"I'm a precision instrument of speed and aerodynamics."

Rating: 6/10 (7 October 2007)

Pixar Animation Studios has long maintained a history of excellence, always delivering enjoyable family entertainment. 'Cars' from their only film that I had yet to see, and so I greeted it with a lot of anticipation. Having finished it, I find myself considering a step-down from Pixar's other classics, such as 'Toy Story' or 'Monsters Inc.,' but that doesn't stop it from being an above-average two hours. In a world dominated by automobiles, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is a super-successful rookie in competitive racing; all that remains for him is to win the prestigious Piston Cup, if only he can surpass retiring champion The King (Richard Petty) and cocky Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton). After getting lost on his way to the all-important final race, McQueen ends up in the sleepy, dilapidated town of Radiator Springs, which had once been busy but had since slunk into obscurity when the new highway bypassed it.
After accidentally destroying the town's main road, the citizens condemn McQueen to repave it, despite his insistence that he is a famous car and must get to his race within the week. Tired town doctor, Doc Hudson  a 1951 Hudson Hornet (voiced by Paul Newman)  is the most respected vehicle in town, and yet he harbours an unusual reservation towards McQueen that we can't quite explain. Running the local motel is Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt), a relatively new resident to Radiator Springs, who found comfort and happiness away from the hustle-and-bustle of the city. Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) is the town's rusty tow-truck, and he's such an adorable creature that he probably steals the entire film. As he slowly gets the know the friendly residents of Radiator Springs, McQueen uncovers some meaning in his life: after all, it's not all about winning. It's about being happy and having some good friends.
The thing I've always loved about Pixar's films is that, despite the state-of-the-art computer animation, they've always told their stories in a very traditional way. The films don't try to be cool and high-tech (though I suppose this was a necessary prerequisite for 'The Incredibles'), but simply tell their stories in a simple way, as an older, traditionally-animated film might. Particularly during the opening sequence, the buzzing sound effects, flashing advertisements and pop music soundtrack just didn't seem to fit within a Pixar film: it, frankly, seemed like something you might expect to find in one of the inferior CGI-animated off-shoots from a different studio. Needless to say, I was relieved when McQueen drifted into the quiet country town, since it was then that I started to detect the filmmaker's skills for telling a good story. The outcome of the narrative  as in all Pixar films  was never in doubt, but it's such a nice story, and directors John Lasseter and Joe Ranft tell it pretty well. It's also interesting to note that the studio's next feature-length film, 'Ratatouille (2007),' truly recaptures the traditional spirit of Pixar's earlier works.
Once again, I'd like to reinforce that, despite my slight disappointment, 'Cars' is not a poor film by any means. It remains highly entertaining, and healthy fun for children of all ages, even if they have absolutely no knowledge of 1950s automobiles (I most certainly don't!). If I had to choose a funniest scene, it would probably be the "tractor-tipping" sequence, when Mater demonstrates the intricate art of startling cow-like farm machinery as they sleep. The ending also carries an excellent message of good-sportsmanship, and I can't have been the only person to let out an audible "awwwwww!" in the final seconds of the tie-breaking Piston Cup championship race.