Comment by K. Vaske

# January 2, 2007,

well, ARG! Kids movies. I mean, Cars actually seemed like a full blown movie, while the aforementioned movies were held together by a paper thin plot. Over the Hedge was a good 4 star movie, while The Wild was more like 3 star, but I’m getting off track.

Cars is the newest Pixar movie, and the only animated movies I’ll be willing to see in theater is a Pixar, Aardman, OR Shrek movie. I didn’t see Cars in theatres because I heard it wasn’t as good as the other Pixar movies and not as funny. MAN I h*te critics sometimes. This is a very good movie and should win Best Animated movie for the Oscars. IT was better than A Bug’s Life and as good as Monsters Inc. While I think Finding Nemo and The Incredibles were better this is definately a great movie.

The movie is all about appreciating the little things in life and slowing down. Its not really funny, its more like a heartfelt, old fashioned movie. The direction is great, Voice work is great, and to all those people who say it was too long I say, “You have ADD, get some Meds.”

Comment by Juraj Vojnik

# January 2, 2007,

According to me - CARS is the best the PIXAR studio has made. Toy Story was the first, The Incredibles were action-packed, but the CARS ARE JUST SIMPLY THE BEST!

I like the story, I like the superb soundtrack and of course I love the animation. It just made me feel that even cars have soul and feelings… Well maybe it wasnt a feeling but now I really believe that all the cars have feelings.

Comment by Michael J. Spooner

# January 2, 2007,

Cars is one of those movies that only Pixar would dare to undertake. Whereas many of Pixar’s past successes have been copied by other studios, Cars is a concept that stands alone. The attention to detail in Cars, in everything from the motion of the vehicles to the breathtaking settings and animation, is simply astounding. When Pixar decides to create a movie, they do it right. They do their research and it pays off.

With Cars, Pixar has created a world populated solely by vehicles; a world in which machines not only have faces– but have real heart and soul. Pixar’s mechanical world is fleshed out enough to suspend disbelief without insulting or eliminating the need for the audience’s imagination.

The concept of anthropomorphic cars without humans may not sit perfectly in a logical sense, but that’s okay– Much of the movie’s unique charm would have been lost with the inclusion of humans. The world of Cars is an alternate interpretation of our own– it’s a “what if?” world. After all, we spend so much time in our vehicles that to someone looking in from the outside, it might appear as though the vehicles were the actual beings inhabiting the Earth rather than the humans within them. Somehow, Cars makes surprising sense… perhaps in some ways even moreso than the world that we do live in.

Every scene in Cars advances the movie’s purpose and the development of each character, and every voice– even every spoken line– does the same. Cars is simply really touching. There are plenty of laughs throughout, but the real charm of the movie is its heart. Cars isn’t about cheap comedy; it’s a movie that makes you genuinely smile if you let it. The characters are diverse and surprisingly realistic, and the character interaction is unparalleled. The message of the movie is not subtle or terribly complex, but it’s real. The story isn’t anything completely revolutionary, but it’s incredibly well polished and superbly executed– without being overly predictable.

Cars is one of the few movies I’ve ever felt the desire to watch multiple times just to fully experience all of the detail and heart infused into every scene. To be honest, I’m not a big car guy (I probably wouldn’t know an automotive joke if it hit me in the face), I’ve never cared a lick about racing, and I don’t have any emotional ties or great interest in the history of the midwest… yet I absolutely love this movie.

If nothing else, I think that says a lot.

Comment by Janet Boyer “JanetBoyer.com”

# January 2, 2007,

My son and I watched Cars on the big screen and I LOVED it! The songs were perfect–especially Real Gone and Life is a Highway.

I’ve just watched the movie again, twice, on DVD. Unfortunately, my 25 inch TV screen doesn’t do this movie justice! (It’s one of those movies that pack a wallop when watched on the big screen…)

The realism achieved in this movie is amazing, especially with Lightning’s shiny red paint job and the “fumes” rising from the drag cars. The writing is especially clever, too. (Look for the shapes in the rocky background at Radiator Springs.) For example, Harv, Lightning’s fast-talking publicist/agent admonishes his client to get out of “Radiation Stinks” (you gotta hear it to appreciate it.)

Every single time I watch this movie, I choke up twice during the last race. There are some critics who say that Cars doesn’t have “heart” like Toy Story or other Pixar features. I can’t help but wonder if we’re talking about the same movie! I feel that Cars has more heart than ANY Pixar movie thus far–especially as it shows that winning isn’t everything and that dignity is found in much more than an “empty cup” (like the Piston Cup).

The voices in this movie are perfect, especially Owen Wilson as Lightning and Larry the Cable Guy as Mater. (Gosh, what a scene stealer that Mater is! And the funny thing is, if you watch the 16-minute “Inspiration for Cars” clip, you’ll see the actual Mater–who sounds a lot like the character!)

Speaking of the 16 minute Inspiration clip, I’m surprised that this DVD didn’t have more extras–not even a commentary or movie video or sample story boards or anything! That was a disappointment, I admit. (I’m used to Disney packing the extras on there! Heck, I found out neat trivia bits–like why number 96 was chosen for Lightning’s car–but I didn’t find this out from the DVD!)

However, the 16-minute clip was quite touching, especially hearing how the director was inspired for Cars. Turns out that he has several boys and his wife said to him one day: “You know, we supported you through Toy Story 1 and 2 and your other projects…but one day, you’ll wake up to find that your little boys are now off to college.”

This sobering realization spurred him to take an entire summer off with his wife and kids–a road trip in a motor home. He said it was the best time of his life. Alas, he combined the two loves of his parents (his mother was an artist and his Dad was a car buff) to create the wonderful movie Cars, which also reflects his newfound wisdom: you can push, push, push for that next accomplishment, and one day realize that you’re friendless or perhaps alone.

There’s also some great laughs in this movie; I LOVE the tractor-tipping scene with Mater and Lightning! (OMG–and that Frank is scary!)

As I said, the extras are slim pickins:

–New animated short Mater and the Ghostlight (Amusing. Fans of Mater will *especially* love this short!)
–Academy Award-nominated animated short: One Man Band (This was the cute short about two deuling musicians fighting for a coin that a girl wants to throw into a fountain. It’s the same short shown at the theater before the Cars movie.)
–John Lasseter’s inspiration for Cars (Very good. Inspirational in its own right.)
–Ratatouille teaser trailer (A movie about a mouse in France with expensive tastes)
–Deleted scenes

This is an exceptional movie in terms of script, voice acting, music, authenticity, and animation. Car and racing lovers will no doubt love it, as will fans of Pixar. (Personally, I can’t STAND car racing–or country music–but I loved both the soundtrack and the plot! Goes to show that one doesn’t HAVE to be into cars to enjoy this movie.)