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, released by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by John Lasseter. It pushed the franchise away from Radiator Springs and into a globe-spanning espionage plot, casting Mater as an unlikely secret agent alongside Lightning McQueen. The film split critics and remains the studio's most divisive entry, yet it broadened the Cars universe considerably and cemented Mater's status as a merchandising and narrative centerpiece rather than a mere sidekick.
This cell centers on Mater, the tow truck whose earnest, unpolished charm became one of Pixar's most recognizable comic voices. Paired here with Finn McMissile's world of international intrigue, Mater's presence signals his elevation to leading player within the sequel's spy narrative. Collectors seek him out for that very reason: he anchors the film's tonal shift and its most memorable set pieces. A cell naming this pairing marks a key intersection of character arcs, capturing the moment Mater steps beyond comic relief into the story's central mission.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Cars 2 (2011)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three complete frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with rounded rectangular profile consistent with KS-type perforations
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block pattern visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge; a blue-tinted stripe consistent with a DTS timecode track is also visible along the lower edge
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote characters
Base & colour
Base shows a cyan-tinted clear stock; dye image appears warm and saturated with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks seen in this capture
Picture
Positive colour image; three frames run consecutively as a single continuous shot; content is consistent with an animated feature matching the film on record
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, DTS timecode stripe, variable-area optical track, and cyan-base colour stock is consistent with a theatrical release print from the 2010s era matching the 2011 release date on record
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 000063511
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
