CARS is an Incredible Addition to Pixar's Library

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2006)

A hotshot stud of a car, Lightening McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), is off to the Piston Cup Championship in Los Angeles. He literally dreams about fame, fortune and sponsorship. Unexpectedly, he's detoured to the sleepy town of Radiator Springs, somewhere off of the legendary Route 66. There, he discovers that life isn't all about trophies and living life in the fast lane. Some off-beat characters in the new Disney/Pixar computer animated film are Sally, a pristine 2002 baby blue Porsche (Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet (Paul Newman), Ramone, a 1959 Chevy Impala with as an East LA talking' low-rider (Cheech Marin) and Mater as in "Tom Mater" (get it?), a rusty hillbilly tow-truck (Larry the Cable Guy). The all-star cast also includes the voices of racing legends, Richard Petty and Mario Andretti, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. A casting coupe would've been adding Chong (hey, Cheech is already a voice in the movie) as Filmore, the peace-loving hippie Volkswagen bus. But George Carlin fills in those shoes.
Cars is a fantastic addition to the incredible library that is Pixar. And just when you think that the geniuses at Pixar can't raise the bar any higher, Cars is absolute proof that computer animation succeeds any previous expectations. Admire the shimmering metallic paint of the cars, the NASCAR-like race at the opening of the film is as exciting as in any recent action flick, and the great palette of colors throughout the movie, mostly visualized through the landscapes and little town of Radiator Springs. Pixar films have always been about the story first, and Cars is no exception. All of the cars have personalities and are characterized to perfection. What's left of the real Route 66 was the inspiration for the computer artists. There is so much amazing detail to admire, it's almost impossible to see it all during a first viewing. Cars is a great looking film, with lots of comedy and some sentimental scenes about fame and fortune; that it isn't what it's meant out to be. Stay for the credits. You'll still be laughing on that drive all the way home.