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I wouldn't have thought that even in animation a 1951 Hudson Hornet could look simultaneously like itself and like Paul Newman , but you will witness that feat, and others, in "Cars." This is the new animated feature by John Lasseter (" Toy Story ," " A Bug's Life "); it tells a bright and cheery story, and then has a little something profound lurking around the edges. In this case, it's a sense of loss.

What have we lost? Its hero, a racing car named Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson ), has just lost a big race, and then one day on the highway he goes astray, and rolls into the forgotten hamlet of Radiator Springs, in Carburetor County. This was a happenin' town, back when Route 66 was the way to get from Chicago to L.A., passing through Flagstaff, Arizona, and don't forget Winona. But now the interstates and time itself have passed it by, and the town slumbers on, a memory of an earlier America.

Lightning's dream is to win the Piston Cup, the grand prix of American racing. He's on his way to the race when he gets lost, and then, more humiliating, impounded. Once released, he meets the population of Radiator Springs, led by Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), who may be an old-timer but probably knows something about Hudsons that Lightning doesn't: Because of their "step-down design," they had a lower center of gravity than the Big 3 models of its time and won stock car races by making tighter turns.

Other citizens include Mater (rhymes with tow-mater) the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), Sally the sexy Porsche ( Bonnie Hunt ), Fillmore the hippie VW bug ( George Carlin ), and Sarge the veteran Jeep ( Paul Dooley ). Tractors serve as the cows of Radiator Springs, and even chew their cud, although what that cud consists of I'm not sure. Fan belts, maybe.

The message in "Cars" is simplicity itself: Life was better in the old days, when it revolved around small towns where everybody knew each other, and around small highways like Route 66, where you made new friends, sometimes even between Flagstaff and Winona. This older America has long been much-beloved by Hollywood, and apparently it survives in Radiator Springs as sort of a time capsule.

Doc Hudson, it turns out, was a famous race car in his day. That leads up to a race in which the vet and the kid face off, although how that race ends I would not dream of revealing. What I will reveal, with regret, is that the movie lacks a single Studebaker. The 1950s Studebakers are much beloved by all period movies, because they so clearly signal their period, from the classic Raymond Loewy-designed models to the Golden Hawk, which left Corvettes and T-Birds eating its dust. Maybe there's no Hawk in Radiator Springs because then Doc Hudson would lose his bragging rights.

The movie is great to look at and a lot of fun, but somehow lacks the extra push of the other Pixar films. Maybe that's because there's less at stake here, and no child-surrogate to identify with. I wonder if the movie's primary audience, which skews young, will much care about the 1950s and its cars. Maybe they will. Of all decades, the 1950s seems to have the most staying power; like Archie and Jughead, the decade stays forever young, perhaps because that's when modern teenagers were invented.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Cars (2006)

117 minutes

Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen (voice)

Paul Newman as Doc Hudson (voice)

Bonnie Hunt as Sally (voice)

Cheech Marin as Ramone (voice)

Tony Shalhoub as Luigi (voice)

Richard Petty as The King (voice)

Paul Dooley as Sarge (voice)

Jeremy Piven as Harv (voice)

George Carlin as Fillmore (voice)

Michael Keaton as Chick Hicks (voice)

Directed by

John Lasseter
Dan Fogelman
Kiel Murray
Jorgen Klubien

Based on the story by

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Movie Review

'Cars' Is a Drive Down a Lonely Highway

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By Manohla Dargis

June 9, 2006

THE temptation to write about "Cars" using automotive metaphors may be unwise, but it's also irresistible. You could say, for instance, that the film — the first directed by the Pixar guru John Lasseter since the company's 1999 hit "Toy Story 2" — tools along at an easy clip, rather like a Volvo station wagon en route to another family vacation. At no point does it spin out of control, much less venture off-road. Instead, the film just putt, putt, putts along, a shining model of technological progress and consumer safety. But, as Ed (Big Daddy) Roth might say, chrome don't get you home and neither does 3D animation.

Mr. Roth was the creator of a delightfully unappetizing cartoon rodent called Rat Fink, a kind of anti-Mickey Mouse mascot for the hot-rod set. Given Pixar's carefully cultivated — and, for the most part, justified — reputation as a modestly maverick outfit, it would be nice to think that a decal of Rat Fink adorns the computers of at least a couple of the film's many, many animators. But both in its ingratiating vibe and bland execution, "Cars" is nothing if not totally, disappointingly new-age Disney, the story of a little cherry-red race car, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), who can win the race of life only after he learns the value of friendship and the curvy appeal of Porsche Carrera (Bonnie Hunt).

Right off we know we're not in Kansas anymore or, for that matter, Monstropolis, home to the critters from "Monsters, Inc." or suburban Metroville, where the superheroic family in "The Incredibles" lives. The film opens at an enormous speedway, where some dozen candy-colored race cars, including Lightning McQueen, are whooshing around a track as thousands upon thousands of similarly polychromic jalopies cheer, wave flags and do the wave.

Welcome to Weirdsville, Cartoonland, where automobiles race — and rule — in a world that, save for a thicket of tall pines and an occasional scrubby bush, is freakishly absent any organic matter. Here, even the bugs singeing their wings on the porch light look like itty-bitty Volkswagen beetles.

That sounds like a slap and a tickle, and for a while it's both. As written by Mr. Lasseter, who shares screenwriting credit with Dan Fogelman, Joe Ranft, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin and (whew) Jorgen Klubien, the film hinges on a premise older than the 1951 Hudson Hornet named Doc (Paul Newman), who gives the story its requisite geezer wisdom. After taking a wrong turn on his way to a race, McQueen lands in Radiator Springs, a town that time and the freeway forgot. There, on a derelict lick of asphalt, he meets a pileup of metal and ethnic clichés, including a tow truck with a deep-fried accent (Larry the Cable Guy as Mater) and a lowrider that apparently hopped in from East L.A. (Cheech Marin as Ramone).

This ethnic and cultural profiling is pretty much par for the animated film course, hence Jenifer Lewis, as a two-tone 1950's ride with big fins called Flo, provides the only identifiable "black" voice. Less wince-inducing are Luigi (Tony Shalhoub), a banana-yellow Italian-accented Fiat that runs the local tire store; Sarge (Paul Dooley), a World War II jeep as memorable and colorful as dung; and Fillmore (George Carlin), a VW bus who extols the virtues of organic fuel, mutters about conspiracies and raises the Stars and Stripes to the guitar squeals of Jimi Hendrix.

Given the film's regrettably retro attitude toward all things automotive (not a hybrid in sight!), it's no surprise that Fillmore, this desert outpost's most credible resident, is also its designated kook.

An animated fable about happy cars might have made sense before gas hit three bucks a gallon, but even an earlier sticker date couldn't shake the story's underlying creepiness, which comes down to the fact that there's nothing alive here: nada, zip. In this respect, the film can't help but bring to mind James Cameron's dystopic masterpiece, "The Terminator," which hinges on the violent war of the machine world on its human masters. To watch McQueen and the other cars motor along the film's highways and byways without running into or over a single creature is to realize that, in his cheerful way, Mr. Lasseter has done Mr. Cameron one better: instead of blowing the living world into smithereens, these machines have just gassed it with carbon monoxide.

Rendering plausible human forms remains one of 3D animation's biggest hurdles, something that Pixar directors like Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo") have readily admitted. As if realizing that they can't (yet) compete with nature, Pixar filmmakers tend to avoid the human form or create caricatures that, by virtue of their very exaggeration (think of the middle-age spread bedeviling Mr. Incredible's wife), are wonderfully lifelike.

With his machine world, however, Mr. Lasseter appears to have tried to do an end run around the vexing problem of the human body with cars that might as well have come out of a Chevron advertisement. Even stranger, the film turns Detroit's paving over of America into an occasion for some nostalgic historical revisionism. Surreal isn't the word.

Over the last two decades Pixar has invigorated American mainstream animation with charming stories and sterling technique, reaching a company best with the consecutively released "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles." The age of Pixar may not be as golden as that of 1930's and 40's Disney, but it's an estimable run, especially since each new Pixar feature has reached deeper and higher in thematic and aesthetic preoccupations.

Like classic Disney, Pixar films are invariably traditionalist, with stories of familial and social retrenchment, but they're also witty and playful, fresh in both graphic and written line. One clunker won't shut down or even threaten the factory line, but here's hoping that as this onetime scrapper becomes increasingly entrenched and establishment, it keeps its geeks-and-freaks flag flying.

"Cars" is rated G (General audiences). Everything is clean but the fossil fuel.

Opens today nationwide.

Directed by John Lasseter; written by Dan Fogelman, Mr. Lasseter, Joe Ranft, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin and Jorgen Klubien, based on a story by Mr. Lasseter, Mr. Ranft and Mr. Klubien; supervising technical director, Eben Ostby; edited by Ken Schretzmann; music by Randy Newman; production designers, William Cone and Bob Pauley; produced by Darla K. Anderson; released by Walt Disney Pictures. Running time: 114 minutes.

WITH THE VOICES OF: Owen Wilson (Lightning McQueen), Paul Newman (Doc Hudson), Bonnie Hunt (Sally Carrera), Larry the Cable Guy (Mater), Cheech Marin (Ramone), Tony Shalhoub (Luigi), Jenifer Lewis (Flo), Paul Dooley (Sarge) and George Carlin (Fillmore).

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Cars Reviews

It’s a deceptively simple film that plays with more profundity as you get older and appreciate its themes more.

