

Quick synopsis of the story: Dusty Crophopper is a little cropduster plane that has dreams of doing something bigger, better, more than what he was built for! He wants to enter a global aerial race and, miracle of miracles, he qualifies! I won’t spoil the ending for you but will tell you that it’s a classic story of an underdog shining through.

But what you really want to know is will your kid like it? And then, if you’re kid will like it, will you be able to stand sitting through it? (I say this with all due respect as we’ve all had those moments where a certain movie or episode of THAT show will just make us want to scream even though our little darlings love it.

Here’s a quick and dirty video review from me (middle-aged mom) and Evan (my 6 year old dream of a child – watch the clip and you’ll see what I mean):

I’ll admit that my child is a bit of an odd bird. He never liked Thomas the Train, or Chuggington, or even Cars, a movie that I personally loved. I’m thinking it’s maybe the whole inanimate objects talking thing that he doesn’t like.

Regardless, I was determined to force him to go to the screening thinking that despite his complaining, he might just enjoy it once we got there.

He smiled a few times. Maybe even laughed a few times. Or was that a smirk? And then about halfway through, I noticed he was fidgety. He was rocking back and forth in the movie seat and generally looking a little bored.

You know what? I was bored too.

It’s a cute little movie. My husband who is an aviation fanatic thought it was cool to see all the different types of airplanes come to life.

(Side note: There is an Indian plane in the movie named Ishani. I asked my husband if that kind of plane really exists with a propeller in the BACK and he assured me it does.)

I thought the soundtrack was pretty rockin’ and there are definitely some references in the movie that only adults will get.

After the movie, I stayed for the credits because I wasn’t sure who did any of the character voices. I tried to place them and was wrong on most accounts.

Dusty Crophopper (the lead) sounded exactly like Armie Hammer. Turns out it was Dane Cook.

I was sure Skipper (the crusty old Doc Hudson-type character) was voiced by R. Lee Ermey who has done so many military roles in his career that this was a no-brainer. Turns out it was Stacy Keach.

Other voices I could peg included Brad Garrett and John Cleese but I was surprised to see my pal Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the French-Canadian, Rochelle. But my favorite surprise cast member was Val Kilmer who played Bravo, one of the navy fighter jets that comes to Dusty’s aid.

The reference to Top Gun was not lost on me. Well played, Disney. Well played.

Is this a film we’ll buy on DVD and watch over and over again? Nope. Not us. We’ll leave that to you parents of preschoolers who are looking for their next big obsession. And in the meantime, I’ll go over to the corner and cry and realize that my little boy is not so little anymore.