Planes: Fire & Rescue

Planes: Fire and Rescue gives kids a glimpse of what it’s like to be a firefighter or smokejumper. They also learn a bit about fire safety and what it means to dedicate your life to other people.

The firefighting planes put their lives at risk to keep people safe and protect the national park. Dusty realizes that sometimes life doesn’t work out as planned, and he has to think of others over himself. The firefighters are determined to fight fires and save those in danger, no matter what the personal cost. Blade Ranger, who leads the firefighting team, teaches Dusty the value of being prepared, safe, and aware of others. Dusty's friends at home are as supportive of him as ever. On the other hand, while there aren’t as many stereotypes as there were in Planes, there are a few. Windlifter is a wise, strong, unflappable Native American helicopter, and hauler plane Lil' Dipper -- the sole major female character in the sequel -- instantly becomes obsessed with Dusty (making a few inappropriate comments that will likely go over younger kids’ head). A shiny SUV that runs the new lodge is focused on status and attention. He puts his everyone's lives in danger in order to save the lodge building -- but his actions are clearly presented as selfish and wrong, and he suffers the consequences.

Lil' Dipper forms an aggressive crush on Dusty and often talks about going on dates with him. She makes a few other mildly suggestive comments ("they're real" in reference to a couple of her parts, etc.), and when they go to a party at the park's lodge, she talks about sharing a room with Dusty and the children they'd have together. During a flashback scene, Blade Ranger is seen in a TV show called CHoPs where he and his partner helicopter pick up two "twin" cars. A "pickup truck" tries to hit on another car in a bar. An older motor home couple discusses their romance and engagement.

While there are no actual brands in the movie, there are many off screen tie-ins, from toys to clothes to games to food. Some of the movie's brands are meant to suggest real-life equivalents -- like "Honkers" bar, the TV show CHoPS, the movie Howard the Truck, etc.