Five long years after the success of "Cars," the filmmakers at Pixar Animation Studios -- with stars like Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy in tow -- have finally decided to "Git-R-Done" and release the sequel to the 2006 summer blockbuster.
In a recent interview, Larry, the down-home, Blue Collar comedy star who coined that household catchphrase, said his desire to be in the movie boiled down to one simple reason: voicing his rust-bucket tow truck character Tow Mater again would give him the rare opportunity to reunite with the be-all, end-all of old best friends.
Recommended Videos
"Mater is just very loveable. He's one of those little cartoon characters that's sweet, nice, humble and most of all, he's a loyal friend," Larry said.
"Plus, people like the way he looks -- he's funny looking -- and he says a lot of funny things. Every time he talks he makes you laugh," the comedy star added. "I have buddies like Mater, whose accents are very Southern, and every time they freaking say something it makes me laugh. People want to be around somebody who's positive like that. They're just nice and fun to be around."
In the original "Cars," of course, Mater was the best friend of Lightning McQueen (the voice of Wilson), a hot-shot racing champ who was sidetracked in Radiator Springs. Thanks to the humility of his tow truck buddy and other four-wheeled inhabitants of the sleepy town, McQueen learned some valuable lessons and re-fueled his desire for racing along the way.
Now in "Cars 2," opening in theaters and on IMAX screens in 2D and 3D on Friday, McQueen, Mater and a local pit crew leave Radiator Springs in the dust for such worldwide locales as England, Italy, France and Japan -- where McQueen is taking part in the World Grand Prix.
But true to Pixar tradition, "Cars 2" is about many more things than the central plotline of the race. It also finds Mater being mistaken for a top U.S. spy by a British master spy car Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and a stunning rookie spy Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) -- and getting caught up in their top secret mission.
"I don't really consider 'Cars 2' to be a sequel because it's so different," Larry said. "I would call it a sequel if it had something to do with Radiator Springs. But it's a 180 turnaround. It was such of a fun thing to be a part of because it was like being a part of a brand new movie."
Back on track
While the film was stuck with the sequel label because many of the main characters from the original are back in the fold, Larry never for a second considered revving up for another "Cars" was a risk. If anybody can beat their already impressive track record, so to speak, it's the filmmakers at Pixar, he said.
"They improve on greatness. I was around them today and they were talking about how they used 5,000 computers to make the last 'Toy Story,'" Larry said. "They used 14,000 in this one -- it's the most they've ever used, which is why they said the film was such of a tremendous undertaking. That's why it might have taken so long for the second movie. They really wanted to make this one special and they did. It's just unbelievable. I knew it was going to be good so I didn't hesitate to do it -- and hey, I get to be Mater."
Just as important as the visuals in "Cars 2" was the voice talent, and Pixar was determined to take full advantage of it. So, knowing Larry's gift for stand-up comedy, it shouldn't come as a surprise that director John Lasseter turned the Cable Guy loose in the studio when it came to improvising some Tow Mater-isms.
"John let me do pretty much as I want, just like he did with the first one," said Larry, whose real name is Daniel Lawrence Whitney. "I'll have to watch the movie again to pick out how much ad-libbing I did in the second, but I know they kept a lot, maybe 15-20 percent of the stuff I did on the fly. Generally I'll ad-lib a line, read two lines of scripted dialogue and then I'll ad-lib one a different way -- and he'll pick the ones he likes best."
Larry's Legendary Co-Stars
Like the first "Cars" and Paul Newman, "Cars 2" is distinguished by the involvement of another legendary performer with Michael Caine. Larry, unfortunately, didn't meet Caine during the production because, like most animated projects, the actors recorded their dialogue separately.
But that's not to say Larry is any less proud. Ultimately, their names still appear together on the "Cars 2" marquee.
"I told my wife the other day, 'I gotta be honest, while all these critics rail on my movies, I'm the only guy I know of that's been able to work with both Paul Newman and Michael Caine," Larry said, laughing. "Say what you want, but I've worked with two of the biggies."
So, when all is said and (Git-R) done, Larry said "Cars 2" is just one more reason why he feels like he's one of the most blessed guys in the world.
"I got into the business originally and said if I could do comedy and make a living at it, that's what I want to do," Larry said. "But then it went above and beyond everything I wanted to do with my two Pixar movies -- especially 'Cars 2' -- it's the icing on the cake."
Well, maybe. He said he'd still like to get Caine to say "Git-R-Done" with his classic Cockney accent.
But after mimicking out-loud what the British "Git-R-Done" might sound like, the Cable Guy conceded that it might flow better with the change of one word.
"Git-R ... Accomplished," Larry said, laughing, sporting his best British accent. "Yeah, that might sound better."