The best car-related movie for the family!

Rating: 9/10 (31 January 2007)

When I first saw Herbie: Fully Loaded, I was so shocked at the old buggy forcing Lindsey Logan onto its seat that it ended up strapping me to my place; I ended up loving it because of this "shock factor" that Herbie gave me! As for Cars, I wasn't attracted to it out of any factor--in fact, I had doubts about the movie due to its car-related jokes, and doubted that it would live up to the Pixar name. But once I saw it on Pay-Per-View, I kept thinking to myself, I just gotta see this again! And I did. And I still loved it. Why? It was so adorable and touching, it was worth it to see it a second time--not to mention that although quite a number of jokes here are car-related or come off as mildly crude, they're still great enough for a laugh-fest, a chuckle, and maybe a smirk or two.
The story behind all this is as goes: Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car whose dream is to win the Piston Cup and a sponsor from Dinoco, loses his way and ends up in Radiator Springs, or, as he calls it, "hillbilly hell". There he meets a handful of diverse characters, such as Mater (one of my favorite characters), who becomes a good friend despite all differences, Luigi, an Italian car who prefers Ferraris to Lightning's type, Red (another favorite), a shy and sensitive fire truck, and Sally, a Porche (?) with both sweet and sassy sides to her. And also while there, he wrecks the road and was thus ordered to fix it, dragging a cement-producing machine nicknamed "Bessie". But through Mater, Sally, and an ex-racer named Doc Hudson, he eventually opens his eyes to the true beauty of Route 66, and he not only repairs the street, but also helped everyone in the small town as well! Tension rises as he is found and sent to compete in the Piston Cup against his rival, Chick Hicks, but with his new friends' support, he won much more than a race--he won the appreciation and kindness of many.
This movie is not only of trademarked Pixar-quality, but it also features some of the best country and country-esquire music in modern movie history. From the highly awarded "Life is a Highway" to the two different versions of "Route 66", the soundtrack will have you jamming and jiving throughout the film.
As for downsides, the film does have a tendency to drag in some parts, and, like I've mentioned a couple of times, the humor is mainly car-related and/or mildly inappropriate, so it might not appeal to everyone.
Overall, Cars may not be fast-paced as Lightning claims it to be, but with the help of a well-known company with a little lamp for its mascot, it brings out a level of cuteness and light-hearted emotions that most other movies are unable to reach.
My rating: 9/10