Review of Cars (2006) by Christopher A — 20 Jun 2012

Cars is where Pixar took a step downwards. But that step is only a small step. Not every movie they produce needs to be a masterpiece. While this is not a masterpiece like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, and probably the weakest Pixar movie since A Bug's Life at its time, the movie is still quite enjoyable and retains some of the brand's trademark heart.

The beginning starts with a car race that introduces us to Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson). He is an arrogant racer who only cares about himself and is reaching fame. He just barely manages to make a three-way tie between race cars Strip "The King" Weathers (Richard Petty) and Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton), in which they will race in California for the Piston Cup. But fate had other plans in store for McQueen when he finds himself in a small forgotten town known as Radiator Springs.

Because he accidently destroyed most of the road, by the suggestion of Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt) and order of Judge Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), McQueen is sentenced to community service of repaving the road. At first, McQueen is frustrated that he is stuck in this town waiting to get to California. But as he starts to spend time with the other cars, including redneck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), he begins to warm up to them and undergoes changes.

The basic story teaches us that fame cannot fill a certain hole in our life. A hole that needs friends and family. While there is still humor and the animation is still at its best, Cars lacks a little bit of the heart that the other Pixar installments had. Their heart is what made Pixar such a great brand. They weren't just flashy animation, but it gave us characters to care about and heartwarming stories with many redemptive themes. While those themes are still present in Cars, they're not quite as resonating.

As for the characters, while they are not quite as memorable as characters like Woody, Buzz, and those from Finding Nemo, they are still fun to watch. McQueen is not quite as likeable as the other protagonists in other stories, but friendship with Mater and interactions with Hudson, who holds a dark secret, are the movie's best moments. But his relationship with Sally is less interesting. The other cars in the movie are mostly just there in the background although some do have their moments.

While not a masterpiece we'd like it to be, it's still a good watch.