Cars Review
by [email protected] (johnny_betts AT hotmail DOT com)June 9th, 2006
Check out the Movie Mark for more reviews (with captioned pictures!) and movie entertainment:
http://www.themoviemark.com
Cars
http://www.themoviemark.com/moviereviews/cars.asp
PLOT
Lightning McQueen (Wilson), a hotshot rookie race car with a wee bit of a cocky streak, has only one goal on his mind - winning. And right now that goal is zeroed in on capturing the Piston Cup. After storming off to a nearly insurmountable lead, his "do it alone" attitude rises up to bite him in the bumper. Rather than winning the championship outright, he now must head to California for a three-car race-off.
En route to the race, he receives a rude wake-up call in the middle of the night (and the road) and soon finds himself running from the police through the lonely Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. He's caught, and the judge (a 1951 Hudson Hornet with a mysterious past, voiced by Paul Newman) rules that McQueen must repair the road that he tore up during his attempted getaway.
Initially reluctant to socialize with the locals, Lightning slowly gets to know the wide variety of colorful (and rusty) vehicles, and they help him learn that "It's kind of nice to slow down every once in a while." Another Pixar winner ensues.
JOHNNY'S TAKE
"Cars didn't ride on it to make great time; they rode on it to have a great time."
It's not hard to make a successful movie. It's simple, really. Exceed my expectations. Make me feel. Force me to care. Deliver a somewhat clichéd message, but deliver it in such a way that the meaning resounds. Teach me the same lessons that your characters learn. And above all, entertain.
Pretty easy, right? Well, at least Pixar makes it look that way because with Cars they have once again succeeded.
I'll be honest; I had my doubts about the movie. How would they be able to take a story featuring nothing but vehicles, with nary a human in sight, and keep my interest for a full two hours? Animals are one thing, but could Pixar successfully master the personification of modes of transportation?
Yes, they could, and they did.
Thanks to Director Lasseter's strong attention to detail, going so far as to insist that the vehicles bend and gesture in ways that were true to their construction, every car and truck truly becomes a unique character and personality. And along with those characters and personalities comes a story which yes, contains a well-traveled theme, but it comes with so much charm that even Grouchy McKilljoy's hard little heart can't help but be warmed.
Don't worry if you're not a racing fan; I assure you it's not a requirement to enjoy the movie. I love watching muscle cars race the quarter mile (ask me about my '69 Camaro), but NASCAR doesn't do it for me. That's another aspect about the film that gave me pause. I once fell asleep at a NASCAR qualifying race, despite the 90-degree heat and ear-splitting decibel levels, so would Cars keep me awake and interested? Within five minutes my worries began to slowly subside as I happily settled in for the ride.
Animation should be about bringing imagination to life. Give us something that can't be done in live action. Cars does this so effectively that it almost seems a redundancy to comment on how Pixar continues to raise the CGI bar. The scenery on screen is awe-inducing to the point that it's getting harder to distinguish the real from the created. The filmmakers have gone so far as to perfect reflections in the cars and to pay careful attention to weeds growing out of cracks in the sidewalk. I don't see any way you could not be visually stunned.
But impressive visuals are little comfort if I'm not presented with a story that I care to follow. No problems there. If you're the kind of person who loves to go "awwwww" at movies then prepare to be satisfied. What I appreciate the most is that, at the risk of causing some youngsters to become restless, time and attention has been given to character and story development. Lasseter and his team stood their ground and resisted any pressure to trim this to a runtime more suitable to those with limited attention spans, and I thank them for it.
As I said earlier, Cars hit the starting line with a disadvantage. I didn't greet it with a warm smile. I crossed my arms, furrowed my brow, and dared it to prove my preconceived notions wrong.
It proceeded to exceed my expectations. It made me feel for its characters and forced me to care about McQueen's journey, both to California and to a different viewpoint on life. Sure, the "slow down and enjoy the scenery" message may seem a little routine, but it's a message I took to heart.
Immediately following the movie I was on the Internet looking up information regarding Route 66. I'm now ready for a road trip void of interstates and efforts to beat my best time. I feel like slowing down a bit and exploring the unknown. Give me the scenic route, and give me more finely-tuned, detailed movies like Cars. That's all I ask. Two hours of entertainment that make me care, even if briefly, about something other than myself and what goal has to be accomplished next.
See? It was simple, really. At least Pixar made it look that way.
THE GIST
If you're a fan of Pixar animation then Cars is a must-see. I'll be adding it to my DVD collection.
Rating: 4.25 (out of 5)
Johnny Betts
The Movie Mark
http://www.themoviemark.com
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
