the pixar machine finally stalled

Rating: 6/10 (16 June 2006)

Pumping himself up before the final race, Lighting McQueen is a rookie car sensation, only starting at the beginning of the season and already one of the top cars. Lighting is cocky and egotistical, but the crowd loves him and he's happy for the attention. The race ends, but on a three way tie between Lighting, Chick Hicks and defending champion The King. For the decider, another race is held in California between the three cars for the championship. On the way to California, Lighting gets lost on the old highway Route 66. While trying to find the interstate, Lighting is impounded in the small town of Radiator Springs. The town is inhabited by an old mix of cars; leader Doc Hudson, a porch Sally Carrera, a rusted tow truck Mater, a low rider Ramone, stoned out VW Filmore, plus an assortment of others.
Pixar have always been ahead of the game they started of computer animation, back in 1995 with Toy Story. They changed the world of children films, with deeper and layered stories that tailor to the young and the older audiences. Each film they have gone in boundless leaps, bringing the best in artistry of computer animation, and Cars is no different. The animation is flawless and at times mesmerising, the world these cars live in is wonderfully detailed.
Amazing animation aside, the driving force of Cars isn't that strong. The story is one road that has been very well travelled. Self centered McQueen learns life lessons about friendship and loyalty, with his ways changed by unlikely strangers. So Cars becomes a little to predictable as it moves through the numbers. The jokes are also too sparing. The jokes are to far apart, and many fall flat; even the opening short film One Man Band isn't that entertaining as other previous Pixar Shorts.
The Pixar team have always been excellent at suspending ones disbelief. One wondered if our toys were secretly alive, humanizing insects and sea creatures, or our closet was a doorway to a monster world. While writer/director John Lasseter has attempted to humanize cars, it doesn't feel that believable. The cars come off as caricatures of what type they are; one look and its not hard to click onto what personality they will have.
The voice talent like always is the defining part. Owen Wilson is great as the cocky Lighting McQueen. Paul Newman husky voice brings that pain to Doc Hundson and his past. Bonnie Hunt is good as the protective Sally. At first, Larry The Cable Guy's exaggerated southern voice started off irritating, but it not hard to fall for Mattor and his antics. Other voices include Cheech Marin, George Carlin, Tony Shalhoub and Michael Keaton.
Cars is not as strong as the other Pixar films, but it's still one journey your happy to go along with.