Cars Review: A Speedy Classic

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Pixar has had some great movies come out recently, Soul, Luca, Elemental or even Turning Red, but let’s explore one of the early classic.

What happens in Cars?

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.

Who are the characters in Cars?

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.

Cars 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 15^th Cars!