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Cars
Rated G;
"Cars," the newest offering from Pixar, which previously brought audiences "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo," takes a while to turn the cocky race car (voiced by Owen Wilson) into a likable character. But Lightning McQueen undergoes a transformation after accidentally rolling off the truck taking him to the biggest race of his life, finding himself in a desert town full of cars and trucks who demonstrate for him the value of slowing down, making friends and appreciating history.
These are noble ideas that have been explored many times in film and literature, but never with such gorgeous animation from beginning to end. Racing scenes at the start of the film are rendered in explosions of primary colors and speed-blurred images. Depictions of the desert surrounding Radiator Springs, the forgotton town where Lightning McQueen finds himself stranded, evoke the West of a John Ford movie -- albeit in muted candy colors -- with the whimsically named and rendered "Ornament Valley" standing in for the real Monument Valley.
Other actors voicing characters are Bonnie Hunt as McQueen's eventual love interest, the sporty blue Sally; Larry the Cable Guy as Mater, a rusted-out pickup truck with a few missing teeth; and real-life amateur race car driver Paul Newman as polished and dignified former race car Doc Hudson.
Missing from this offering are laugh-out-loud moments. This feature offers more in the way of thoughtful scenes, with the scattering of moments designed to be funny turning out merely smile-inducing. This movie does not rumble along quickly throughout most of its length, despite its main character's profession. This movie is more about the quiet moments and the building of friendships -- and long stretches of animation worthy of a repeat viewing.
- In wide release
