CARS
Car 95, where are you?
PopcornReel.com Film Review: "Cars"
By Omar P.L. Moore/June 9, 2006
From the dazzling, electrifying and energetic opening of John Lasseter's "Cars", a Disney-Pixar film which opens today, the audience is propelled into high-speed hi-jinks. With animation that is priceless, this film runs on its own visual power and flair. There is a race going on, and Car 95 -- aka Lightning McQueen -- a brash, confident rookie car, is determined to win his first big race. He's up against several veterans, and looks like a sure bet to win. But his arrogance catches up with him -- as he sputters to the finish line. Does he make it? The answer is revealed in a hilarious slow-motion replay of some of the events of the race that will have you laughing hard.
Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) has a trademark "ka-chow!" saying, in which he shines flashes into the eyes of those who look at him. He has his share of female admirers and as noted, is a supremely confident car. There is a big race coming up in California within the next week of two and Lightning has to make it across the country to have a shot at redemption and have his name etched in the big-time lights, for the Piston Cup. On the long road trip to the West, he chases his transportation truck around after literally falling asleep at his own wheel and out of the truck -- and gets lost on the road trying to find his truck.
He careens into a dusty, abandoned town that looks as old as dirt. Here Lightning meets an assortment of characters that includes the town's sheriff of sorts Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman), the memorable Mater (Larry the Cable Guy -- terrific here as the voice of Mater) and Sally (the voice of Bonnie Hunt). Lightning has to pay penance, ordered by the town's court to repave the road he has destroyed. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on the countdown to the big race. Will he make it to California in time? And will he win the race that he's dreamed of winning? There's so much that happens in this great-looking, great-sounding film, that it is best to just do yourself a favor and drink this wildly wonderful entertainment "vehicle" in at the movie theater near you.
"Cars" is thoroughly entertaining and invigorating. It has even more vigor
than "Over The Hedge" and like that film is a great animation spectacle.
The quality and scripts of these two animated features are incredible --
compared to some of the poor quality of some recent films featuring humans
acting on screen. Pound-for-pound, "Cars" and "Over The Hedge" are the
best summer films of this year. More importantly, they are for
universal audiences, so if you are an adult you will enjoy this film -- which
features other voices such as Michael Keaton, George Carlin, race legends
Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip, Jeremy Piven, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub,
and Katherine Helmond -- immensely.
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