Cars : Quatre Roues

I read a write-up about Cars several months ago, so I was vaguely aware of it when a friend suggested we go see it today. I had no idea where the plot would lead, but figured a Pixar film was a good bet.

The film was marvelously rendered; several times I could have sworn I was watching real film footage instead of animation, especially scenes showing passing landscapes.

The characters were also cleverly drawn, with subtle touches viewers might or might not notice, such as goatees, mustaches, horns, and udders (I'll say no more about that - you'll have to find out for yourself) represented by various car or tractor parts.

Finally, the "Monument Valley" sort of landscape where the majority of the story takes place was a car lover's dream, where you could pick out parts of Tuckers, Deusenbergs, Packards, and Rolls Royces, carburetor filters, hood ornaments, and other automotive goodies.

Even if you're not a motor-head, the story is heartwarming, the characters are entertaining, and the humor keeps coming at you at all levels - kids to adults. I'll be getting the DVD because I know I'll have to watch it over and over to catch all the puns and "in" references.

I look forward to it already.

Animated films are not my favorite genre and I am not a Nascar fan. I anticipated that I would reflect on the 2 hours in a movie theater as quality family time rather than quality entertainment but this movie had me hooked from the beginning. My kids did not have my background to understand Route 66 history but they didn't need it. The loved the film for other reasons. I lived in small towns where a day is fueled with hope of what might come over the horizon. I have actually been cow tipping and laughed at the tractor scenes. I really appreciate the part of the theme of a successful member of a younger generation listening to and profiting by the wisdom of someone older. Far too many children's shows revolve around a plot with stupid adults and the youth needing to save the world. This film perhaps restored, for me, a little faith in our entertainment industry. This is one movie the whole family really can enjoy. See this movie if for no other reason than to support the production of this type of message.

Pixar just keeps hitting them out of the park. Larry the cable guy was a great cast as Mater. Owen Wilson as Lightining was another great decision for the makers of Cars. There is never a dull moment while watching this film. I guess that is obvious by the overwhelming success at the box office. Working at a movie theater I get to see the reactions of our patrons after seeing each film we show; Cars is a must see this summer. There are very few genuine family movies released now a days, this is a clean movie that families can come together and enjoy without worrying about having to screen the film before bringing the kids. I recommend everyone go see this film and then go see it again.

Without giving away any of the story, here's my take. I attended the premiere of CARS at LMS on Friday, May 26. True to Disney form, the premiere itself was spectacular. Four giant screens, live entertainment,lots of fireworks, great inclusion of military personnel, and as good of a red carpet as you can do with chain link fenced areas... This movie rates right in the middle of Pixar releases for me. I place it above Monsters Inc, A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, but not as good as the "original", the best ever, Toy Story, and The Incredibles. Everything just looks so real in this movie. The dust stirred up when Lightning drives off, the scenery around Route 66 (well, maybe not those mountains that look like the fins of old cars). Even the shine on the clean cars looks so real. As an adult, I enjoyed the story line. I can't tell you how the kids would like it, as by the time the movie finally started, my kids were asleep. As always, don't leave your seat until all of the credits roll. Sometimes they are some of the funniest clips in the movie! You'll love them this time, as they tie back to prior Pixar movies, in a car sort of way. This is definitely a movie we'll add to the DVD collection. I really hope this movie does well since it's the first release since Disney bought Pixar. Don't go in looking for the action or adult humor of The Incredibles. If you do you'll be disappointed. Just go in looking for the "Disney always has a good moral behind its animated movies" type of movie and you will really enjoy it. Paul Newman and Larry the Cable Guy really have the best characters in the movie. And while John Ratzenberger's character doesn't have a lot of screen time, I really enjoyed him! I'll be going back to see it when it releases in theaters so I can get a better feel for the sound, as it wasn't the best in an outdoor setting. In my opinion, it easily beats the other animated movies released over the past year or so.

Pixar again shows us their superior skills in 3D animation and to a lesser extent this time, the storytelling. There is so much attention to detail, that you are left gazing at the screen in awe. The 2 hours races by, and afterwards you are left with the satisfaction of having just seen something quite unique and surreal.

It's a kids film of course, so there is little need to point out the predictable story elements - which exist in Cars more so than previous Pixar films such as The Incredibles. Cars is less daring, is safer in its approach. There are no surprising or wild deviations on the fairly straight road the story follows. But nevertheless, it's all very cool stuff, and the story is entertaining enough. Cars is a must see Pixar film - even if the visuals steal the show.