Cars is worth racing

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2006)

In the computer animated movie race, Pixar Animation Studios is the clear front runner, so it is fitting that their newest opus, Cars, is a film about a race car. Cars is an entertaining and enjoyable romp, for certain, although it is a little slower and more steeped in nostalgia than their previous films, and as such, children may find it a little less exciting than talking toys and monsters hiding under the bed.
Cars opens at a major race where Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) ties for the Piston Cup, a major racing trophy. A run-off race is scheduled in California one week later, and so McQueen sets out for the race, and his plan is to win the cup and land the major sponsor, Dinoco. Partway through the trip, McQueen gets lost on Route 66 and ends up under arrest in the small town of Radiator Springs. McQueen is ordered to repair the road of the small sleepy hamlet, and along the way becomes familiar with the local color: hick tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), motel owner Porsche Sally (Bonnie Hunt), custom paint car Ramone (Cheech Marin), Ferrari enthusiast Luigi (Tony Shalhoub) and the local tune up expert, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman).
Lightning just wants to finish the road and get to the race, but he shortly begins to realize that what there is in Radiator Springs is what is missing from his life: friends. He begins a friendship with Mater and finds himself falling for Sally. When he later learns that Doc is a famous former race car, he starts asking him for information about his past and Doc is convinced to get this loner out of the city before he causes damage to the people he loves around him.
Cars isn't built around the most original of concepts, the hotshot youngster who discovers that there is more to life than winning and himself. But in true Pixar style, they can still take it and make a good, solid two hours of entertainment out of it. As with most prior Pixar hits, Cars is helped by a few key elements: snappy dialogue, good voice acting and some spectacular looking imagery.
Ever since their first hit with Toy Story, Pixar has always managed great sounding dialogue along with smart, funny characters and Cars is no different. Mater is given most of the really memorable bits, but everyone in the film has some great moments throughout. While many of the characters are not exactly original, they are drawn sharply enough to be memorable. The characters are helped along by strong voice casting. Owen Wilson fits the young, brash McQueen perfectly, Paul Newman is equally strong as the grizzled old veteran Doc. Larry the Cable Guy will, without doubt, be the biggest hit with children as Mater. Most the supporting cast, including Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin and George Carlin as a hippie Volkswagen bus, are fitting for their parts.
Where Cars goes over the top is in it's imagery. This is easily Pixar's most gorgeous looking film to date, with spectacular vistas of the great American heartland that is breathtaking. The animators and art directors are not without a sense of humor, as they have designed many of the rock mesas and mountains in many of the scenic shots looking like old '50s era vehicles. The texture work on the cars is impressive also, the paint jobs and metallic surfaces as real as they should be. It all has a strong sense of stylization, but that works in the film's favor.
Cars may fall a little short in one key area: keeping youngsters preoccupied. Cars moves at a slower pace and features elements of reverence for times gone by that many children may not be thrilled by. Most adults should find Cars more than diverting, and it's nice to see an animated film that is willing to slow up and take the time to catch it's breath, but the younger set may be quickly find their attention wandering. Even so, Cars should once again prove a winner for Pixar and leave the audience waiting for their next hit.