well done

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2006)

Caught the world premiere at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte-- we're not race fans ourselves by any means, but you really don't have to be to get on the road with this one. We were privvy to a couple inside jokes, living amongst the racing atmosphere that IS Charlotte, but even if we hadn't gotten that extra little chuckle, there's definitely plenty to find. Not just for kids. Kids will like the cute characters, and bright colors, adults will like it simply because it's just plain entertaining without having to dumb down to appeal to kids. You'll find yourself wanting to find the next twisty backroad to get to your next destination. Watch for all kids of cameo's, and it's too bad IMDb doesn't include a picture of the animated character as well-- it's not always easy to remember what the names are once you get home. Owen's good, Newman is classic, if a little flat (I applaud him for just plain staying active and leaving his house!), but it's really Larry the Cable Guy's movie-- newfound appreciation for that one-- and "tow-mater" is a multi-layered pun. Not only on the fact that he's a tow truck, but also his "they call me tater salad" bit-- Overall, highly entertaining, just try not to speed too much on the way home....