John Lasseter—he of the illustrious, awe-inspiring career with Pixar Animation Studios—has produced some truly great films for that studio over the years, not least of which were the Toy Story films.

Cars 2 is Pixar's first genuine misfire. The entire movie is a mess of ideas that don't gel with the first film's core fan base, nor do they appeal to potential newcomers. The film is riddled with set ...