SINGAPORE — For a movie that was originally planned for a direct-to-DVD release, Disney’s Planes surprisingly isn’t all that bad. Sure, this is a tad too painfully similar to the plot of the not-so-great Cars 2, and has been pretty much panned by critics for its cultural stereotypes. But it manages to provide, sporadically, some lighthearted bits of flying fun.

So yes, it’s pretty much Cars 2 with wings. Dusty (Dane Cook) is a humble crop duster plane who dreams of competing with the best jet-setting racers in a sprint around the world. He enlists the help of daft fuel tanker Chug (Brad Garrett), smart and spunky mechanic Dottie (Terri Hatcher), and a crabby-but-wise World War II plane (Stacy Keach) to prepare for a journey where he predictably ends up making friends, shows the depth of his character and overcomes his contrived fear of heights.

Planes is that forgettable, though not disagreeable, underdog story that might keep the little ones engaged. But it is gentle and good-natured. Its casting is genius, too, giving voice cameos to folks like Top Gun’s Anthony Edwards and Val Kilmer as military jets Echo and Brave; Bollywood star and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra as the Asian racing plane champion Ishani; Carlos Alazraqui as a hilarious wannabe Latin lover plane; as well as John Cleese as the stiff upper-lip British racer plane who doesn’t cry.

Yes, Planes will definitely not be joining the ranks of Disney’s all-time animated greats, but when it comes to airy entertainment, it has just enough altitude for a smooth, uneventful ride.

(G, 95min)