Full Review | Mar 1, 2024

This is a very good piece of animation, but given the source, it’s not unreasonable to expect better.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 29, 2023

No pun intended, but Cars is a prominent example of a middle-of-the-road animated feature.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 10, 2023

The film's two-hour length is unbearable for an animated feature.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Nov 15, 2020

An absolute wonder that... gives us almost two hours of great cinema. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Feb 12, 2020

Children will love the Toy Story-like simplicity, but adults will appreciate the humor aimed right in their direction.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Nov 19, 2019

The movie's Route 66 mythology, coupled with the presence of Paul Newman in what would turn out to be his final theatrical feature, lends it a nostalgic, bittersweet tinge.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 20, 2019

Its simple elegy for a once-buzzing small town bypassed by an interstate and forgotten by time is a poignant tribute to small towns everywhere.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 5, 2019

Overall [I] enjoyed it.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Feb 21, 2019

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get a ticket for doing 70 in a 45-mile-an-hour zone. It's that kind of a movie, and the real feel of the racing footage is absolutely spectacular.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jan 5, 2018

'Cars' has energy and heart-two things that 'Robots' lacked.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Oct 23, 2013

Cars is a nice homily to small town life and remembering the past - which definitely has its charms - and call for remembering our roots, but it's been done better elsewhere.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Mar 10, 2011

Unlike other Pixar releases, Cars does not cross over to adults as well as Finding Nemo or The Incredibles. But kids will love it, and isn't that what this type of animation is all about?

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 7, 2010

Pixar's latest visual stunner with a heart of gold honors our obsession with the automobile. Although it will make many nostalgic for the open road, especially the historic Route 66, the kids might get a little bored with this one.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 8, 2009

Pixar's grown so metallic that having automobiles for animated characters becomes disturbingly apt

Full Review | Aug 30, 2009

Although the plot coasts along a predictable path, the verbal jokes and sight gags rev things up along the way, making the film enjoyable almost from start to finish.

Full Review | Jun 6, 2009

I've never seen a Pixar film so void of magic, and originality before...

Full Review | Apr 29, 2009

Owen Wilson's infectious good-natured energy permeates Pixar's light-hearted animated movie about "Lightning McQueen" a rookie competition race car that discovers there's more to life than winning races.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 23, 2009

This noisy animated paean to NASCAR and Route 66 gets mired in the middle laps on a grippy track.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Apr 23, 2009

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 20, 2008

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DVD & Streaming
Action/Adventure , Animation , Comedy , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

Voices of Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen; Bonnie Hunt as Sally; Paul Newman as Doc Hudson; Larry the Cable Guy as Mater; John Ratzenberger as Mack; Richard Petty as "The King" Strip Weathers; Michael Keaton as Chick Hicks; Michael Wallis as Sheriff; George Carlin as Filmore; Tony Shalhoub as Luigi; Guido Quarani as Guido; Jenifer Lewis as Flo; Cheech Marin as Ramone; Paul Dooley as Sarge; Bob Costas as Bob Cutlass

Home Release Date

John Lasseter

Distributor

Walt Disney

Movie Review

In a world populated solely by vehicles, racing rookie Lightning McQueen has taken the Piston Cup by storm. Amid the thunder of roaring exhausts, the cocky No. 95 looks set to steal the championship from veteran racers “The King” Strip Weathers and his perpetual rival, Chick Hicks.

“I am speed,” Lightning assures himself as the race begins. “I eat losers for breakfast.” Lightning may in fact be the fastest, brashest car on the track. But his self-absorption proves to be his Achilles, umm, hubcap. After refusing to listen to his crew chief’s instructions, Lightning finishes the final race in a dead heat with his rivals—necessitating an unprecedented three-way race off. To the winner goes the Piston Cup Championship and the coveted Dinoco sponsorship that The King has owned for decades. California, here they come for one final race!

Mack, Lightning’s usually trusty transport rig, falls asleep as they drive across the country. And Lightning finds himself accidentally ejected from his trailer … and abandoned in the middle of nowhere. In his frantic search for Mack, Lightning tears into Radiator Springs—literally. Residents of “the cutest little town in Carburetor County” are thrilled to have a visitor, but less than thrilled by the damage he’s done to the road on his way into town.

The town’s doctor and judge, Doc Hudson, sentences Lightning to community service—repaving the road—before he can leave. The impetuous coupe is eager to get to California for the race, but the friendships he makes with the town’s residents slowly work their way under his paint. A petite Porsche named Sally, who owns the Cozy Cone Motel, first attracts his eye. And a growing friendship with the town’s tow truck, Mater, warms his engine as well. Other locals, such as Italian tire salesmen Luigi and Guido; gas station owner Flo and her car-painter husband, Ramone; and ’60s microbus castoff Filmore and his Jeep friend Sarge—not to mention Doc Hudson himself—all have important lessons to teach Lightning.

And those are lessons he’ll need to put into practice if he wants to win the race of the century.

Positive Elements

“Forty years ago, it wasn’t about making great time, it was about having a great time,” says Sally, lamenting the fact that an interstate highway now bypasses Radiator Springs. “The road moved with the land; it didn’t cut through it.” She drives Lightning up to a ridge where they can see how close—and yet how far—the interstate really is from Radiator Springs. Lightning exclaims, “They’re just driving by! They don’t know what they’re missing!” That message—that we miss the best life has to offer when we’re moving too quickly—is one of the film’s strongest.

Another strongly positive theme is illuminated by Lightning’s growth process. It would be difficult for him to be any more in love with himself—and oblivious to others—than he is at the beginning of Cars . For example, even though his sponsor is Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment, it doesn’t stop him from announcing, “I hate rusty cars; it’s not good for my image.” Indeed, Lightning’s image, along with winning, are all that matter to him initially.

But his unplanned detour into a backwater town where no one has even heard of him offers an education in what really matters: friendship. Sally helps Lightning see that Radiator Springs still has a lot to offer. She longs to restore its lost glory, saying, “We are a town worth fixing.” And after Mater tells Lightning, “You’re my best friend,” Sally emphasizes that such a trust is not to be taken lightly.

Many other cars contribute to Lightning’s character development as well. Doc asks Lightning, “When was the last time you cared about something except yourself, hotrod? … These are good folk around here; I don’t want them depending on someone they can’t count on.” Despite his gruff demeanor, Doc has a soft spot for Lightning, and he teaches the young racer lessons about discipline, dependence and humility. Similarly, The King tells Lightning, “There’s more to racing than just winning.”

Each of the cars in Radiator Springs offers Lightning something he needs, such as new paint, new tires and different skills he’ll employ in the final race. As a result of these characters’ influence, Lightning learns to depend on his friends and to sacrifice his own desires for the sake of others. When he’s offered a flashy Dinoco sponsorship, he demonstrates maturity by choosing to stay with his old sponsor, Rust-eze.

Sexual Content

As a G-rated movie, Cars definitely doesn’t include glaring sexual content. But alert adults will notice some double entendres and suggestive allusions. Mater says jokingly of Sally, “She just likes me for my body.” A reporter asks if McQueen will be posing for Cargirl . A bumper sticker on one of the cars reads, “Nice Butte.” When Lightning’s romance with Sally warms up, Mater sings (twice), “McQueen and Sally parking next to a tree, K-I-S-S-” and then forgets the rest of the song. Sally offers Lightning one of her rooms at the Cozy Cone, but makes it clear she’s not inviting him to spend the night with her.

Violent Content

The opening race features a huge, multicar crash (the kind you’ve likely seen if you’ve ever watched a NASCAR race). Some of the cars are severely damaged, but the “camera” doesn’t linger on them. Potentially the most disturbing scene for younger viewers comes in the final race when one of the three contestants suffers a violent, career-ending crash that leaves him badly beaten up.

Examples of the film’s more cartoony violence include Lightning racing off a rock ledge and coming painfully to rest in a cactus patch. In subsequent practice, Lightning keeps careening off the same cliff. In a dream, he imagines himself as a jet fighter firing rockets at advancing War of the Worlds -like alien machines, which explode when hit by his weaponry.

Fast and the Furious -style street racers startle a drowsy Mack; his ensuing loss of control and trip off the tarmac result in Lightning being shoved out of the back of the truck; oncoming traffic quickly spins the race car off the road. When Lightning wakes up and realizes what’s happened, he tries in vain to chase down Mack, weaving in and out of traffic as he does so.

Lightning makes a “grand” entrance into Radiator Springs trying to outrun the Sheriff. An accident leaves him entangled in barbed-wire fencing and towing a statue of the town’s founder.

Crude or Profane Language

Characters exclaim “oh, lord!” and “holy shoot.” Lightning blurts out “holy Porsche” as he watches Sally drive. A play on Jesus’ name happens in a short scene after the final credits when a car says, “For the love of Chrysler!” Mater’s fond of saying “dadgum” and “golldurn.” When Lightning mentions a character who’s won the Piston Cup, the tow truck asks, “He did what in his cup?” Lightning laments, “I’m in hillbilly h—,” a phrase Sally later repeats. Lightning’s selfish behavior several times prompts others to say things such as “you idiot,” “you fool” and “you moron.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

It’s implied that Filmore, a 1960 VW bus, has done drugs. Watching the town’s stoplight change, Filmore tells Sarge, “I’m tellin’ ya’ man, every third blink is slower.” Sarge replies, “The ’60s weren’t good for you, were they?” Filmore also sells special “organic” fuel. And when Lightning blows into town, the microbus asks, “I’m not the only one seeing this, right?” voicing a fear that perhaps he’s hallucinating.

After Lightning brags that he doesn’t need headlights because the track is “always lit,” another character says, “So is my brother.” A number of empty cans can be seen next to tailgating cars at one of the races.

Other Negative Elements

Convincing Lightning to join in the “fun” by calling him a “baby” and a “chicken,” Mater goes “tractor tipping,” which is similar to cow tipping. (“Tractors is so dumb,” Mater drawls.) Lightning’s attempt to play the game tips over all the tractors. It’s played off as a harmless joke, and no one gets seriously injured. Nevertheless, the pair’s actions still constitute vandalism. Oddly, the tractors make a sound like passing gas after they tip over—as does Sheriff’s backfiring engine. And speaking of gas, Flo jokes, “I have gas … lots of gas.” A character asks, “Did I forget to wipe my mudflaps?”

