A Review by Phil Calabro
2006, Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar, Dir. John Lasseter/Joe Ranft - Starring the voice talents of Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Paul Newman, Cheech Marin, Jenifer Lewis, Paul Dooley, George Carlin, Tony Shaloub, Michael Keaton, Guido Quaroni
Within the feud of Dreamworks and Pixar CGI-animation, I've tended to favor the former on account of their encompassing the children and adult audiences together. But today I was asked whether I saw 'Cars', and I responded that I had and disliked it much. In return, I was told that "I wouldn't understand because I'm not a kid." I'm not a child anymore, but I am positive I wouldn't have been very interested in anthropomorphic automobiles and their ambitions. Sure, it looks adorable, sounds adorable, but is what it projects adorable? For a good three-quarters of the film, much is spent focused on a selfish, egotistical main character and his incessant bickering about his problems. It isn't until the final laps that 'Cars' attempts to redeem itself, in one quick turn of events. Rather, this is a major turning point in Pixar's history - where they have succumbed to the animation race and provided a glittering piece that lacks any sort of moral depth. There's too much wrong here - instead of a high-flying children's piece, 'Cars' lacks a heart, respectable characters, and enough fuel to last the entire movie. Children will appreciate its candy-coated finish, but all I can see is a missed opportunity on the part of Disney and company.
Lightning McQueen (Wilson) is a rookie in the racecar circuit, but has quickly hopped his way to the victorious top of the hill (how he got there is never explained, but no one will care anyway.) Having three-way-tied with the current #1 Strip Weathers (an amusing cameo by Richard Petty) and the raceway veteran Chick Hicks (Keaton) in a playoff rounds race, Lightning has moved on to the greatest championship of them all - The Piston Cup. The young sportscar is so caught up in his own ambition and reputation that he can never sit back and thank those who helped him get where he is. Rather the glory of fame and money cloud his mind, and all Lightning cares about is winning that Piston Cup. On his way to the big race in California, McQueen is inadvertantly stranded in a little lost town on Route 66, Radiator Springs. The hotrod's entrance is unwelcomed by the town's few residents, as in the process of entering he damages the entirety of their main road. Punished by the town's veteran judge Doc Hudson (Newman) to re-pave the street, Lightning then begins griping about his chores and what-not...or maybe he'll pull an old Disney trick and start to think about others than himself. Uh oh, did I spoil the story for you?
Lightning McQueen is not only one of the most forgettable characters Disney has created (that's counting Lilo and Stitch), but the petroleum-chugging protagonist is also one of the most arrogant figures in animated movies. Sometimes arrogance and cynicism can have its positive traits - such as in Disney's 'Emperor's New Groove' where David Spade portrays the bratty young king Kuzko. But in 'Cars', Lightning is voiced by Owen Wilson, whose voice lacks the same razor-sharp sarcasm as Spade. Here, it's just plain annoying - and there's no thanks to the lousy, witless script written by director Lasseter and co-director Ranft. The obligatory love interest is voiced by Bonnie Hunt, whose character Sally is a simple gimmick rather than anything worthwhile. She doesn't interact well with Wilson, whose youth and innuendo just come across awkward. "Is that a pinstripe tattoo I see on your back" made me groan like a second viewing of 'Gigli'. Jokes to please adult audiences come across flat and uninspired. Also, Paul Newman's character of Doc Hudson has some significance to the story, but the casting of Young Blue Eyes also appears gimmicky. Larry the Cable Guy is about as funny as in one of his comic sketches - not very, but at least the character of Mater adds heart to the program. There's no use to describe any of the other ignorant stereotypes of characters, ranging from Afro-American to Latino to Italian. Kids won't care, because the car's glazed shells-for-body will cover up all of this.
Further past my dislike of its main character (and supporting folks...er, cars) is my equally bothersome aspect of having cars as characters in the first place. It's an odd choice to have machines become the players of the show; it's almost as if 'Maximum Overdrive' was given a kiddie rendition. On a planet where only cars live, what do cars do? Do they have a government? What jobs do cars have - another than having to do with racing and cleaning? They just drive, apparently...drive and drive and drive. In some way, this is how 'Cars' ends up being so one-dimensional like Lightning McQueen. With no pun intended, everyone has a one-track mind. I could at least associate with fish, bugs, and the like. But machines? There's not much of a world outside of Route 66 and the Racetracks for John Lasseter's production, which is a feature that few Pixar movies have left out. It's important, and conversely funny, to see how their cities and towns function otherwise. And at a long 2 hours runtime, it's a dry and dusty road to the finish line.
'Cars' is an uninspired children's film, one that has its mind on the money rather than the movie. I can't tell you whether your kid will like it or not, but it's up to you to make that decision. But if you're looking to enjoy it yourself, just find a nanny and see 'Superman'. At least that maintains tradition - something Disney lost years ago.
