A visual feast with a storyline to boot

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2006)

The concept of talking cartoon cars having an adventure doesn't sound like a thrilling premise for a movie does it? Sounds a bit Thomas the Tank Engine without a railway line right? Well you can cast all doubts aside because Pixar have triumphed yet again, proving once and for all why they are the undisputed leaders when it comes to computer generated family entertainment. And by family entertainment I don't just mean to label it as the sort of film little kids enjoy, parents endure and everyone between the ages of twelve and twenty two avoids, because this is a richly rewarding two hours that anyone, regardless of age can enjoy.
As always with Pixar movies, much of the appeal comes from the visuals and here, they excel. From the jam packed stadiums at the opening to the gorgeous depiction of the American desert, we are given a lush world that is pure visual candy and it doesn't end with the wide angle landscapes either, for the character design is top notch too. Cars by their very nature may be metallic and featureless, but these are not cars, these are characters and there is a world of emotion etched on their faces which puts most real life actors to shame.
However, the reason why Cars triumphs isn't because of the visuals, it's because of the storyline. Sure, the tale of a big headed race car getting stuck in a small town and learning to slow down once in a while is somewhat clichéd, but is imbued with so much depth and characterisation it doesn't matter. You come to care about all these offbeat automobiles and they'll make you laugh and cry in equal amount. Of particular note here is Larry the Cable Guy's work as Mater, the dim witted redneck tow-truck. It is testament to the script writers abilities that Mater is such a lovable fellow and he effectively steals the entire film when he could very easily have been the most irritating character to appear since George Lucas rolled out a certain Rastafarian Amphibian.
Of course, you could put the reasons for it being so enjoyable down to the fact that expectations were not as high for this one as they were for the likes of Toy Story 2 or Monsters Inc, but that would do a disservice to the beautifully crafted film on offer. It's not perfect and is let down by a rather contrived romance subplot which relies on the usual tactics of the two leads chatting and laughing nervously together at the same time, but that minor gripe aside, it's second only to The Incredibles. Pixar's track record is still intact and while some of you may be a little put off by the somewhat childish subject matter consider this; at least they're not talking animals.