After being arrested by Sherriff, Lightning tries to make a break for it. Lightning also plays a reckless, high-speed game racing a train to a crossing. Noticing a decorative decal on her trunk, Lightning says to Sally, “Hey, do I spot a little pinstripe tattoo back there?” When Lightning visits Doc at his garage, Sheriff is up on a raised jack having some work done and comments, “Hope you enjoyed the show.” There are two wink-wink references made to lug nuts.

In the tradition of Pixar releases The Incredibles , Finding Nemo and Monster’s, Inc. , Cars is a terrific story. It’s a blast to watch (especially if you happen to be a car fanatic, as the realism of many visual details is astounding), and it’s loaded with positive messages about selflessness, slowing down, enjoying life and learning how to be a good friend. In a world where image-conscious superstar athletes often hog the spotlight, Cars reminds us why being a team player is ultimately more satisfying—and significant—than being the center of attention.

Unlike my experience watching the G-rated Nemo and Monsters , however, I was surprised to note as many subtle content issues as I did in this film. Granted, most of the allusions are so slyly understated that youngsters probably won’t catch them. But that doesn’t completely excuse their inclusion. And kids won’t be oblivious to the two uses of the word “h—” and interjections such as “oh, lord” and “holy shoot.”

For a film that tells such an engaging story and delivers such solid, redemptive themes, then, it’s mildly disappointing to have to issue any disclaimers at all. It’s as if animation rivals DreamWorks and Pixar are both suddenly trying out new middle ground. DreamWorks dialed down the content concerns in their latest release, Over the Hedge ; Disney and Pixar have (ever so slightly) revved them up.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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Cars Review

28 Jul 2006

121 minutes

It’s a testament to the ludicrously high standards Pixar has set itself that Cars can be considered in any way a disappointment. It leaves the CG output of every other studio choking in its spectacularly rendered dust, yet somehow, somewhere in this well-oiled, staggeringly beautiful machine somebody has omitted a small but crucial cog. It just doesn’t quite run with the smooth hum of fun we’ve come to expect of history’s greatest animation house.

There is no question that Cars is Pixar’s greatest visual achievement. Those geniuses chez Lightyear have long recognised that the best computer animation is not obsessed with realism but detail (just look at the sinister Polar Express to see how off-putting it can be when that balance is out of whack). Everything in Cars is clearly of a bulbous, shiny cartoon world, but is so exquisitely crafted that the reflection off the hood of a speeding racer or the neon miasma bathing a midnight town is almost enough to make you openly weep in the cinema. There is not a single flaw on the face of this film; it’s like Angelina Jolie with hubcaps.

Pretty visuals are only part of what we’ve come to expect of the Pixar experience, though. As a piece of storytelling, Cars sometimes has a sluggishness that is all the more surprising considering it’s directed by animation god John Lasseter, back behind the wheel for the first time since Toy Story 2. With a core message about getting out of the fast lane and enjoying the slow scenic route, it’s a story designed for a middle-aged man, not a sugar-fuelled pre-teen for whom the fast lane is never fast enough — and like any middle-aged man, it’s carrying a little excess flab.

It starts lean and energetic. The opening, featuring cocksure racer Lightning McQueen whizzing around the track, is a breakneck action sequence that could sit happily in any live-action film. In animation, editing and pacing it is near flawless, and one of the most exciting scenes of the summer. So when a later motorway mishap lands McQueen in the derelict town of Radiator Springs, where the most spectacular auto is an emotionally unstable fire engine and a day when holidaying people-carriers pop through is considered eventful, it’s hard not to yearn for the heady roar of the race track.

It’s not that McQueen’s cohorts in the town are dull; it’s just that they’re not especially funny. With the possible exception of rustbucket tow-truck Mater, it’s unlikely you’ll remember any of them after the closing credits in the same way you do such incidental characters as Toy Story’s Rex, mini-Incredible Jack-Jack or that stoned surfer turtle from Finding Nemo. Pixar without funny is like Disney without animal sidekicks or Miyazaki without that bit you didn’t really understand but still kinda liked — it’s recognisable, but it just feels off.

In contrast with the film’s message, Radiator Springs is a nice place to hang out for a while, but you wouldn’t want to live there. Which makes it a great relief when the movie’s ending turns out to be such a humdinger. Bringing the slow and fast lanes together in glorious fashion, it makes sense of the movie’s duller sections and uses them to invest the action with emotion. It’s a finale so full of joy, imagination and technical brilliance that you forgive Lasseter the previous storytelling flaws and, teamed with what might be the greatest Pixar credits gag to date, means you’ll leave the movie on a petrol-induced high.

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Cars (2006)

Cars is Pixar’s most improbable success to date, a film that could easily have misfired, but somehow does not.

Artistic/Entertainment Value

Moral/spiritual value, age appropriateness, mpaa rating, caveat spectator.

Directed by Pixar honcho John Lasseter, who helmed Pixar’s first three films (the brilliant Toy Story films and the lackluster A Bug’s Life ) but hasn’t directed since, Cars ominously recalls some of the elements that made A Bug’s Life the most pedestrian and uninspired project in Pixar’s filmography. The total absence of human beings, for one thing. And a formulaic story of a threatened community pulling together to overcome adversity.

Happily, Cars is no A Bug’s Life . Offbeat and counter-intuitive, Cars finds a quirky creative groove and an emotional center that eluded the earlier Lasseter effort. The story of a callow young rookie racecar named Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) whose rise to the top is sidetracked by an unplanned stopover in a sleepy time-forgotten town may be formulaic, and on first viewing the first forty minutes or so — especially to an automotive non-enthusiast like me — seems a bit shaky. But the film’s sense of time and place, its 1950s small-town nostalgia, its jaw-dropping visual beauty, and its love of cars, the open road and the American Southwest ultimately elevate Cars to a level of art and entertainment that continues to defy even the best efforts of Pixar’s competitors.

Perhaps the film’s biggest risk is creating a automotive parallel universe without drivers — a world in which fixtures of 20th-century Americana, from NASCAR racing to the forgotten towns and mom-and-pop shops of Route 66, exist independently of human beings or indeed any animal life forms. In this world, if you squint at the flies buzzing around light fixtures, they turn out to be little VW Bugs, and tractors stampede like cows — and are subject to nocturnal tipping by rural pranksters. Even buttes and cloud formations in the background reflect the film’s autocentric milieu, with fin-tail and hood-ornament shapes cropping up everywhere.

The absence of drivers is reflected, almost literally, in the character design of the cars themselves, specifically in the placement of the eyes. Animated anthropomorphic autos (e.g., Speed Buggy) often “see” with their headlights, but in a driverless world it would be odd to see through the windshield into the empty driver’s seat, and so the windshields in Cars are transformed into the whites of enormous conjoined eyes.

Why does the absence of humans matter? The non-human worlds of the Toy Story films and Monsters, Inc. provided an emotional point of entry for viewers precisely by imagining how toys and monsters would feel about us , thereby holding up a mirror to our feelings about them . Had Cars developed the automotive side of the driver–car relationship, that might have been an intriguing way of tapping into the great American love affair with the automobile; but the filmmakers haven’t gone that route.

Without drivers to care about, what motivates a vehicle? As you might expect, it’s the same things — or rather, the same range of things — that motivate their human counterparts.

Take Lightning McQueen, who has come out of nowhere to be a spoiler for the Piston Cup. Like any brash, callow up-and-coming young athlete feeling his oats, McQueen is hungry to topple the big guys at the top — and to enjoy the rewards of celebrity, notably a lucrative new endorsement deal with Dinoco Oil. (Dinoco, the name of the gas station where Woody and Buzz fell out of Andy’s mom’s car in Toy Story , is one of numerous Pixar in-jokes.) Arrogant and self-centered, McQueen isn’t exactly a team player, and has little loyalty either toward his pit crew or his slightly stodgy current sponsor, Rust-eze, with its unglamorous clientele.

There’s also McQueen’s competition: classy reigning champ The King (voiced by racing icon Richard Petty), a 1970 Plymouth Superbird who’d like to retire in a (hopefully metaphorical) blaze of glory; and The King’s longtime rival, perennial runner-up Hick Chicks (Michael Keaton), who’s even more obnoxious than McQueen. Off the track, McQueen’s easygoing transport bigrig Mack (Pixar veteran John Ratzenberger) is content to haul the sporty racecar from race to race, and may be the closest thing McQueen has to a friend.

However, contrary to McQueen’s expectations, the most significant chapter in his life — and the heart of the film — takes place not on the racetrack or in the spotlight, but far from the beaten path of the Interstate, in the one-light town of Radiator Springs in Carburetor County. Once a prosperous rural community on the Route 66 thoroughfare from Illinois to California, Radiator Springs shared the decline of many similar towns that were bypassed by the new Interstate system.

For McQueen, Radiator Springs is the capital of nowheresville. He wants nothing to do with it or locals like gruff, no-nonsense Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), Mater the tow truck (comedian Larry the Cable Guy), and the businesslike Sheriff (Route 66 historian Michael Wallis), although he may make an exception for a sweet little Porsche named Sally (Bonnie Hunt). Of course circumstances contrive to keep him in town, and of course McQueen slowly learns that he’s misjudged the town and its inhabitants, not least Doc Hudson, as in Hudson Hornet, of 1950s stock-car fame.

The plot elements are familiar and somewhat corny, most overtly resembling the 1991 Michael J. Fox comedy Doc Hollywood . But Cars has a specificity that goes beyond the lip service to small-town values typical to such films. It’s a heartfelt elegy to a lost culture, an almost mythic part of America’s past.

The Eisenhower-era nostalgia may be heartfelt, but it’s not entirely convincing. After all, it was Eisenhower who signed the Interstate Highway Act that doomed Route 66 and its small-town culture. Cars romanticizes the local feeling of a road that turned and wound “with the land” rather than cutting across it — conveniently overlooking the fact that those turns and bends cost lives, earning sections of the highway the moniker “Bloody 66.”

By contrast, the Interstate is disparagingly said to save drivers only “ten minutes of driving time,” but multiply the number of drivers per year by the time and fuel saved, and the benefit seems appreciable. Painful as it may be to watch communities decline, the answer, if there is one, isn’t not building better roads.

