Often seen as the 'black sheep' of the Pixar franchise, there's still plenty to enjoy here.
At the time of its summer 2006 release, this $120 million dollar sports-comedy was the
worst-reviewed film in the Pixar catalog.
In addition to its modest worldwide cume of $462 million though, "Cars" is estimated to
have scored a staggering $10 billion in merchandising sales - just in its first five years.
The original, G-rated story was written and directed by Pixar's chief creative officer,
John Lasseter.
The gingerly paced one-hour and 57-minute narrative follows a rookie race-car who gets
waylaid in a small forgotten town off Route 66, where he begrudgingly learns the true
meaning of friendship.
In a world populated entirely by anthropomorphic vehicles, Owen Wilson stars as this hot-shot
racer whose impatience and arrogance leaves him stranded and alone, both emotionally and
physically.
Bonnie Hunt is a Porsche love-interest, Larry the Cable Guy; a rusted out tow-truck, Tony
Shalhoub; an over-eager Italian Fiat.
While George Carlin, Cheech Marin, Richard Petty, Paul Dooley, and Michael Keaton round
out the rest of the all-star cast.
The group fit their auto-personas quite well, but Larry and Shalhoub are especially great
- just as long as they remain in smaller doses.
And last, but certainly not least - "Cars" features the late, great Paul Newman in his
final major film role, as a crotchety old 1951 Hudson Hornet - who serves as a sort
of father figure to the small town.
After a decades-long career as handsome actor and salad dressing pitchman, it's honestly
a bit depressing to learn that some weird talking car was the last character he ever
played.
Personally, NASCAR has never been my thing, but for those who are a fan of America's second-most-popular
sport, that's plenty of great references and imagery scattered throughout, including a
few great celebrity cameos like Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Mario Andretti and Michael Schumacher.
Even car enthusiast Jay Leno voices an automobile-version of himself.
The most appropriate description of the humor found in "Cars" is subtle bemusement.
Seeing cars perform human tasks is a novel curiosity for maybe the first 10 minutes,
but there's rarely a gag worth laughing at.
With the notable exception of John Ratzenberger's fourth-breaking observation during the credits
that he voices a character in every Pixar film.
But that's about it.
This film doesn't have any unique twist or inventive worldview like Pixar's other films.
We're not seeing the world through the eyes of an automobile, we're just seeing our world
filled with automobiles.
Remarking on Route 66's pre-interstate heyday, Hunt shares, "Cars didn't drive on it to make
great time.
They drove on it to have a great time."
This single line of dialogue might be the film's most effective moment.
A poignant reflection on this country's loss of community when small towns were bypassed
by bigger and more efficient roadways.
Although Pixar had the notable advantage of rendering characters without faces, the animation
here looks beautiful, especially during the races, or a stunning nighttime sequence lit
by neon signs.
Music by Randy Newman, including an Oscar-nominated original create a laid back and nostalgic
atmosphere; that unfortunately is lost on the film's younger demo.
I hesitate to call it "disappointing", as "Cars" is still a pretty good movie - it just
isn't a good Pixar movie.
Now let's read some of your reviews.
Certainly not a fan favorite, you were critical of this film's many flaws, scoring it a SIX
out of ten.
And I agree, like I said, it's a GOOD film.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel.
My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!