(Val) Not in a long, long time have I looked forward to a movie the way I did Disney-Pixar’s Cars. As someone who loves just about everything ever to come out of the Pixar studio, from animated short films to full-length features, I was excited to see what they would do with a movie about racing. To say that I was not disappointed is an understatement. In fact, the day this movie is released on DVD, I will be one of the first in line to buy it.
From the opening scenes where Lightning McQueen is psyching himself up for the big race against his closest competitors for the Piston Cup, to the post-movie clips that only D-P can do, I was thoroughly entertained.
Tonight, Spring and her son, my hubby and our daughter and I all went to see Cars together at a local theater. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions that turned what could have been a ho-hum evening into a night of fun for all.
After stopping for popcorn and drinks, (no, I didn’t sneak any food in this time, I think I was just so excited that I forgot!) we entered the theater and took our prime, top row seats. Maybe it’s just something about being a race fan that makes us instinctively head up as high as we can possibly get to make sure we get the best view. Caleb picked our seats, so he must have inherited that racing gene from Spring.
After sitting through an endless round of movie previews, some of which looked pretty good, the movie finally started. Within minutes, it was obvious that the guys at D-P did their homework when researching this film. The comments by the guys in the booth, the outstanding animation with a very Bristol-esque race track for a background, and even the fans in the stands and the infield were so totally true-to-life that we couldn’t stop laughing about how well they’d been pegged. I love it that Darrell Waltrip plays himself, right down to a well-timed "boogity boogity boogity" later in the movie.
One of the things that really caught my attention about how much work went into the details of this movie were the scenes where Doc is trying to explain to Lightning about “turning right to go left.” There’s not a Sprint Car fan out there who won’t pick up on that one! What cracked me up was that when we first started watching the Sprint Cars at Pevely last Wednesday night, Spring’s first question to me was about why the cars go sideways through the turns. Now that she’s seen the movie, as well as some real Sprint Car and Midget racing, the lesson ahs been learned!
The soundtrack itself is worth the price of admission, with Rascal Flatts doing an excellent job with Life Is a Highway, and John Mayer’s Route 66, along with the musical score during Lightning and Sally’s trip out on the open road are all wonderfully done.
Animation has always fascinated me, and the unique style D-P uses to capture some of the real-life features of the actors who do these voices is uncanny. Of course, in Cars, nobody is more “himself” than Larry the Cable Guy as Mater the tow truck. What truly amazes me though, is the way this studio gives life and character to common objects, such as vehicles. Who would imagine that a car could be flirtatious, silly, serious or lonely? Well, the gang at D-P believes that anything can have a personality, and they are experts when it comes to getting those characteristics across, whether through the tilt of a fender, the lowering of an eyelid or the twist of a bumper.
I loved everything about this movie, from the animation to the music, to what is really a sweet story with a great lesson about friendship, priorities, and respect for the past. This movie is perfect for any age, but I think fans of auto racing, especially NASCAR, will enjoy it to an even higher degree. I give it a hearty five spark plugs!
Movie Facts:
Theatrical Release: June 9, 2006
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Rating: G
Director: John Lasseter
Co-Director: Joe Ranft
Voice Cast:
Owen Wilson - Lightning McQueen
Paul Newman - Doc Hudson
Bonnie Hunt - Sally Carrera
Larry the Cable Guy – Mater
Cheech Marin – Ramone
Tony Shalhoub – Luigi
Guido Quaroni – Guido
Jenifer Lewis – Flo
Paul Dooley – Sarge
Michael Wallis – Sheriff
George Carlin – Filmore
Katherine Helmond – Lizzie
John Ratzenberger – Mack
Bob Costas - Bob Cutlass
Michael Keaton - Chick Hicks
Ray Magliozzi - Clunk
Tom Magliozzi - Clink
Edie McClurg – Minny
Richard Petty - 'The King' Strip Weathers
Darrel Waltrip - Carrel Cartip
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