Planes: Fire & Rescue
Movie, 2014, Planes, Set in Piston Peak
Planes: Fire & Rescue is #7 of 10 in release order and #10 of 10 in chronological order in the Cars.
The story
When world-famous air racer Dusty learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his team, a bunch of all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire, and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.
Planes: Fire & Rescue recap
Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014) sends Dusty Crophopper, now a racing champion with a failing gearbox, to train as a firefighting plane. Roberts Gannaway directed it for Disneytoon Studios. Dusty (Dane Cook) learns his discontinued gearbox means he may never race again, and pushing too hard, he causes a fire at the Propwash Junction airport. The old fire truck Mayday (Hal Holbrook) is found to be outdated, and the airport will close unless it gets a second certified firefighter. Dusty goes to Piston Peak National Park to train under the rescue helicopter Blade Ranger (Ed Harris), alongside the super scooper Lil' Dipper (Julie Bowen), the heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter (Wes Studi), the transport plane Cabbie and a team of smokejumpers. The park superintendent, Cad Spinner (John Michael Higgins), spends the park's money on a luxury lodge instead of firefighting, and a wildfire breaks out as the lodge opens.
Planes: Fire & Rescue ending explained
Planes: Fire & Rescue ends with Dusty certified as a firefighter. During the fire he saves two elderly campers, Harvey and Winnie, from a burning bridge, but his engine fails and he crashes; the mechanic Maru rebuilds him with a new gearbox so he can race again. Propwash Junction's airport reopens with a restored Mayday. A third film, Planes: Beyond the Sky, was announced for 2019 and cancelled when Disneytoon Studios closed in 2018.
Post-credits scenes
Yes. A mid-credits scene shows Cad Spinner working as a park ranger in Death Valley.
Where to watch Planes: Fire & Rescue
Planes: Fire & Rescue is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 5.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 44%
Where it fits
What to watch before Planes: Fire & Rescue
Nothing. Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014) doesn't continue an earlier version, so it stands on its own. Planes: Fire & Rescue itself is optional in the Cars order.
Cast
- Ed Harris as Blade Ranger (voice)
- Dane Cook as Dusty Crophopper (voice)
- Julie Bowen as Dipper (voice)
- Curtis Armstrong as Maru (voice)
- John Michael Higgins as Cad Spinner (voice)
- Hal Holbrook as Mayday (voice)
- Teri Hatcher as Dottie (voice)
- Brad Garrett as Chug (voice)
- Wes Studi as Windlifter
- Stacy Keach as Skipper (voice)
- Cedric the Entertainer as Leadbottom (voice)
- Danny Mann as Sparky (voice)
Directed by Bobs Gannaway.