Print this article E-mail this article More articles by this author

Rating: Country: U.S.A. Release Date: June 9, 2006 Distributor: Disney/Pixar Director: · John Lasseter Cast: · Owen Wilson (voice) · Paul Newman (voice) · Bonnie Hunt (voice) · Larry The Cable Guy (voice) · Cheech Marin (voice) · Tony Shalhoub (voice) Related Sites: · Official Site · IMDb · Cinema Spider: Cars Grade: B+

John Lasseter has directed some of Pixar's finest animated offerings, including the two "Toy Story" films and "A Bug's Life". He's parlayed his vehicular passion, inherent in a Southern California upbringing, into the technically brilliant and enjoyable computer-animated fable Cars. The inevitable tie-ins mimic efforts by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) to affiliate certain products with certain drivers. NASCAR aficionados will particularly enjoy the liberal helpings of in-jokes, but even non-fans will find plenty to relish in this automotive allegory.

After the onslaught of trailers and Lightning McQueen urging you to turn off your cell phone, you're greeted with a four-and-a-half minute CGI vignette titled One Man Band. In Renaissance-era Italy, a lonely instrumentalist plays to a deserted village square, with trombone, accordion, bass drum, and more strapped to his body. The orchestra of one valiantly belts out a tune, with upturned hat before him awaiting monetary accolades. Soon, a young girl appears with coin in hand, heading for the big fountain to make her wish. The musician intensifies his playing, and captures her attention, and she's just about to fork over the goods into his hat until... another one-man-band appears across the plaza, complete with agglomeration of lute, flute and violin. Thus a "dueling banjos on steroids" commences as the two vie for the money-wielding youngster's attention, with increasingly wilder instrumentation and greater volume. The manic minstrels manage to musically maul the child, who subsequently fumbles her coin down a storm drain. She demands her money back, and the tables-turned tunemeisters get due comeuppance for their one-upmanship. The music is treated as dialogue, without a word spoken throughout. It's short, it's sweet, and it's funny.

Then, things kick into high gear with the main feature...

Lightning McQueen, cherry-red race car voiced by Owen Wilson, circles an enormous speedway in quest to become the first rookie to hoist (or, whatever cars would do) the coveted Piston Cup. His chief rivals are the obnoxious meanie Chick Hicks, voiced by Michael Keaton, and wily veteran The King, voiced by legendary NASCAR driver Richard Petty. The championship race ends in a rather unlikely, by-a-tongue, three-way tie, to be resolved in a runoff match in California the following week. En route, a series of mishaps separates Lightning from his hauler, and he winds up in the backwater Southwestern town of Radiator Springs. If you've seen Doc Hollywood, you know how the plot progresses from here, as the hot-shot hot rod gets a healthy dose of slowed-down small-town reality.

The movie opens almost too frenetically, and I look forward to eventually seeing it subtitled so I can catch everything that was said. It does get all the racing terminology right, and if you're a huge NASCAR fan such as myself, there are plenty of right-on-the-money jokes about the stock car circuit, many of which are delivered by racetrack announcers Bob Cutlass (voiced by Bob Costas) and Darryl Cartrip (voiced by real-life commentator Darryl Waltrip). Especially good are the ridiculous lengths taken to appease and attract corporate sponsorship.

Ka-chow! Lightning McQueen hams it up for his fans and an adoring media. © Disney/Pixar

Just when your brain is about ready to seize up, the film shifts down to a lower gear and becomes a wistful ode to Route 66, complete with an effective narration on how the interstate highway system by-passed and subsequently snuffed out quaint little bergs like Radiator Springs. A sentimental flashback shows the town in its heyday, with neon lights reflecting off the pavement reminiscent of Memphis' Beale Street. Lightning has torn up the main avenue into town and is sentenced to repair the damage before he will be allowed to depart by Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet voiced by Paul Newman. Despite frantic attempts to escape, Lightning always gets returned to his duties pulling the blacktop-pouring machinery. The town's inhabitants embody several stereotypes—a low-rider named Ramone (voiced by Cheech Marin), a dumb, old buck-toothed Southern tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry The Cable Guy), and Sally, the curvaceous Porsche (voiced by Bonnie Hunt)—though, upon further reflection, it would probably be too hard to express subtle differences in character otherwise when you have no arms or legs and must use your big eyes-cum-windshield for expressive purposes.

The townsfolk begin to grow on Lightning, and he finally starts to "get it"--that fame and fortune are no substitutes for friendship. He partakes in local activities including a hilarious sequence where Mater takes him into out-lying fields to show him the fine art of "tractor-tipping". He becomes smitten with the motel-owning Porsche, and discovers the true identity of the grizzled ol' judge. Though he seems to have learned his lesson, he bolts for the hills the instant he is released from his obligation. He attempts to return to life in the fast lane, though it is never quite the same again. Naturally, his new-found friends arrive to become his impromptu pit crew for the big race, though Mater voices a more simple-minded reason for their presence: "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye." Slight pause. "Goodbye! Okay, I'm good." In the end, genuine compassion is exhibited by the formerly selfish little red race car in lieu of tunnel-visioned pursuit of prizes and glory, thereby winning the only race that really counts.

But wait! Don't leave during the credits. And I'm warning you right now--don't even think about drinking soda pop because it will soon be shooting out of your nose as you witness scenes from previous Pixar movies altered hysterically to fit the "Cars" universe. And make sure you stay 'til the very end for one last scene that tracks the progress (or lack thereof) of a couple of characters. I thought it pushed the boundaries of the G-rating with some mild sexual innuendo (that is sure to sail over a youngster's head, but it's there nonetheless) and snatches of questionable dialogue. For example, when Lightning reveals old Doc's identity he exuberantly proclaims, "He has three Piston Cups!" To which Mater sputters, "He did what in his cup?" At nearly two hours long (not including the short presented at the beginning) it seems to drag in spots, though eye-popping natural vistas keep your attention. Plenty of kids were in attendance where I saw it, and there was less restlessness than I would have expected from a film of this length.

Previews: Meet the Robinsons, Ratatouille, Barnyard, Open Season, Flicka