Never tell a sentient airplane he can’t be whatever he wants to be.
In last year’s animated hit “Planes,” the Dane Cook-voiced agricultural aerialist Dusty Crophopper was drawn to the loftier (and speedier!) goals of being an international racing plane. Having won the big tournament against all odds, this sequel opens with Dusty the hero of the airfield.
But wear and tear on his gearbox — a part no longer manufactured — means that redlining is now too dangerous for Dusty. With racing behind him, Dusty joins Blade Ranger (voiced by Ed Harris) at a national park’s airborne fire brigade.
A whisper-thin plot involving a corrupt hotelier, a visit from the secretary of the interior and a forest blaze leads to inevitable acts of heroism. Among the supporting vehicles, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara add humor as Harvey and Winnie, retired RVs visiting the spot where they fell in love.
The original “Planes” — the first of these “Cars” spinoffs downgraded from Pixar to the DisneyToon Studios — had round-the-globe adventure and some innovative design, but “Fire & Rescue” is surprisingly dull. It’s mostly just hanging around the park, training to put out fires.
The meek action plays to the under-10 crowd, but the groaner puns will play only to masochists. Meanwhile, the 3-D ticket upcharge here is a big ripoff — the extra dimension is unnecessary.
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