DVD: "Cars 2" Was Lame, Don't Blame Critics

This weeks DVD pile includes "Cars 2," which Pixar has been aggressively spinning as an underrated classic. A recent NYT story appeared to trade access to John Lasseter for a company-line story about how critics treated the movie unfairly.

Forget critics. The movie's audience share dropped 60 PERCENT from week one to week, a catastrophic decline by Pixar standards. That's pure word of mouth. I think audiences saw the same thing that some critics did: a company taking a disappointing step toward blockbuster-minded story-telling -- a sequel with a globe-hopping scenario ready made for international sale, a spy-spoof framework that was less a work of imagination that a forum for gag-writers to make movie references.

What does a real animated hit look like? "Puss N Boots," which made another $30 million in week two and saw it's audience drop a mere 3 percent.

Also in the DVD bin: "Crazy Stupid Love," about a separated man (Steve Carell) taking dating advice from a young ladies man (Ryan Gosling). This Standard set up yields some third-act surprises. Also the final installment of "Harry Potter," which happens to be my favorite.