On its cinematic run, Cars was damned with faint praise (it's good, the critical establishment begrudgingly admitted, but is it a Toy Story, is it The Incredibles?). Critical blustering aside however, Cars is easily as satisfying as any previous Pixar outing. Taking the blueprint of Michael J Fox's Doc Hollywood (big city type gets stranded in out of the way mid-America and learns to love its cosy, down-home trad values), all you need to know about Cars can be summed up by the following: the animation is incredible, the voicing (courtesy of the likes of Owen Wilson and Paul Newman, who seems to be resurrecting his 'Fast Eddie' persona from The Hustler) is outstanding, and the tale itself, treading that fine line between action (scene-stealing races!) and thoughtfulness (to keep mums and dads interested while the littluns are overdosing on Haribo), is everything you would want. The critical establishment might cough and splutter but the best gauge (my two year-old son) thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread.
Pixar's latest smash continues the tradition of stunning animation and strong characters. As the title suggests, cars takes centre stage as a cocky stock-car gets lost on the way to a major race and discovers a host of new friends. Owen Wilson does the voice of arrogant rookie racecar Lightning McQueen, who winds up stranded in the small desert town of Radiator Springs on his way west to a big showdown. Sentenced to community service after literally tearing up the road in a high-speed chase, at first all Lightning can think of is getting back to the world of corporate sponsorship and merchandising tie-ins he loves so well. Eventually, however, the eccentric residents of Radiator Springs begin to grow on him, especially the attractive lady Porsche lawyer (Bonnie Hunt) and a rusty old tow-truck (Larry the Cable Guy). There's also a hippie Volkswagen (George Carlin), a low-riding T-bird (Cheech Martin) and Paul Newman as the gruff, curmudgeonly Doc Hudson, the town judge who harbors his own checkered-flag past. The story may not be new, but Pixar's precision-engineered animation brilliantly illuminates the town and its surrounding cactus-studded vistas down to the minutest detail, and director/writer John Lasseter keeps the film's satiric wit and generous heart in perfect alignment. Adults in the audience should appreciate the film's celebration of old-school American eccentricity, and the kids will dig all the thunderous grit and high-octane wheel burning.
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Cars