If Cars is heavy on hooey, it’s also genuinely endearing. The story is polished to a faretheewell, and the filmmakers have a few surprises up their sleeves. Refreshingly, neither of the big races that bookend the film ends the way formula would dictate. Cars doesn’t just mouth the platitude that winning isn’t everything; respect, dignity and loyalty are really honored above finishing first.

Mater the tow truck (Tow Mater, get it?) is funny and sweetly personable, and Newman’s Doc Hudson has real dignity and quiet authority. And, while praising the visuals in CG cartoons has become commonplace, Pixar’s work here goes beyond eye-popping realism into stunning beauty. This isn’t just technique, it’s art. The sprawling landscapes in Cars are even more gorgeous than the colorful coral-reef vistas of Finding Nemo , and that’s saying something.

Is Cars a disappointment? Only Pixar’s enviable track record could make it seem so. Compared to even the better efforts of their competition (e.g., Over the Hedge , Robots ), Cars is firing on all cylinders, and then some.

For what it’s worth, no matter how consistently brilliant Pixar has been, I find that I never come to expect the next Pixar film to meet the same standard. Going into Monsters, Inc. , Finding Nemo and The Incredibles , I rather doubted each time that the film I was about to see would live up to their predecessors, and I was pleasantly dumbfounded each time to find my expectations exceeded. Cars doesn’t exceed expectations, but it continues the winningest streak in Hollywood history with a film that any other creative team in Hollywood would kill to have be the weakest of their last five films.

P.S. Whatever you do, don’t miss the end-credit outtakes, which include the funniest end-reel gag in Pixar history, as the cars go to a drive-in and watch excerpts from a number of films that seem awfully familiar.

Cars vs. A Bug’s Life : Which is Pixar’s least impressive film?

With Cars 2 approaching this weekend, I thought I’d take a look back at Cars , easily Pixar’s least impressive and celebrated film since their second picture, A Bug’s Life .

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Cars (United States, 2006)

Thus far, Pixar has given features and voices to bugs, toys, monsters, and fish, so why not cars? Although Cars is arguably the weakest animated feature to emerge from the virtual drawing board at this successful company, it's also the best animated film to come along since Disney distributed The Incredibles . The flaws in Cars relate to how younger viewers will see the film - it's a little too long and a little too slow. While adults may not mind sitting through "filler," children, with their notoriously short attention spans, may become restless.

Cars brings two well-worn clichés to the animated realm. The first is the uneasy buddy relationship between an older gent and a young hotshot. The second is the story of how a pastoral setting seeps into the blood of a city boy. Cars is character-driven, which means that it has fewer action scenes than most recent animated films. Aside from car races, there's very little here to base a video game upon. The action/adventure limitations allow the character arcs to breathe and provide room for a love story, but there are times when the pace is sluggish.

Cars transpires in a world of automobiles, where there are no humans or animals. Even the flies are tiny cars with wings. Owen Wilson provides the voice of Lightning McQueen, a rookie NASCAR-inspired race car striving to win The Piston Cup. When he ends the season tied with his two chief competitors, Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton) and The King (Richard Petty), it's off to a winner-takes-all tie-breaker in California. Along the way, however, Lightning wanders off the interstate and gets stranded along Route 66 in the tiny Carburetor County town of Radiator Springs. Arrested for traffic violations, Lightning is sentenced to repair the road before being allowed to continue west. At first, he resents this, but soon friendships form: with tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), who takes him "tractor tipping;" with Sally (Bonnie Hunt) the motel owner, who takes him on long, scenic drives; and with Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), a retired race car champion who teaches the youngster a few lessons while surprisingly learning a thing or two. Will Lightning finish the road in time to make it to the big race? Will he abandon his true love and Radiator Springs for the spotlight of fame and fortune? Admittedly, you probably know the answers, but it's still fun watching them play out.

The story may be soft for a Pixar film, but the animation in Cars exceeds anything we have previously seen, and that's quite a statement considering how far computer-generated visuals have come in the last ten years. Pixar sets the bar higher; now it will be up to Fox and Dreamworks to see if they can match or top this level. (Considering how much recent animation has been about product at the expense of art, one wonders if they'll try.) The single most stunning sequences come during Lightning and Sally's "Sunday drive," as they head out into the desert canyons and up into the mountains. The landscapes are as gorgeous as anything ever before depicted on film: animated or otherwise. Other of Cars ' parts are impressive; this one is breathtaking.

As usual, the voices are expertly chosen. Owen Wilson has the requisite mix of brashness and likeability to play Lightning, the self-absorbed car who discovers there's more to life than winning races. Paul Newman's Doc Hudson sounds wise and world-weary. Bonnie Hunt, abandoning her usual sardonic style, is bright and chipper. Larry the Cable Guy is perfect as the friendless, dim bulb Mater. Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, and George Carlin also contribute. The only questionable choices are the cameos - both Jay Leno and Bob Costas appear miscast, the former as a late-night talk show host and the latter as a sportscaster. Meanwhile, racing fans will appreciate contributions from Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Mario Andretti, and Michael Schumacher.

The humor, as is typical of Pixar, is comprised of jokes aimed at all age ranges. Some of the comedy will go over the heads of younger viewers, but there are plenty of gags for the junior members of the audience. Overall, if the film is not as funny as its predecessors, that's probably part and parcel of why it doesn't seem as enchanting. Emotionally, despite the character arc, Cars doesn't resonate in the same way The Incredibles or Toy Story did. The film represents solid family entertainment, and this will be reflected in a huge box office windfall but, while Cars may cross the finish line ahead of any of 2006's other animated films, it's several laps behind its Pixar siblings.

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A Disney classic! Who knew cars could be so lovable and relatable? I always get a feeling of comfort and nostalgia watching Lightning McQueen and his friends in the town of Radiator Springs. The movie's themes are uplifting too, proving to viewers that no dream or ambition is out of reach, as long as you are willing to work hard and refuse to give up.

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As usual, a feast for the eyes and great entertainment for the entire family, although the pace may be a little slow for the younger kids.

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Movie Review: Cars (2006)

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--> June 26, 2006

Ah, the child in me resurfaces just in time to watch the latest offering from Pixar and Disney. Usually, the inner child shines through after drinking like a NYC hobo, but this time it was in anticipation of Cars . I love being a kid!

This time around, the story revolves around a egotistical race car named Lightning McQueen — a rookie in the Piston Cup Stock Car Racing Series. Now of course the plot isn’t particularly original; guy is self-centered, he realizes as the movie progresses that he indeed needs others around him to make his dreams come true . . . What sets Cars apart is most obviously the animation. Here again we have a masterful demonstration of what CGI can do in the right hands. The colors are vibrant. The scenery is well thought out, most pleasing is the fact that there is action is the background — this shows the animators really thought out the project. No stationary shit here. It’s also funny to see how the world is setup to accommodate cars as humans — garages as hotels, oil and gas as beverages, etc.

Of course, an animated picture also relies heavily on the voice acting. The nasally, boy-eyed wonderment voice of Owen Wilson as McQueen was well cast. More surprising was Larry The Cable Guy as Mater. His stand-up is rather weak, but he was definitely a shoe-in for a redneck, good ‘ole boy. Even his “Git er done” moniker fit well!

Another surprise is Cars isn’t just a stupid animated NASCAR flick. I cringed at the thought this may be a mindless, drive around an oval kind of movie (if you know me, you’ll see the irony). But alas, relief came swiftly. Although Cars relies heavily on the race inspired theme (it is called Cars , afterall), there is plenty of side themes and distractions to make this movie more well rounded and enjoyable for the non race fans (sinners). You’ll definitely get a kick out of the tractor tipping scenes.

Cars is well worth your time and money. Not only will your inner child resurface but your kids will have a blast as well. Well done Pixar — after seven high exposure feature films, you haven’t missed a beat (wish other movie studios would think about this before dumping more shit our way).

Tagged: friendship , judge , racing

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

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'Movie Review: Cars (2006)' have 5 comments

June 28, 2006 @ 10:41 am Cannabis Corpus

Pixar in it’s tradition of making par excellence animation came out with yet another offering. The story is a tad bit cliched in the fact that it is the same ol’ formula that transformed a cocky guy/car finds himself in Radiator Springs and then becomes less cocky because he has found something he hasn’t had. Surprisingly enough that is the only problem I had with the film.

As per Mr.Catena’s previous statement, what’s so notable about this movie is, without a doubt, its technical achievementsâ€”this particular facet that perhaps blows all other Pixar movies out of the water. Showcasing crisp, vibrant and almost real-life animation, some scenes make you forget you’re watching just a 3D animation. Racing scenes appear so real you’ll experience the exhilaration of watching a real racing yourself (or even better). Owen Wilson as McQueen and Paul Newman as the doctor/judge, the voice talent is perfectly cast especially Larry the Cable guy as the hillbilly tow truck who is quick to christen himself as McQueen’s best friend. By the way Michael Schumacher, the Ace German Formula 1 racing legend, is also cast as himself this time as a Ferrari appearing in the late part including some of the greatest names in the racing world.

The only downside to this movie is that it tends to drag a little bit in the middle and you get disengaged from the movie for that bit.

As a piece of fast-speed and high-quality entertainment, Pixar’s Cars is the best fun you’ll have all year. As a last word to the wise, be sure to stick around during the credits. It’ll be worth your time just as much as the rest of the film was.

June 4, 2007 @ 12:21 pm Norcal

A pretty good movie. I think most parents will be able to comfortable sit through it and maybe even enjoy it.

Mostly a kid movie, but good enough for adults too. I especially liked the tow truck Ta-Mater (without the Ta-) :)

May 11, 2008 @ 9:09 pm Ojay

I love Pixar, but Cars bored the crackers out of me. However I was down with a bad case of the flu when the kids rented it from Blockbuster. Perhaps, if I had seen in under different circumstances, I would have thought differently. If it’s mostly a kid movie, as Norcal said, I won’t bother renting it again just for myself.

