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There's an extra coat of hot wax on Pixar's vibrant, NASCAR-influenced comedy about a world populated entirely by cars. Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the slick rookie taking the Piston Cup series by storm when the last race of the season (the film's high-octane opening) ends in a three-way tie. On the way to the tie-breaker race in California, Lightning loses his way off Route 66 in the Southwest desert and is taught to stop and smell the roses by the forgotten citizens of Radiator Springs. It's odd to have such a slim story from the whizzes of Pixar, and the film pales a bit from their other films (though can that be a fair comparison?). Nonetheless,
Cars is another gleaming ride with Pixar founder John Lasseter, who's directing for the first time since
Toy Story 2. There's the usual spectrum of excellent characters teamed with appropriate voice talent, loads of smooth humor for kids and parents alike, knockout visuals, and a colorful array of sidekicks, including a scene-stealing baby blue forklift named Guido. Lightning's plight is changed with the help of former big-city lawyer Sally Carrera (Pixar veteran Bonnie Hunt), the town's patriarch Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), and kooky tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy).
The Incredibles was the first Pixar film to break the 100-minute barrier, but had enough story not to suffer;
Cars, at 116 minutes (including some must-see end credit footage), is not as fortunate, plus it never pierces the heart. Trivia fans should have bonanza with the frame-by-frame DVD function; the movie is stuffed with in-jokes, some appearing only for an instant. Ages 5 and up.
--Doug Thomas
Review
After a solid opening sequence that establishes the selfish nature of race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), Cars takes what feels like an inordinate amount of time to strand him in the deserted town where he can learn lessons about selflessness. Once there, the situation and the dynamics of the characters are overly familiar from any number of films, from An Officer and a Gentleman to Mr. 3000. This is a surprising problem coming from Pixar, a studio responsible for beautiful scripts like Finding Nemo and Toy Story 2. Thankfully, the artistry of the Pixar animators has not diminished whatsoever. The reflections and shadows of the cars, the quality of the air in a Western town, and the details of Lightning's makeover from race car to '50s cruising machine offer just some of the visual splendors that are abundant throughout the movie. The problem is that with every other Pixar film the beautiful attention to detail usually does not register in full on the first viewing because the characters are so emotionally engaging. Because Cars fails to fully grab one's heart, it is easier to admire the scenery. This film certainly supplies a fine moviegoing experience, but it does feel like a disappointment considering what has come before. Pixar usually puts out breathtaking Porsches, but Cars is a dependable Honda. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
DVD ~ Andrew Stanton
DVD ~ Pete Docter
DVD ~ Brad Bird
DVD ~ Brad Bird
