Review of Cars 3 (2017) by Trae S — 17 Jun 2017

Once again, burning up the track, our favorite red car, number 95, Lightning Mcqueen! This time without the kachow, due to his gradual losing streak in the beginning. There's a new, sleek, and technologically superior car named Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), who represents the new generation of racing. He pushes old Mcqueen to the limit, causing a devastating wreck to his ego. Mcqueen finds himself back in Radiator Springs, with familiar friends, such as Tow Mater and Sal, to reminisce in the good ol days. Pixar provided so much charm that the original Cars film gave us, and it was the perfect reintroduction to the series. The CGI and animation was Pixar perfect as always. We don't get much of Radiator Springs, but that was a good direction to lead Lightening into trying the training methods of the next generation of race cars. His trainer, a young yellow modern vehicle, named Cruz Ramirez(Cristela Alonzo), introduces modern methods, but Mcqueen wants to keep it old school. Suddenly, the film slowly retreats from being about Lightning Mcqueen. His progression isn't there. Nothing modern was taken into account for him to become a better racer, forcing the story to take the safe route. Mcqueen ends up passing the torch to Cal, telling her to believe in herself, so she can fulfill her dream of becoming a female race car. I still find this cute, but too safe. Every parent accompanying their child, could have left the theatre with a grand lesson about change, and in order to become greater, you must evolve. Yes, I understand this is a child's movie, but the strong underlying thematic magic that Pixar creates, is what turns a child's movie, into a family movie. Overall, the film takes us back to the reason why we enjoyed Cars in the first place, but only that and nothing more.

3/5.

Cars 3 is the Cars 2 that we deserved.