December 6, 2008 @ 8:18 pm Redding

Pretty good movie. Not one that I’ll want to sit through again though. As “Norcal” mentioned, mostly a kids movie. (well, it is a cartoon, what do you expect)

January 18, 2010 @ 6:37 am jenny

Myself and my kids love that movie! I think it really shows how hard work and good friendships are virtuous.

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Not just for kids- but kids still love it.

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With supervision and clear explanation, this movie is great, my 2 year old loves it, racing movie with timeless message, my son's favorite movie ever, what to watch next.

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Cars Parent Guide

Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is a little, red race car with big, bright ambitions. When he is accidentally detoured in the dusty town of Radiator Springs, Lightening meets the eclectic locals (voiced by Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, and Larry the Cable Guy) who try to help the hyperactive hotrod understand there are more things worth revving one's engines over than just speed.

Release date June 8, 2006

Run Time: 117 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

If you were a car, what would you be? A sporty Ferrari, a powerful SUV, a practical minivan, or a rusty old antique? In Radiator Springs, there’s a vehicle nearly everyone can relate to.

Unfortunately, the town appears to be on its last oil change. Following the construction of a new Interstate, the once-thriving community on Route 66 has been bypassed and is now nearly abandoned. Only the stalwarts still live there. Among them is Sally Carrera, a 2002 Porsche 911 (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), Fillmore the 1960 hippie VW van (voiced by George Carlin), Luigi the 1959 Fiat 500 (voiced by Tony Shalhoub), and Mater the toothy tow truck (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy).

However, the sleepy little village gets an infusion of high-octane fumes when Lightening McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), barrels into town, unintentionally ripping up the road and destroying public property. It seems the cocky red racer became lost after falling out of his car carrier (voiced by Pixar regular John Ratzenberger) while heading for a track in California.

But despite the hot-rod’s pleas to let him get back on the road and off to the races, the local residents aren’t about to let Lightening leave without fixing things up. Under the gruff gaze of Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman), the rookie is sentenced to repair the road by pulling the lumbering paving machine down Main Street.

Celebrated as the youngest car ever to have a shot at the Piston Cup, Lightening is revved to beat his top competitors, The King (voiced by racing legend Richard Petty) and Chick Hicks (voiced by Michael Keaton) at the LA International Speedway. Yet after spending a few days in Carburetor County, the self-centered rookie begins to realize that life isn’t all about finish lines, accolades and clicking cameras. Sometimes even a race car needs to shift down and enjoy the journey.

Infusing the car lot with the same charm it brought to the toy box (in Toy Story I and II ), Pixar relies on a mix of comedy, drama and a little romance to tell the tale of these autos’ attempts to get their town back on the map, all while enjoying a night of tractor tipping or an afternoon drive up the canyon. In addition to being fully loaded with personality, many of these animated automobiles are further enlivened by the vocal talents of real racing legends such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Mario Andretti, and Michael Schumacher.

Like the company’s previous films, Cars manages to mix humor for adults and children, although the script contains some mildly suggestive sexual comments, a few sentences that stop just short of a profanity and Fillmore’s famous homemade organic fuel made from questionable ingredients. Rolling in at nearly two hours long, the movie could also be a bit lengthy for young audience members who may need a pit stop along the way.

Still the back roads and small towns of America have never been more entertaining than Radiator Springs, where having a great time is far more important than making great time.

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Kerry Bennett

Cars rating & content info.

Why is Cars rated G? Cars is rated G by the MPAA

All the attention of being a world-class racecar goes straight to Lightening McQueen’s head. As a result he is rude to his pit crew and obnoxious with the other competitors. During a race, one car bumps the others, causing a major accident on the track. On a long road trip, a tired truck starts to fall asleep and nearly causes an accident. A gang of hotrods harasses other cars on the highway. A car tries to outrun a train at the crossing. While fleeing from the police, a car causes massive property damage and later tries to avoid the consequences. During a road race, a car misses the turn and crashes on the side of the road. A hippy van sells homemade organic fuel (referred to as freak juice). For entertainment, two cars go “tractor tipping”. An angry combine later chases them. There are some veiled sexual references and comments, among them a car flashes his headlights at another, cars cuddle up and kiss, and a car exposes its undercarriage. A character comments on a car’s pin striping tattoo. The script also includes some name-calling, near profanities and jokes based on misunderstood words.

Page last updated October 28, 2013

Cars Parents' Guide

Despite his wild popularity, Lightening McQueen doesn’t have any real friends. How do his actions and attitudes toward others contribute to that? Who teaches him about being a “best friend”? Why is trust important in a good relationship?

After ripping up the town, Lightening is forced to pay the consequences for his destructive behavior. How does that community service change his attitude? What does it teach him about himself and others? Is it important to be held accountable for our actions?

For more information on the real Route 66 and its importance in American history, check out the following sites:

http://www.route66.com/66History.html

http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/route66.html

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Facts.html

The most recent home video release of Cars movie is October 29, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Cars 3D: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Release Date: 29 October 2013

Cars releases to home video (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) in a 3D version.

Home Video Notes: Cars Director’s Collection

Release Date: 1 November 2011

Cars1 & 2 are available in the Cars Director’s Collection (11-Disc Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)

Eleven Discs:

- Cars (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

- Cars Toon: Mater’s Tall Tales (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

- Cars 2 (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + Bonus Disc)

- Theatrical Short - Toy Story Toon: Hawaiian Vacation

- Cars Toon: Air Mater

- Director Commentary

- Nuts and Bolts: A Sneak Peek of Cars Land

- World Tour Interactive Map

- Deleted Scenes

- Short Documentaries

- Set Explorations from the Different Cities in the Movie

- And More!

On April 12, 2011, Cars releases to Blu-ray in a Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo package. Bonus materials include:

Blu-ray Disc:

- Carfinder Game-Discover Hundreds Of “Car-acters”

- Mater And The Ghostlight Short - Now In Hi-Def

- Cine-Explore - For The Ultimate, Behind-The-Scenes Experience

- Deleted Scene - Traffic School

- Radiator Springs Featurettes

- One Man Band Short

- Inspiration For Cars

- Mater And The Ghostlight Short

-One Man Band Short

DVD Release Date: 7 November 2006

Gentlemen, start your DVDs. Cars is racing into the home entertainment market packed with a lot of flashy accessories. Whether you chose the wide or full screen presentations, the disc offers a new animated short: Mater and the Ghostlight as well as the Academy Award-nominated animated short: One Man Band. Director John Lasseter shares his inspiration for the production. Also tossed in are deleted scenes and a Ratatouille teaser trailer. Audio tracks are available in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), with subtitles in English.

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Imagine a world totally made up of cars, including bugs with headlights and horns. That will give you a hint of the nonstop dazzle that awaits you in Cars . Director John Lasseter, the Pixar wizard behind both Toy Story landmarks, dishes out visual miracles with a quiet confidence that doesn’t need to show off. It’s also there in the script Lasseter helped write with Joe Ranft (who died in a car accident last summer). The plot is simplicity itself: Lightning McQueen, voiced with sass and sincerity by Owen Wilson, is a star rookie on the NASCAR circuit. He is on his way to the Piston Cup Championship in Los Angeles when he’s caught speeding through the forgotten town of Radiator Springs and sentenced to community service. The judge who slows Lightning is Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet with medals of his own hidden away in the garage. Who better than acting and racing legend Paul Newman, 81, to voice Doc? Newman invests Doc with such easy humor and true grit that even he calls it his best performance since 1982’s The Verdict .

Lasseter, the son of a car-parts manager, seems born for this movie. The scene in which Mater, a tow truck, voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, takes Lightning out at night for some cow-tipping — but the cows are now tractors — is a classic. As is the revenge the next morning when the tractors ride into town like pissed-off outlaws. For sex, get a load of the sleek Porsche (Bonnie Hunt gives her a seductive purr) that gets Lightning’s engine humming. Auto-eroticism takes on new meaning here. Cars is family fun, brimming with surprises too good to spoil in a review. The message may be old hat — stop and smell the roses — but Lasseter gives it a visual and vocal pop that is downright breathtaking. Whether it’s the thunderous excitement of the big races that open and close the film or an Oscar-ready Randy Newman tune called ”Our Town” that James Taylor sings with heart-catching beauty, Cars is a class act all the way. Pixar does it again.

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"Remembering and Celebrating Small-Town American Values"

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

What You Need To Know:

(BBB, CC, PPP, CapCapCap, L, V) Very strong moral worldview with redemptive moments and important moments that have a very strong, nostalgic feel for good old-fashioned, small-town American values and some of the bygone things that helped make America a great place to live, including lovable cars own their own businesses and reference to angels and sacrificial love demonstrated; two light exclamatory profanities ("O, Lord" and "My God"), some derivatives of the word "dang," one "heck," play on the word "butte," the phrase "Hillbilly Hell" comes up twice, and vehicles backfire occasionally to sound like passing gas; light, but exciting car racing and slapstick violence such as cartoon race cars crash, villain cartoon car bumps other cars to cause crashes or get ahead, a couple cartoon cars flip end over end, cartoon car lands in cactus a couple times, cartoon car accidentally tears up road, and monster harvesting machine chases cartoon car and cartoon tow truck; no sex, but romance develops between male cartoon car and female cartoon car, and male cartoon tow truck jokes that female cartoon car wants him "for my body"; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, nothing else objectionable.

More Detail:

CARS, Pixar’s new movie in conjunction with Disney Studios, is a feast for the eyes and the heart. It is a great movie that will be beloved by young and old alike.

Fast-paced comedy isn’t such a primary goal as in previous Pixar movies like the TOY STORY movies or MONSTERS, INC. The movie more than makes up for it, however, in nostalgic drama, character depth, a salute to a bygone era of Americana, and racecar action.

