Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Cars 2 arrived in 2011 as Pixar's tenth feature and the sequel to its most merchandising-friendly hit, sending Lightning McQueen and company into a globe-trotting spy caper. Released by Walt Disney Pictures, it marked a tonal shift for the studio, trading small-town Americana for international espionage, and remains a notable pivot point in Pixar's history as the studio's first sequel and, at the time, its most divisive critical reception. Its box office and toy sales nonetheless kept the Cars universe firmly embedded in the culture.
This cell pairs Mater, the tow truck whose rural charm and mistaken-identity spy plot drive the film's comedy, with Finn McMissile, the suave British secret agent who recruits him. Their pairing is central to the movie's premise, an odd-couple partnership between backwoods sincerity and international intrigue. Collectors seek Mater material for his enduring popularity as a breakout character from the original film, and frames joining him with Finn capture the exact narrative engine of the sequel, the unlikely alliance that carries the story forward.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Cars 2 (2011).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on the upper edge; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on the upper edge are visible and appear evenly spaced with clean rectangular punching; lower-edge perforations are also present and similarly spaced.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along the lower edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge, consistent with a dual-format optical track.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; no key numbers or manufacturer text can be read with confidence.
Base & colour
The base shows a light cyan-blue tint typical of modern polyester stock; the dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with Cars 2 (2011).
Era check
The cyan polyester base, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks alongside a variable-area optical track, and clean perforation style are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the 2010s.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063508
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
