Critics slammed Cars 2 for being too dark, too spy-focused, and sidelining McQueen for Mater. However, the reframes this. German audiences love "Buddy Movies" where the sidekick is the hero. Because the German Mater (Karl-Heinz Brand) sounds more competent and less annoying than Larry the Cable Guy, German viewers accepted the plot shift. Furthermore, the World Grand Prix setting (Tokyo, Porto Corsa, London) appeals to the German love for international travel. The German translation adds cultural subtleties that make the spy plot feel like a classic 1960s German Krimi (crime film).