In the story, which takes its time developing, hotshot rookie racecar, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), has his sights on winning the Piston Cup in a three-way race between rivals The King and Chick Hicks. A series of coincidences leaves Lightning stranded in an isolated, small desert town called Radiator Springs, off Route 66. There, Lightning gets into trouble with the law and the town judge for speeding and wrecking the main road. He is sentenced to re-build the road.

While Lightning works to rebuild the road so he can get to the champion race in California, he encounters all the quirky cars running the town and its various businesses. They teach Lightning the importance of integrity and caring for others instead of himself. They also teach him that winning isn’t everything, and that, sometimes, you have to lose yourself and slow down in order to find yourself and re-discover the values you lost. Or, the values you never knew you had.

As is the case with everything Pixar does, the computer animation in CARS is first-rate. New achievements in re-creating the real world in a fantasy setting are achieved. Not the least of these wonderful re-creations are the movie’s beautiful, colorful renderings of buildings, living cars, bugs made to look like tiny cars, roads, highways, scenery, and nighttime settings.

Despite the mixed pace of the story’s first part, the movie has a depth of feeling and the character arcs have a nostalgic depth that remind one of the most poignant moments in the great Pixar classic, TOY STORY II. This movie perfectly captures the old-fashioned values that made small-town America and the American family worth preserving and celebrating, as well as emulating.

American parents should start teaching their children some of these moral, American values before it’s too late. Prayerfully, it’s not too late. And, prayerfully, the international audience will see CARS so that they too can learn to appreciate, and even emulate, these values for themselves and their own children and grandchildren.

CARS is the best movie so far of 2006. I cried and laughed. It touched my heart and soul. Thank you so much, Pixar!

SoundVapors

20/20 Movie Review: Cars – 2006

In 2006, Pixar could do no wrong. Every film up to this point featured a variety of memorable characters and themes that resonated with audiences, making each one a giant hit. Whether the story was about toys, monsters, bugs, or fish, the studio came up with one quality film after another. For the next project, John Lasseter decided to focus on Cars. Not only did he give the okay for the movie, he also acted as the director, screenwriter, and the story developer for this film. In other words, this movie held a high level of personal investment for him. Not since Toy Story had Lasseter been so directly involved. Would Lasseter’s efforts lead Pixar to pull off another triumph……?

The film begins with a young, brash car named Lightning McQueen. His ultimate goal is winning the Piston Cup, so he can score a lucrative endorsement deal. He is a superstar, but thanks to his great success, he is egotistical and has no concern for anyone else. In the opening scene, he is competing in the big, final race. McQueen is on the last lap and is in the lead. Unfortunately, he ignores his pit crew’s advice, and as a result, his tires fail. This costs him the win, and the race finishes with a three-way tie between McQueen and two other race cars. To break the tie and award a winner for the cup, the three cars must travel to California and compete in one final race. On the way to California, the truck carrying McQueen falls asleep. Lightening is ejected from the truck and left stranded in the middle of the highway. As McQueen struggles to find the freeway, he is soon caught for speeding by an officer and crashes into an abandoned town. This town is Radiator Springs, a onetime booming community. Lightning goes to a court hearing held by Doc Hudson, the elder statesman of the town, who allows him to leave. However, before the final ruling, Sally Carrera argues that McQueen should be ordered to do community service. As penance, he would be responsible for repaving what’s left of the old, battered main street. Doc agrees and Lightning is stuck in Radiator Springs until he finishes the project.

At first, McQueen rebels and tries to escape, only to run out of gas. He grudgingly begins the project, and soon becomes friends with a worn down tow truck named Mater. He also develops a close relationship with Sally, who provides him with the history of Radiator Springs. She reveals that the town was once a thriving tourist spot, but since the opening of the interstate, business has dried up. The only car who remains skeptical of McQueen is Doc. Lightning later discovers that Doc had been a successful racer himself, but his career was cut short by a devastating crash on the race track. Soon, McQueen finishes paving the main street and the town celebrates. However, the festivities are interrupted by a swarm of cars who are here to take McQueen away to compete in the big race in California. McQueen disappears with his entourage, leaving his new friends behind in the dust.

Once again. Pixar’s animation is spectacular. The personalities and mannerisms of the different cars in the film are all unique and very expressive. In addition, I love how the animation captures the landscape of Radiator Springs and brings back the romanticism of Route 66. The film also does a great job creating the speed, intensity, and adrenaline of the races themselves.

The voice acting is also terrific. You couldn’t ask for a better lead vocal for McQueen than Owen Wilson. Paul Newman’s voice gives the final touch of authority and respectability for Doc’s character. Not to be forgotten is Bonnie Hunt as the charming Sally. And of course, Larry the Cable Guy, who steals the show with his performance as Mater. Only Larry could successfully lend the voice that made the good-natured Mater so lovable and easily my favorite car in all of Radiator Springs. He is a great character and his upbeat attitude and relentless optimism are representative of why this town should be restored.

I also really loved the story, the characters, and the themes in the film. I fell in love with Radiator Springs and had a vested interest in seeing it revived. Although McQueen is self-absorbed, he is still very likable. His character is a microcosm of what ails society today. McQueen is convinced that being famous and successful are what matter, which is just like what society promotes today. He soon discovers during his time at Radiator Springs that loyalty, friendship, and self-sacrifice are more important. One of the greatest sequences happens after McQueen finishes paving the road, and we see all of Radiator Springs lit up. It’s a great scene that invites us as the audience to share in the joy of this moment. I also love the twist at the end during the final race. Without revealing anything, I thought it was very inspirational and moving.

The most complex car is Doc Hudson. Instead of portraying him as a stereotypical father figure or mentor, Pixar gave his character multiple layers. He has the town’s best interest at heart but struggles with his own bitterness over his early retirement. He helps McQueen even though this arrogant car reminds him of everything wrong about racing. While the town respects Doc, they also see him as an old, past his prime car. They scoff at the mere mention of him being a former racing champion. This makes Doc a sympathetic character and also emphasizes the pain that Lightning’s presence brings him. McQueen reminds Doc of his past glory and ultimately, how the racing industry rejected him. Doc’s moment of redemption at the end of the film is just as gratifying as McQueen’s.

I thought the race car driver cameos were a mixed bag. Richard Petty seemed like the appropriate choice to provide the classy voice for King and designating his real-life wife to voice Mrs. King was an especially nice touch. However, I have to criticize the voices chosen for the team of announcers of the races. Bob Costas is a great play-by-play announcer, but as far as I know, I don’t think he’s ever announced a NASCAR race. Not sure why the movie didn’t use Mike Joy instead, who typically broadcasts this sport, Since Darrell Waltrip is an analyst for NASCAR, I was okay at first with him handling the analysis in Cars . Unfortunately, his character in the film attempts to be a race car version of Dick Vitale, going crazy after every turn and crash. This is minor complaint, but it did take a little away from the excitement of the first and final races.

When I started watching this film, I have to admit that I wasn’t very excited about it. I was never interested in cars and only saw them as a way to get from point A to point B. I cared even less about NASCAR. (Unless you count following the Daytona 500, playing the arcade racing game at Dave and Buster’s, or thinking Richard Petty looked cool in his cowboy hat.) Yet, Lasseter and his team won me over with Cars . It’s a great action film with all the adrenaline pumping racing sequences, but it’s more than that. It also delivers a valuable message during this crazy period in history, where self-worth is measured by the number of likes someone receives on Facebook. Cars proves that community is preferable to individualism, and only through friendship and service can this modern disease of excessive self-importance be cured. I never thought that a Pixar film about a little red car’s personal growth could deliver such a meaningful message, but it did.

-Flyin’ Brian

Brian’s Rating 8/10

One thought on “ 20/20 Movie Review: Cars – 2006 ”

Spot on analysis, Brian! Great point on Costas being a strange choice as the race announcer. I doubt he has ever viewed let alone announced a NASCAR race.

Comments are closed.

Best TVs of 2024, Tested by Tech Experts

The best upgrade to movie nights.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Best Overall TV

Lg oled evo c4.

Best Value TV

Tcl qm8 series.

Best OLED TV

Samsung class oled s90c.

Oftentimes, there’s nothing more relaxing than gathering around a bowl of popcorn and turning the lights down to watch a movie. But to transform your movie nights from average to exceptional, a new TV packed with the latest technology may be the missing ingredient. While shopping for a TV is no easy task, with so many types, price points and sizes to choose from, TVs improve year-over-year and there’s a perfect set for every space and every family. Below our pros help narrow down some of the best TVs of 2024.

Whether you like watching movies, sports or you're an avid gamer, it's hard to go wrong with LG's C2 series. Our pros like this popular OLED model in particular for its combination of great value and excellent picture quality , making its steeper initial cost well worth it. Images feature bright colors, deep blacks and impressive contrast thanks to millions of self-lit pixels (over 8 million to be exact). We also find the media interface robust and easy to use, and gamers will appreciate the fast 120 Hz refresh rate that can go up to 144 Hz, in addition to LG's cloud gaming service, GeForce Now, which offers easy access to some of the most sought-after games.

"In general, these TVs have minimal lag, making fast-moving content still appear smooth and lifelike," says Rachel Rothman , former Chief Technologist at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Our pros recommend this model for anyone who frequently watches TV in a dark setting, which is where it will really shine. For those who have a well-equipped smart home , we like that it's compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay, HomeKit and more.

Who’s it for: This popular OLED series is a great choice for most people seeking to create a home theater setup. This 2024 model offers a combination of excellent picture quality, a slim design and a variety of screen sizes to suit your space.

Type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Sizes: 42", 48", 55", 65", 77", 83" | Refresh rate: 120 Hz

Standing out for its exceptional brightness and crisp picture quality , our pros were impressed with TCL’s QM8. According to the brand, it features up to 2,300 local dimming zones and a mini-LED backlight that creates deeper blacks, brighter whites and improved contrast. A 120 Hz refresh rate to keep everything on-screen zippy, and because it boasts up to 2,000 nits peak brightness, it’s suitable for all rooms of your home (that includes well-lit spaces!). While it’s not available in smaller screen sizes, those who think bigger is better can opt for this model in a whopping 115” screen size . Both our experts and testers agree that the TCL, which runs on Google TV, is easy to set up and operate. Other online reviewers rave about its image quality, brightness and solid audio—all for a reasonable price.

