Crashed in the middle

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2006)

This is a movie which had great potential and could be a great family flick. However, i found it to be a satisfactory film with great room for improvement.
There is no denying that Pixar studios have surpassed themselves again in the ability to create such breathtaking animations. In this movie they mastered the shine on the cars, and the reflection on them. It cannot be faulted, and i give Pixar credit for the animation alone.
The story is based around a race car (Owen Wilson), who thinks he has it all. Until one day he finds himself in a sparsely populated town in the middle of nowhere. He realises what has been missing in his life, as this close community who work together and care for each other show him. Inevitably he falls for the town attorney (Bonnie Hunt), who once had a similar lifestyle as he did, but gave it up for a simple life.
What is meant to be taken away from this film is that having every material aspect in your life fulfilled doesn't make you happy. In the end it's the simple values which make one truly happy. It may be seen as an attack on consumerism and materialism in our modern day world, but then the Disney corporation promote the opposite of what the film's message is trying to say.
I took it for what it was though, and went into the cinema with an open mind. It was spectacular at the beginning, and looked promising. However, it lost its way by the middle of the film, and only at the end was my attention grabbed once more.