Critical response The
review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes reported a 26% approval rating with an average rating of 4.60/10 based on 121 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "
Planes has enough bright colors, goofy voices, and slick animation to distract some young viewers for 92 minutes -- and probably sell plenty of toys in the bargain -- but on nearly every other level, it's a Disney disappointment." Another review aggregator,
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 39 based on 32 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". However, the film earned an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale from audiences polled by
CinemaScore during the opening week. Peter Hartlaub of the
San Francisco Chronicle gave the film two and half stars out of four, saying, "Many will enter theaters thinking this is a Pixar film, with the raised expectations that accompany that mistake. But even cynical animation fans will see there's quality here. After a little turbulence,
Planes comes in for a nice landing." Alonso Duralde of
The Wrap gave the film a positive review, saying, "As shameless an attempt by Disney to sell more bedspreads to the under-10s as
Planes is, it nonetheless manages to be a minor lark that will at least mildly amuse anyone who ever thrust their arms outward and pretended to soar over the landscape." Justin Chang of
Variety gave the film a negative review, saying, "
Planes is so overrun with broad cultural stereotypes that it should come with free ethnic-sensitivity training for especially impressionable kids." James Rocchi of
MSN Movies gave the film one out of five stars, saying, "
Planes borrows a world from
Cars, but even compared to that soulless exercise in well-merchandised animated automotive adventure,
Planes is dead in its big, googly eyes and hollow inside." Michael Rechtshaffen of
The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying, "Despite the more aerodynamic setting, this
Cars 3D offshoot emerges as an uninspired retread." Jordan Hoffman of the
New York Daily News gave the film one out of five stars, saying, "The jokes in
Planes are runway flat, and parents will likely reach for the air-sickness bag." Bill Goodykoontz of
The Arizona Republic gave the film two out of five stars, saying, "
Planes was originally scheduled to be released straight to video. Although the smallest children might like bits and pieces of it, there's nothing in the movie that suggests why Disney strayed from its original plan." David Hiltbrand of
The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film one out of four stars, saying, "The animated film has all the hallmarks of a straight-to-DVD project — inferior plot, dull writing, cheap drawing — perhaps because it was intended for the bargain bin at Target, Walmart, and Costco." Jen Chaney of
The Washington Post gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying, "This film is 100 percent devoid of surprises. It's the story of an underestimated underdog that's like every other kid-friendly, life-coachy story about an underestimated underdog." Rafer Guzman of
Newsday gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying, "If
Planes were a reasonably priced download, you'd gladly use it to sedate your kids during a long car ride. As a theatrical, 3-D release, however,
Planes will sedate you, too." Neil Genzlinger of
The New York Times gave the film two out of five stars, saying,
Planes is for the most part content to imitate rather than innovate, presumably hoping to reap a respectable fraction of the box office numbers of
Cars and
Cars 2, which together made hundreds of millions of dollars." Bruce Demara of the
Toronto Star gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "While the plotting is rather pedestrian, the humour mostly lame, what makes
Planes a stand-out experience — not surprisingly, based on Disney's vast and impressive history of animated classics — is the visuals." Claudia Puig of
USA Today gave the film two out of four stars, saying, "It's engaging enough, driving home the familiar message of following one's dreams and the less hackneyed theme of facing one's fears. But it feels far too familiar." Betsy Sharkey of the
Los Angeles Times gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "As with
Cars, the world of
Planes feels safe. A little too safe, perhaps."
Richard Roeper of the
Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a C, saying "
Planes moves along quickly at a running time of 92 minutes, occasionally taking flight with some pretty nifty flight sequences. The animation is first-rate, and the Corningware colors are soothing eye candy." Tom Keogh of
The Seattle Times gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying, "Though not officially a Pixar production, the new
Planes — released by the beloved animation studio's parent company, Disney — has the look and feel of Pixar's 2006 hit,
Cars, if not the latter's charm or strong story." Stephen Whitty of the
Newark Star-Ledger gave the film two out of four stars, saying, "It's strictly by the numbers, from the believe-in-yourself moral to the purely predictable ending."
Owen Gleiberman of
Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B, saying, "What
Planes lacks in novelty, it makes up for with eye-popping aerial sequences and a high-flying comic spirit." A. A. Dowd of
The A.V. Club gave the film a D+, saying, "
Planes cuts corners at every turn, a strategy that leaves it feeling like the skeletal framework of an incomplete Pixar project." R. Kurt Osenlund of
Slant Magazine gave the film one out of four stars, saying, "The film feels second-rate in every sense, from the quality of its animation to its C-list voice cast." Dave Calhoun of
Time Out gave the film three out of five stars, saying "
Planes isn't a Pixar film, even if it's related to one (Disney bought Pixar in 2006), and there's nothing groundbreaking about the animation or script. That said, the characters and story still offer low-key charms."
Box office Planes, despite negative reception, grossed $90,288,712 in the United States and Canada, and $149,883,071 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $240,171,783, and was a box office success. In its second weekend, the film dropped to number four, grossing an additional $13,388,534. In its third weekend, the film dropped to number five, grossing $8,575,214. In its fourth weekend, the film stayed at number five, grossing $7,751,705.
Accolades Planes was nominated to the BAFTA Kid's Vote for films at the
British Academy Children's Awards. ==Music==