Cars - The Review!

As was the case for a million other artists out there, the moment I laid my eyes on "Toy Story" back in 1995, I knew I wanted to create artwork like that for a living one day.

Since that film's debut, Pixar has become a household name, creating such masterpieces as "Finding Nemo," "Monsters Inc.," and "The Incredibles." Each film has been more successful than the last, and with each film Pixar seems to grow in terms of storytelling and sheer artistic brilliance.

As I've said in a previous post, it was for this reason that I was less than excited to see "Cars." It just didn't seem to be up to the level of previous Pixar releases. It was tough to put a finger on exactly what didn't appeal to me, but the movie just didn't seem to carry that "Pixar magic spark" that the other films had. As much as I wanted to like the film walking into the theater on Sunday, I just wasn't sure that I would.

Well change my tires and paint me in sparkles, because I'm now a true believer in "Cars," and I'm now wondering why I ever thought of second-guessing Pixar.



I'll tell you right now that this isn't Pixar's strongest release. Films like "Nemo" and "The Incredibles," were done better, but I kind of feel like "Cars" did the best it could with... well... cars. After all, fish and superheroes are living, breathing things (yes, I know superheroes aren't real), while cars are just big lumps of metal. That said, the team at Pixar did an outstanding job of breathing life into relatively lifeless forms.

The film takes place in a sort of alternate universe, where there are no humans, and instead cars rule the world. They have careers and social lives, and even attend sporting events, such as the Piston Cup racing series (think Nascar's Winston Cup). The racing circuit is where the star of the film, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) makes his living.

On a trip across the country to compete in the championship race, the cocky McQueen, who has already lost his entire crew because of his attitude, is separated from his truck and winds up in a town by the name of Radiator Springs. Without giving too much of the film away, McQueen gets in a bit of trouble and is sentenced to community service by a crabby old car by the name of Doc Hudson (Paul Newman).

While paying off his debt to "the man," McQueen gets to meet all of the townsfolk and in turn begins to see that life shouldn't always be seen out the window at 100 miles an hour.



The whole "stop and smell the roses" theme is the driving (HA!) force behind the film, and it's executed relatively well without ever getting overly cheesy. The only time I found myself rolling my eyes was during a flashback sequence showing the town the way it used to be, but it only because it was just a bit too sappy for me. Other than that, I never felt like the film was forcing any beliefs or ideas down my throat, as I often do with other films.

Overall, this film did seem to be a bit more serious than Pixar's previous releases. While it certainly had it's fair share of slapstick moments (such as "Tractor Tipping"), the overall mood seemed to be much more subdued. Where the film really seems to let loose is actually during the closing credits, where the gags come one right after the other. This isn't a bad thing, just don't go into the film expecting the wackiness of "Monsters Inc."



The acting, as one would expect is great. While one may tire (HA!) of his stand-up routine in a relatively short amount of time, Larry the Cable guy really did steal the show as the lovable tow-truck, Mater. From his southern charm to his hillbilly teeth, Mater is just a downright likeable character.

McQueen's love interest in the film, a Porsche by the name of Sally, is voiced by beautiful Bonnie Hunt and does a wonderful job of being the voice of reason in the town.

Other character voices include Cheech Marin (Ramone), Tony Shalhoub (Luigi), Michael Keaton (Chick Hicks) and George Carlin (Filmore), as well as the Pixar staple, John Ratzenberger (Mack), who even manages to poke fun at himself as the end credits role.

However, one of the few times the movie really did falter for me is when a racing legend made a cameo in the film. For example F1 driver, Michael Schumacher, makes a brief appearance towards the tail end of the film, and delivers his lines with the skill of an electronic answering machine. I understand the filmmaker's desire to have these legends in the film, but you'd think they could have coached them on their lines a bit more. It's really not a big deal, as their scenes never last too long, but man it drags the film down in spots.



The film is absolutely stunning to look at. Pixar's team of artists have not only pulled a rabbit out of their collective hat, but they've also fitted the rabbit with amazing smoke effects, neon lights, and flames aplenty.

There were two scenes in particular that really stood out for me in the film. The first is the scene where Sally and McQueen go for a drive through the forest outside of Radiator Springs. Just watching them bob and weave along the highway, as their tires gripped the road and they danced along the winding s-curves made me want to get out and drive somewhere. The colors, the lighting and the feel of the road all translated extremely well, and it made for a beautiful ride along for the viewers.

The second scene was one in which McQueen gets the townsfolk to turn all of their neon signs back on and then go for a cruise up and down the main street. The team at Pixar did a wonderful job with the models and textures and it was really neat to see the signs reflect in the cars as they cruised the strip.

All in all "Cars" is without a doubt worth your money. While it starts just a bit slow (despite the opening scene taking place on a race track), it picks up quickly and develops into a wonderful story that people young and old can enjoy. While it isn't Pixar's strongest work, that's sort of like saying one homerun isn't as good as another because the ball didn't go quite as far. It's still a homerun, and "Cars" is a homerun in every sense of the word.

Go see it.