Epic

Rating: 8/10 (5 September 2018)

1. When you hear the name "Pixar", you instantly expect a high quality film experience. This expectation is an example of connotation, the suggestive meaning of a word. Cars lives up to this studio's reputation as its protagonist, plot, climax, and point of view are all excellent.
2. The first superb aspect of Cars is the protagonist, Lightning Mcqueen. Like any protagonist, Mcqueen serves as the main character that the plot revolves around. He is a youthful, hot-blooded racer who is living the good life of fame and fortune. As a side effect of this ravish lifestyle, Mcqueen becomes oblivious to the outside world. One of the turning points for Mcqueen's character is his interactions with the various cars of Radiator Springs.
3. They teach him to be a "slow racer". This combination of words with contrasting meanings that reveal the truth create an oxymoron that symbolizes Mcqueen's dynamic change as a character.
4. Unsurprisingly the position of which this work is told is third person with a focus on Mcqueen's experiences. With this common point of view the viewer is given insight to not only Mcqueen's thoughts, but the other characters he interacts with as well. This comes into play for three of the biggest side cars, Doc Hudson, Mater, and Sally. No new grounds are broken with the POV in this film, but it serves its purpose and is simple enough for kids of any age to understand.
5. The next factor behind Cars's greatness is its plot. The order of events that take place in Cars is standard, offering an easy to digest plot made for its target demographic. The driving factor behind the story is Mcqueen change as a "person". This is accomplished through the life lessons that Mcqueen attains from each of the inhabitants of Radiator Springs. When Mcqueen stumbles into Radiator Springs he may have lost his way, but he found new friends. Doc Hudson, Mater, Sally, and the others of Radiator Springs all make an impression on Mcqueen that later plays a role in the final race.
6. Everything in the film builds up to this final race to make it the most significant part of the movie, causing it to be the climax and the payoff. Mcqueen is more motivated to win the piston cup than ever before. His new friends are also there to cheer him on and act as his pit crew. Using the skills he picked up along his journey, Mcqueen is able to pull ahead in the race and secure a victory. That is until Chick Hicks plays dirty and puts King (the previous piston cup champion) out of commission. Just as Mcqueen is about to receive first place, he reflects on the life lessons he has learned. Being the hero that he is, Mcqueen backs up and pushes King to the finish line, allowing King to finish the race. This honorable act not serves as a satisfying conclusion, but also as an important detail of Cars 2 and Cars 3.
7. The only proper way to sum up our feelings about Pixar's Cars is through consonance. Through the repeating consonant sounds at the end of the words in this phrase: the movie "Cars", is a star that raises the bar, because it is made by Pixar, anyone can understand its greatness.