Who’s it for: For shoppers looking for impressive brightness and rich picture quality without having to spend several thousand on a premium OLED, this TCL is a fantastic choice. It offers excellent value and is a reliable choice for brighter, sunny rooms.

Type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | Sizes: 65", 75", 85", 98" | Refresh rate: 120 Hz

Testing the TCL QM8 Series.

You can count on Samsung to deliver beautiful colors, crisp details and rich contrast in this premium 4K OLED TV. While we haven't yet tested this particular model, our pros are familiar with Samsung's latest lineup and love this model's super slim design and essentially bezel-free screen . In tests of similar sets, our pros were impressed by the TV's upscaling technology and ability to transform content into 4K resolution. Plus, with a refresh rate that goes up to 144Hz, this TV is an excellent choice for gamers seeking top performance with virtually no lag.

If deep blacks and excellent contrast are what you're seeking, the S90C is your go-to. No matter your choice, Samsung's media interface is super intuitive and its fan-favorite One Remote can be used across Samsung devices.

Who's it for: Binge-watchers and movie buffs who love excellent picture quality as much as a sleek and easy-to-use interface, but aren't ready to shed upward of $3,000 on a new set.

Type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Sizes: 55", 65", 77", 83" | Refresh rate: 120 Hz

LG OLED evo G4

LG’s latest 2024 G4 OLED is stunning, and while it’s one of the priciest picks on this list, it’s worth the investment if top-notch quality is what you’re after. It's one of the brand's brightest OLEDs, featuring "Brightness Booster Max" technology that makes it suitable for dark spaces as it is for well-lit rooms . You can expect to see impressive contrast, crystal-clear images and vibrant colors no matter what you're watching.

Online reviewers rave about the TV's stunning picture quality, sleek design that allows the TV to hang flush against the wall, improved sound quality and user-friendly interface. One reviewer describes the TV as "an extraordinary piece of technology that brings the magic of the big screen into the comfort of your living room."

Who’s it for: Anyone with some wiggle room in their budget seeking a bright OLED for a home theater setup with superior picture quality and perfect black levels.

Type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Sizes: 55", 65", 77", 83", 97" | Refresh rate: 120 Hz

Hisense U8 Series

The Hisense U8 Series ranges from 55-inch screen sizes to those up to 100 inches, so there's a lot to choose from. What we like about this model is not only its bright picture quality but the impressive 144Hz native refresh rate that gamers and sports fans will appreciate. We also like that Hisense packs in a lot of features for a reasonable price, leveraging proprietary ULED technology and mini-LED lights as opposed to traditional LEDs for improved backlighting that results in deeper blacks and whites.

Testers were impressed by its super bright, 4K picture quality that makes it a great fit for a variety of spaces— all for a price under $2,000. Plus, most Hisense TVs are powered by Google TV, which means they're super easy to set up and navigate, and Google Assistant is automatically built-in. Reviewers praise the TV’s color accuracy, though some do point out that the viewing angle could be improved.

Who it's for: Shoppers who want a mid-range TV in a range of sizes with picture quality that doesn't disappoint, but won't break the bank either.

Type: ULED | Resolution: 4K | Sizes: 55", 65", 75", 85", 100" | Refresh rate: 144 Hz

A GH Institute tester evaluating the Hisense U8.

Roku Plus Series

You're probably familiar with Roku's streaming sticks , which bring an intuitive, seamless interface to any TV that lacks smart features or access to certain streaming apps. But now you can skip using a streaming stick and purchase a TV directly from Roku instead . Our pros recently tested the Roku Plus Series, which comes with an easy-to-use voice remote that lets you find the content you're looking for faster than ever.

“It's a surprisingly affordable option for a solid set with good color and low lag,” Rothman says. “While the picture quality of more premium sets is still notably better, the smart interface is wonderful.” She also points out that brightness could be improved and the placement or ports make them hard to reach when mounted, but overall it’s a great TV for the price. Just keep in mind that it comes in limited size options.

Who it's for: We think it's a great TV for guest rooms, college students and anyone who doesn't need the most advanced features or the latest technology.

Type: QLED | Resolution: 4K | Sizes: 55", 65", 75" | Refresh rate: 60 Hz

Sony Bravia XR Class A95L QD-OLED

Movie aficionados will love this 4K OLED TV from Sony, which features bold, accurate colors, immersive audio and impressive contrast. Though our pros haven't tested this model in the Media & Tech Lab, we've been impressed with Sony's 4K upscaling in other Bravia models, which makes low-resolution content clearer. Sony sets have also stood out for their color accuracy and excellent motion handling in our previous evaluations, and "cognitive processing" allows for even more brightness and resolution by enhancing each image — that's a win-win for movie night. We also like that Sony uses Google's interface to make it easy to find your favorite shows, though the remote could be sleeker and we wish the set wasn't quite so expensive.

Who it's for: Movies buffs and cinephiles will get a kick out of watching content on Sony's A95L, as long as it's within your budget's range.

Type: QD-OLED | Resolution: 4K | Sizes: 55", 65", 75" | Refresh rate: 120 Hz

Testing the Samsung QN900C.

Other TVs we considered

Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN900C : Our pros have nothing negative to say about this premium QLED from Samsung, except its steep price. We found picture quality to be exceptional and super bright. If you have access to 8K content it can be a worthy investment, but until it becomes more available it may not be the right set for everyone.
Hisense U6 Series : For those eager to find a TV under $500, we suggest considering the more affordable yet less feature-rich U6 series from Hisense. "It's a really, really good value for everything you're getting," said one tester. "It was very easy to set up, including the Google Home features (and I didn't have a single Google Home product prior to this)."
Samsung The Frame TV : The GH Institute tech experts love The Frame TV for its beautiful, slim design that you can mount onto walls and disguise as artwork. We find The Frame's performance impressive and love the matte display that's suitable for bright rooms, but recognize this premium TV may be for a niche audience who likes to host more than they like to binge-watch.
Samsung S95D OLED 4K TV : Our pros recently tested the S95D and were wowed by its perfect picture quality and anti-glare technology that makes binge-watching day or night an exceptional viewing experience. “Quite simply the best and brightest picture quality I’ve ever seen,” said one tester. That being said, you can opt for a lower-tier Samsung model for a more affordable price if you’re OK losing out on a few features.

How we test the best TVs

At the Good Housekeeping Institute Media & Tech Lab, our engineers and product analysts test all sorts of electronics for your home, including home theater equipment. When selecting the best TVs, we relied on our decades of expertise and considered top-performing brands that have stood out in previous Lab tests, those we use (and love) in our own homes as well as ones that testers raved about.

When testing the best TVs, our experts review ease of use and performance. We evaluate TVs for ease of setup, remote control, number of ports, menu navigation and interface and more. We next test video resolution, picture quality, brightness, audio quality, the intuitiveness of smart features and other factors that impact your viewing experience. Whenever applicable, we factor in feedback from our test panel regarding their experience using the TV to better evaluate what's most important to consumers.

What to look for when shopping for the best TVs

✔️ Resolution: A TV’s resolution is measured in pixels, but you’ll see a lot of confusing terms thrown out at you. Our experts recommend investing in a set with at least 4K Ultra HD (UHD) resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels), the standard for high def and why we only feature 4K sets above. While you could splurge on a set with even greater resolution like an 8K set (7680 x 4320 pixels), the balance of great quality and cost makes 4K the dominant choice. 4K means that the TV has at least four times as many pixels as older HD TVs (1080p), so you can see four times the detail in a given space, especially when up close. When talking about 4K, you’ll also see mention of 4K HDR. “HDR stands for high dynamic range, and it enhances the contrast,” Rothman explains. “Brights are brighter, darks are darker. It allows for deeper, darker colors and more vibrant, bright colors with nuance in between.” As a rule of thumb when choosing the right resolution for your new TV, the more pixels, the better picture quality you can expect. While 8K TV sets are slowly gaining ground, the amount of 8K content being rolled out simply doesn't compare to 4K (at least not yet).

✔️ Type: The majority of TVs you'll see today are either OLED, QLED or LED backlit LCDs (most commonly referred to as LEDs). For the best picture quality, we suggest OLED TVs as they feature millions of self-lit pixels that help produce the darkest blacks and best contrast. LED TVs use LEDs to backlit an LCD — these sets require a source of light that makes them cheaper but not quite as slim or impressive when it comes to picture quality. Lastly, you'll find QLEDs being sold by brands like Samsung or TCL. "QLED is a marketing term — these TVs use LCD panels lit by LEDs, but with a 'quantum dot layer' to filter the light to produce better color," Rothman explains. QLEDs are an excellent choice for well-lit rooms as their screen is brighter than a standard LED.

✔️ Screen size: Before choosing a screen size for your new TV, make sure to measure your space to ensure you'll have enough room on your TV console or wall if you plan on mounting it. Screen size is measured diagonally, and the average size for most spaces is 55 to 65 inches. Our experts suggest choosing the size that best suits your home, your needs and your budget. Keep in mind that the larger the screen size, the more you can expect the price of your TV to go up. "Our advice is to size up when in doubt," Rothman says. "You rarely regret getting a few inches more, though the flip side is not true."

✔️ Refresh rate: A TV's refresh rate refers to how quickly images change on the screen, and is especially noticeable when you're watching intense action movies or sports where every transition, action or scene counts. Our pros recommend 120Hz or more. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother and more natural you can expect your viewing experience to be. Gamers in particular should opt for TV sets with high refresh rates so there's little room for lag (and error) when playing against opponents.

✔️ Number of ports: You'll want to choose a TV with a variety of ports so you can easily plug in accessories like streaming sticks, gaming consoles , soundbars or even laptops . Rothman suggests looking for a TV with accessible and plentiful ports as you never know what you may want to connect down the line.

