Better than I'd been led to believe

Rating: 8/10 (30 July 2006)

The critical knives were unsheathed for this one ("Has Pixar Lost Its Touch?" being a common plaint), but on a clearer day "Cars" seems to be a very good film. True, the humor tends to generate quiet smiles rather than peals of laughter, and the overall pace and style tends to be extremely laid-back (with the obvious exception of the car racing).
The animation reaches new heights of technical excellence. There are several sections where the line between computer-generated imagery and reality has been erased completely. Whether or not one agrees with the aesthetic goal of pursuing such photographic realism, it represents an enormous achievement - and sets the Pixar studio leagues ahead from the rubbery-looking "3-D" characters currently glutting multiplex screens ("Over the Hedge," "Monster House," the upcoming "Barnyard"...write in your own candidate).
For me, Paul Newman's voice work was a minor revelation. He can still sound astonishingly young and vital, then turn around and deliver lines with the age-worn weariness of his octogenarian self. The man remains a terrific actor.
"Cars" doesn't achieve the near-perfect blend of story and style that marked "The Incredibles," but its merits are far from negligible.
(For what it's worth, this is the only summer '06 movie my 12-year old daughter asked to see twice.)