Cars
Run Time: 1h 57 minutes
Rating: G
Genre: Family, Animation, Comedy
Summary:
Fresh off a three-way tie at the Piston Cup, Lightning McQueen heads to California for the tiebreaker race. The journey goes the exact opposite way it was planned, and Lightning ends up falling out of Mack. With a disorientated sense of direction, Lighting tries to catch up with Mack and head towards the interstate. With no headlights and a less than fantastic sense of direction, Lighting ends up in a small town off the interstate, Radiator Springs. He gets pursued by the police for speeding and ends up nearly destroying the entire town. When he wakes up, he finds himself with a parking boot and as far from his race as he could be.
Characters:
Lightning McQueen, is a race car who’s become the rookie sensation in the racing world. He thinks he is the fastest racer in the league and he acts like it, he is cocky, arrogant, self-centered, and just all-around a not great person though he has some vulnerability as he has no real friends. Mater is the tow truck of Radiator Springs, he is pretty loud and very in your face but he is well-intentioned and kind. Sally is a Porsche who moved from Los Angeles to the small town of Radiator Springs to live a simpler life and she hopes to return the town to its former glory. She is kind, smart but is not very trusting and doesn’t like Lightning at first.
Nathanyal: 9.5/10
Review:
It has been many years since I’ve seen this movie, and I’ve got to say, I enjoyed this movie as much as I did when I was a kid. From the simple, but fun storyline, to the variety of characters, to even the few life lessons sprinkled around, this movie was a fun watch as a kid and equally so now that I’m older.
The first thing I want to talk about is Lightning McQueen’s character. As a kid, I never realised how arrogant and stuck-up his character was. Watching it again now, I was honestly appalled with how he acted. But as he developed over the course of the movie, his arc was one of the few that I enjoyed. Besides Lightning, I also enjoyed all the side characters of Radiator Springs. The core trio of Mater, Sally, and Doc provided a nice balance of people at the town. They all had different perspectives, which made their interaction with the protagonist that much more interesting. Even the minor characters, like Red, were fun. Although they didn’t have any developments, their presence still helped with the community at Radiator Springs.
Now when it comes to storyline, this movie didn’t have any deep plots or unforeseeable twists. It was a kid’s movie, and it had a simple plot to go with it. That being said, the plot was still enjoyable to watch. A simple story means there was more room for characters and other lessons sprinkled in, which is what the movie focused on. We were able to see Lightning’s development, and the effects of the town on his character. Personally, this simpler story let me enjoy the other aspects of the movie, like the setting and the characters.
So, with all that in mind, this would be a great kid’s movie. Flashy cars, fast paced races, and even some funny moments, this was made for children. But even with that, this movie still had moments for the adults watching with their children. Watching this while I’m older, it was fun to watch and hear some jokes that might have gone over my head as a kid. And I think that’s what gives this movie some extra charm. It’s a fun experience for children, but the adults or parents watching get to have some fun too.
Overall, Cars was a fun movie to watch again. From the characters, to the themes, to the plot, everything about this movie might scream “kid’s movie”, but there’s still a surprising amount that entertains me today. If you haven’t seen this movie, please give it a watch. Happy 15th Cars!
Favourite Moment (Spoilers):
My favourite moment as a kid was watching Guido during the pitstop. I loved seeing the smug look of Chick’s crew after Guido’s performance. After watching it again, I have to say that Guido at the pitstop is still my favourite scene to this day as well.
Austin: 9.3/10
Review:
Cars is an absolute classic in terms of animated movies, and one of Pixar’s best. The story is fun for everyone, regardless of age, and the characters are awesome. For 2006, I thought the animation was really good. The way the driving, turning, and talking all look seamless throughout the movie is very impressive and it’s a crucial part of this movie. The plot itself looks a little bit risky from the outside looking in, a talking race car who wants to win the Piston Cup but gets lost along the way. It’s a little bit of a jump, but it worked perfectly. This movie is beloved by nearly everyone, and I think it is one of the best “Kids” movies that can be enjoyed by everyone. Age doesn’t affect your enjoyment of Cars and I loved that about it. It’s a really easy movie to come back to and enjoy, time and time again.
Our characters are awesome, and surprisingly well written for a Family movie. Lighting’s arrogance and selfishness makes him a really easy character to dislike from the very beginning, but it also leaves the door open for the ending we get. If you didn’t like Lightning, to begin with, the whole changing and growing of character wouldn’t have felt as awesome it did. Watching Lighting go from a cocky superstar to a down-to-earth car that learned a lot from a small town. All the cars around Radiator Springs play such a huge role in Lighting’s development, and because of that, it doesn’t bother me that we get nearly no development for most of our other characters.
I really like this movie, and it was one of the first animated films I watched as a kid. It has a ton of aspects that have withstood the test of time, as well as the test of age. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy this movie for everything it is, a feel-good story about a talking car. 15 years later, this is a classic and one of my favourite animated movies.
Favourite Moment (Spoilers):
I would have to say my favourite moment comes right at the end of the movie. Watching Lightning push The King across the finish line ahead of him was a surprising but heartwarming move. It really shows how far Lightning has come since the beginning of the movie.
Sebastian: 9.0/10
Review:
Cars is a movie I remember watching a lot as a kid and I remember enjoying it thoroughly. The movie has comedy, action, interesting characters, and some good emotional moments. I feel that the comedy in the film really works even when you aren’t expecting it to. While the majority of the humor is still directed towards kids but some of it is a lot more adult-oriented than I remember. The characters themselves are all very interesting and while the character arc of Lightning McQueen is predictable it is still enjoyable to watch as he develops as a character and Owen Wilson does a great job in the role. The world created in the film is really interesting and I like the creative ways in which the cars do things in this world since there are no humans. The animation in the film is quite beautiful, especially the backgrounds of Radiator Springs and the surrounding area.
The racing scenes are quite cool and story-wise. I like how the way the races play out are paired well with the character development of Lightning. There are some good songs in the background of the film with “Life is a Highway” sung by Rascal Flatts being the big hit from the film. The emotional climax of the film worked for me as well and I truly felt as though the characters were going through these problems and you could see why they made the decisions they did.
All in all, this is a pretty great film that I remember quite enjoying as a kid and it’s one that I think will continue to be enjoyed by kids and parents alike. So hop on Disney+ and see for yourself.
Favourite Moment:
My favourite moment of the film is actually when Mater tells Lightning that Lightning is his best friend because it shows Mater’s innocence and general trust in Lightning. I also like that Lightning smiles because he has never had a real friend before and it’s something he has wanted.
