Pixar's string of great films continues!

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2006)

A thought hit me hard when I walked out of the theater after viewing cars; as good as Pixar films have been over the past 11 years, Cars is clearly the best.
To be honest, this may not be the best Pixar film for the kiddies. The tots in my theater were attentive and quiet for the full two hours, but I can see how a child could zone out. The eye candy may hold them - and there's a lot of eye candy - but the extensive talking may bore them.
For the adults, however, it should be an amazing film. The comparisons being made to Doc Hollywood and other films of that sort are correct to a point. The difference is the sense of loss that is presented in Cars. While many films have highlighted the differences between fast-paced city life and a quiet life in the country, Cars goes a step further. In our attempt as a nation to get everything going faster we have lost touch with ourselves and who we really are. During the film as we see what the Interstate did to the town of Radiator Springs, it's difficult not to choke up. Randy Newman's excellent song, "Our Town", adds to this feeling (sung superbly by James Taylor). As someone who hails from the Midwest and remembers the towns shutting down, it really hit home. Has the hectic pace of our lives really made things better for us? Maybe we should stop and realize what we lose when we don't pay attention to the beauty around us - to our families, friends, and the beauty of God's Creation that surrounds us.
Cars is a masterpiece. The animation is beyond superb. The cast is spot-on. The film is quite funny, especially due to Larry the Cable Guy's uberlovable Mater. Pixar has consistently brought wonderful stories to the screen that bring us so much more than cute characters. Cars is no different although it is certainly a cut above. This is the best film I've seen in a long while.