Full Tank of Comedy
Cars is Family Fun

The beauty of an animated film is in seeing a world that cannot be portrayed any other way. Whether that world is one filled with seven dwarfs, fairy godmothers, or toys come to life, there is a line where a story can be better served by animation. While computers have made more special effects possible in live action movies, they have also raised the bar on animated movies for the past decade. In Cars, the folks at Pixar have given us not only animated vehicles, but a world filled with automotive soul.

Cars
Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson, right) zooms beside old Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) in the Pixar animated feature Cars. (Disney, 2006)
Directed by: John Lasseter
Written by: Dan Fogelman, et al.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, George Carlin, and John Ratzenberger

Rated G
Running time: 116 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 9 out of 10.

Cars is essentially the story of a hot-shot, city boy who finds himself plunked down in the country, forcing him to examine his way of life. In this case, the hot shot is Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), a rookie race car on the verge of his first big win, fame, and fortune.

When McQueen becomes lost in the desert at night, he finds himself crashing through Radiator Springs, a small town all but abandoned on historic Route 66. Impounded for the night, McQueen meets Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), a tow truck who becomes his friend. McQueen is sentenced to repair the road he has damaged, and the time he spends in Radiator Springs brings him closer to the locals there.

Nothing could serve as a better metaphor for getting out of the fast lane than a race car stuck in a desert town. Dovetailing into McQueen's story is the history of old "Doc" Hudson (Paul Newman), who has his own reasons for living off the beaten path. While the plot is nothing new (I can think of a half-dozen films with similar storylines), the magic is in the Pixar animation.

In a word, Cars looks spectacular. The folks over at Pixar have outdone themselves, bringing life to automobiles in a way that even cartoons only dream about. This is not our world filled with animated cars. This is another world, one where cars have minds, hearts, and souls. Cars are reflected in everything, from the landscape to the little Volkswagen Beetle "bugs" that fly around. Everything is lovingly crafted, filling the screen with more animated goodness than one film should be able to deliver.

More importantly, the story is a love letter to historic Route 66. It is evident that the writers had something to say about the invention of the Interstate highway system and what we gave up in return for that speed and convenience. All over the country, little towns like Radiator Springs dried up. In losing our wandering highways, we also lost something else as well.

Surprisingly, music plays more of a part in Cars than in most Pixar animated films. Although it doesn't aspire to become a Disney musical, it uses music to accentuate key scenes. In one poignant moment, as Sally and McQueen discuss the passing of Route 66's heyday, James Taylor sings Randy Newman's heartbreaking "Our Town." The soundtrack also boasts some great road music with "Life Is A Highway" (performed by country band Rascal Flatts) and "Route 66" by Chuck Berry.

Cars is a grab bag of celebrity voice cameos. The supporting cast reads like a dream team, including Cheech Marin (Ramone), Tony Shalhoub (Luigi), Katherine Helmond (Lizzie), and George Carlin (Filmore). For racing fans, there are a number of celebrities making surprise appearances, including Richard Petty (as The King), Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Schumacher, and Mario Andretti.

Pixar alum John Ratzenberger returns to voice Mack, the semi that hauls Lightning McQueen. Ratzenberger has the distinction of being the only person to voice a character in every Pixar feature film. As a result, the Pixar gang has a little joke about it during the end credits.