48
Metascore
29 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75The PlaylistDrew TaylorThe PlaylistDrew TaylorPlanes: Fire and Rescue serves as a dramatic improvement over the original, introducing thrilling action sequences backed by actual stakes and an unexpected emotional dimension, all on top of upgraded animation and a greater emphasis on character.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyStephan LeeEntertainment WeeklyStephan LeeDespite somewhat of a direct-to-DVD plot, the perilous and elaborate rescue scenes are certainly big-screen-worthy. Canny references to '70s television and some genuinely funny moments will give grown-ups enough fuel to cross the finish line.
- 70VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangPlanes: Fire & Rescue is a slight but improbably successful example of a movie that, despite its profusion of chrome and steel, somehow succeeds in touching something human.
- 60TheWrapJames RocchiTheWrapJames RocchiThis movie hardly rates as first-class animation, but it gets in, gets the job done, and moves on both swiftly and well.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyThe Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyBeautiful to look at, this is nothing more than a Little Engine That Could story refitted to accommodate aerial action and therefore unlikely to engage the active interest of anyone above the age of about 8, or 10 at the most.
- 50McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMcClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MoorePlanes: Fire & Rescue is roughly twice as good as its predecessor, Planes, which was so story-and-laugh starved it would have given “direct-to-video” a bad name. Yes, there was nowhere to go but up.
- 50New York PostSara StewartNew York PostSara StewartThis Disney sequel to 2013’s “Planes” is a lot like flying coach: serviceable, but not trying that hard.
- 40Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlA time-killing kid-flick whose title is an exact summary of its plot.
- 30The DissolveDavid EhrlichThe DissolveDavid EhrlichThe jokes are few and far between, and the film lacks the spark of imagination required to engage meaningfully with young viewers... but Fire & Rescue is a competent distraction all the same, mostly on the strength of its non-threateningly round animation and magic-hour color palette.
- 20Time OutTime OutDisplaying a weird lack of memorable or endearing characters, this animated effort feels more like a direct-to-video job from the 1990s than a fully fledged John Lasseter–exec-produced theatrical release.