With all his talk of story, Lasseter (who returns to the driver�s seat here, along with co-director Brad Lewis) misses a great chance to send up spy flicks of the James Bond sort with Cars 2. Even richer would have been a Pixarian take on Hitchcock�s classic �mistaken identity� plot, � la North by Northwest. As it is, the storyline is pretty basic spy stuff, if a bit convoluted (and oddly anti-alternative fuels).

My initial impression of the first Cars wasn�t particularly favorable, but I have grown to appreciate it more thanks to repeat viewing with my four-year-old Cars fanatic nephew. Regardless of why it was made in the first place, for him and kids like him,Cars 2 will be a rollicking good ride and, all cynicism aside, I would have to agree with them.

Also screening with Cars 2 is the animated short Hawaiian Vacation starring the Toy Story gang, who create a homemade tropical paradise for lovebirds Ken and Barbie (once again expertly voiced by Michael Keaton and Jodi Benson). Cute and sweet with some light laughs, although I almost wish they had waited a little longer after Toy Story 3 to bring the toys back again.

And, if you are seeing Cars 2 in 3-D, select theaters are also offering audiences the first four minutes (i.e.: the �Circle of Life� sequence) from The Lion King. It�s a sneak peak of Simba and crew in three dimensions prior to the premiere of the film�s 3-D re-do in theaters September 16 and on Disney 3-D Blu-ray October 4.