✔️ Smart features: Most TVs these days come with smart features such as a media interface that allows you to access your favorite streaming apps. But what about if you want your TV to turn on without having to reach for the remote, and instead you simply ask Alexa or Google? If so, choose a TV that's compatible with your favorite smart home ecosystem or one that has Google or Alexa directly built-in, or another voice assistant. Some TVs will even come with voice-enabled remotes so you can search for movies and shows without having to type in long titles.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Writer and Reviews Analyst Olivia Lipski covers everything from tech to home, travel, fitness and more for GH. She regularly tests home theater essentials like the Samsung The Frame TV , budget projectors and other top-performing TVs to understand how well they perform. She also attends trade shows like CES annually to stay abreast of the latest technologies and trends in the TV industry.

Rachel Rothman , former chief technologist and head engineer at the Good Housekeeping Institute, led GH's categorical TV testing for 15 years. TVs are in her DNA since she grew up in a family that owned and operated a consumer electronics business with a big focus on TVs and the latest technology.

More resources and TV buying guides

Best TV brands
When Is the Best Time to Buy a TV?
Best TVs for Bright Rooms
Best TVs for Gaming
Best Outdoor TVs
Samsung The Frame TV Review

Olivia (she/her) is a media and tech product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute , covering tech, home, auto, health and more. She has more than five years of experience writing about tech trends and innovation and, prior to joining GH in 2021, was a writer for Android Central, Lifewire and other media outlets. Olivia is a graduate of George Washington University, with a bachelor's degree in journalism, political science and French, and she holds a master’s degree in communications from Sciences Po Paris.

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Volo Museum

Updated 2 weeks ago

Review Highlights

“ My love and I had the opportunity to visit the Volo Auto Museum as we were camping at a nearby site last September. ” in 32 reviews

“ There are plenty of opportunities here for a cute photo op too, so make sure you bring your cameras and a SMILE! ” in 4 reviews

“ On top of it, the antique mall is really big and with both trips we didn't come home empty handed (and neither did the people who went with us). ” in 16 reviews

Location & Hours

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Volo, IL 60073

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Do you have to pay admission to the museum to take a photo at the Simpsons bench?

The Simpsons bench is located within the museum and there is a charge to enter the museum.

In each building is their a lot of places to sit?

There are 3 small theaters, a cafeteria with ample seating. There are also small seating areas throughout the property, even more so in summer with outdoor seating.

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Cast & crew

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in Babygirl (2024)

A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.

Halina Reijn
Nicole Kidman
Harris Dickinson
Antonio Banderas
1 nomination

Top cast 39

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2024 Venice Film Festival Guide

December 20, 2024 (United States)
United States
Netherlands
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Runtime 1 hour 54 minutes

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COMMENTS

Cars movie review & film summary (2006)
The message in "Cars" is simplicity itself: Life was better in the old days, when it revolved around small towns where everybody knew each other, and around small highways like Route 66, where you made new friends, sometimes even between Flagstaff and Winona. This older America has long been much-beloved by Hollywood, and apparently it survives ...
Cars
Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Cars is Pixar's most improbable success to date, a film that could easily have misfired, but somehow does not. Rated: B+ Oct 29, 2008 Full Review Christy Lemire ...
Cars Movie Review
There are three things in the movie that would scale this movie up to a PG rating: (1) The adult humor of two Mazda Miata characters flashing their "headlights," which imply female breasts. (2) One car calls a minivan "sexy." Kids younger than 11-13 should not repeat that word. (3) The derogatory term and the mild swear word, "h*llb*lly" and ...
Cars
Cars. Directed by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft. Animation, Comedy, Family, Sport. G. 1h 57m. By Manohla Dargis. June 9, 2006. THE temptation to write about "Cars" using automotive metaphors may be ...
Cars (2006)
User Reviews. "It's kind of nice to slow down every once in a while." "Cars didn't ride on it to make great time; they rode on it to have a great time." It's not hard to make a successful movie. It's simple, really. Exceed my expectations. Make me feel. Force me to care.
Cars
Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 29, 2023. No pun intended, but Cars is a prominent example of a middle-of-the-road animated feature. Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 10, 2023. The ...
Cars
Movie Review. In a world populated solely by vehicles, racing rookie Lightning McQueen has taken the Piston Cup by storm. Amid the thunder of roaring exhausts, the cocky No. 95 looks set to steal the championship from veteran racers "The King" Strip Weathers and his perpetual rival, Chick Hicks. ... As a G-rated movie, Cars definitely doesn ...
Cars
Fueled with plenty of humor, action, heartfelt drama and amazing new technical feats, Cars is a high octane delight for moviegoers of all ages. [Disney] Animation. Adventure. Comedy. Family. Sport. Directed By: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft. Written By: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft, Jorgen Klubien, Dan Fogelman, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin.
Cars
Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters.
Cars (2006)
39 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com. 100. Time Richard Corliss. The first great movie of the summer. 100. New York Daily News Jack Mathews. Whether the movie will make you believe a shocking-orange stock car has a future with a lavender Carrera, it's more fun to follow than a televised freeway chase. 91.
Cars 3 Movie Review
Parents need to know that Cars 3 is part of Pixar's popular movie franchise about a world of talking, human-like vehicles. The star-studded voice cast, led by Owen Wilson, returns for a threequel that's much more diverse and uplifting (not to mention less violent) than the last installment, Cars 2 ...
Cars Review
Cars Review. Arrogant race car Lightning McQueen (Wilson) is on the verge of superstardom, until a highway crash leaves him stranded in sleepy town Radiator Springs and sentenced to community ...
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated sports comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures.The film was directed by John Lasseter, co-directed by Joe Ranft, produced by Darla K. Anderson, and written by Lasseter, Ranft, Dan Fogelman, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin, and Jorgen Klubien based on a story by Lasseter, Ranft, and Klubien. The film stars an ensemble voice cast of Owen ...
Cars (2006)
Synopsis. The movie begins with two announcers, Bob Cutlass (voice of Bob Costas) and Darrell Cartrip (Darrell Waltrip) preparing for the opening of the Dinoco 400, the final race in the Piston Cup Series, the most famous and prestigious race in the United States. So far this racing season, three racers have emerged as the most likely ...
Cars (2006)
Cars is Pixar's most improbable success to date, a film that could easily have misfired, but somehow does not. Directed by John Lasseter. Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, George Carlin, Paul Dooley, Cheech Marin, Jenifer Lewis, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Wallis, Richard Petty, Michael Keaton, John Ratzenberger. Pixar ...
Cars
Cars is character-driven, which means that it has fewer action scenes than most recent animated films. Aside from car races, there's very little here to base a video game upon. The action/adventure limitations allow the character arcs to breathe and provide room for a love story, but there are times when the pace is sluggish.
Cars Summary and Synopsis
Cars is a 2006 animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Directed by John Lasseter, the film follows Lightning McQueen, a race car who ends up in the small town of Radiator Springs on his way to a major racing event. As he repairs the damaged road, he forms unexpected friendships that teach him valuable life lessons. The movie features the voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, and ...
Movie Review: Cars (2006)
Although Cars relies heavily on the race inspired theme (it is called Cars, afterall), there is plenty of side themes and distractions to make this movie more well rounded and enjoyable for the non race fans (sinners). You'll definitely get a kick out of the tractor tipping scenes. Cars is well worth your time and money.
Parent reviews for Cars
There are three things in the movie that would scale this movie up to a PG rating: (1) The adult humor of two Mazda Miata characters flashing their "headlights," which imply female breasts. (2) One car calls a minivan "sexy." Kids younger than 11-13 should not repeat that word. (3) The derogatory term and the mild swear word, "h*llb*lly" and ...
Cars Movie Review for Parents
Still the back roads and small towns of America have never been more entertaining than Radiator Springs, where having a great time is far more important than making great time. Directed by John Lasseter. Starring Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt. Running time: 117 minutes. Theatrical release June 8, 2006.
Cars
Cars. By Peter Travers. June 1, 2006. Imagine a world totally made up of cars, including bugs with headlights and horns. That will give you a hint of the nonstop dazzle that awaits you in Cars ...
Movie Reviews for Families
CARS, Pixar's new movie in conjunction with Disney Studios, is a feast for the eyes and the heart. It is a great movie that will be beloved by young and old alike. Fast-paced comedy isn't such a primary goal as in previous Pixar movies like the TOY STORY movies or MONSTERS, INC. The movie more than makes up for it, however, in nostalgic ...
Review of 2006 Cars Movie
20/20 Movie Review: Cars - 2006. In 2006, Pixar could do no wrong. Every film up to this point featured a variety of memorable characters and themes that resonated with audiences, making each one a giant hit. Whether the story was about toys, monsters, bugs, or fish, the studio came up with one quality film after another.
The 100 Greatest Movie and TV Cars of All Time
16. The Fast and the Furious 1970 Dodge Charger: The iconic car from this movie series is so intimidating that Vin Diesel is scared to drive it in the original film. 15. Ronin 1998 Audi S8: In ...
Best TVs of 2024, Tested & Reviewed
Whether you like watching movies, sports or you're an avid gamer, it's hard to go wrong with LG's C2 series. Our pros like this popular OLED model in particular for its combination of great value ...
The 20 coolest talking cars in movies, TV shows and games
These jabbering cars from movies, shows, and games caught our attention. Yardbarker. The 20 coolest talking cars in movies, TV shows and games. Story by Danny Gallagher • 2mo. 1 / 21 ©Walt ...
VOLO MUSEUM
Specialties: 30 Acres of Family Fun. 5 showrooms featuring famous Hollywood and TV cars, wild customs and American classics. 7 miles of shopping, antiques, gifts and souvenirs. Military Experience- walk through a life-like battle scene. Historic Trolley tour to the Cars of the Rich and Famous and Haunted Barn. Established in 1960. Originally opened in 1960, Volo Auto Museum recently celebrated ...
Babygirl (2024)
Babygirl: Directed by Halina Reijn. With Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.

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