Movie Review: Cars (2006)
One of the benefits to being married to someone who works at Energizer is that when Energizer sponsors a movie, we get to go to a preview showing. And so it was Saturday that my wife and I headed to the Esquire theater for the preview. It was apparently showing on several screens, but we picked the main theater. With apparently everyone else who brought a baby. For the most part, the kids were well-behaved, but there was a lot more talking during the movie than I would have been happy to have paid for.
Lightning McQueen (voice Owen Wilson), is a self-centered rookie contending for the Piston Cup. In the final race of the season, he ignores his crew chief, has a blow-out, but manages to just hold on for a tie with the King (voice Richard Petty), the long-standing champ, and Chick (voice Michael Keaton), the perennial second-place finisher. On his way to a run-off race in California, he gets lost and while running from the law wrecks the road in Radiator Springs, AZ, a town on Route 66 bypassed . He gets sentenced to fix the road before they'll let him leave to finish. While there he learns important life lessons from its denizens Doc (voice Paul Newman), Sally (voice Bonnie Hunt), Mater (voice Larry The Cable Guy), Ramone (voice Cheech Marin), Luigi (voice Tony Shalhoub), Flo (voice Jenifer Lewis), Sarge (voice Paul Dooley), Sheriff (voice Michael Wallis), Filmore (voice George Carlin), and Lizzie (voice Katherine Helmond). After he learns his lessons it's on to California for the big race.
At least one reason that there was so much talking from the under-10 set is that Cars is a very talky movie for a cartoon. There are a number of well-done action sequences, but the bulk of the movie consists of the characters waxing philosophical about the virtues of the towns on Route 66 that were bypassed by the freeways. That isn't to say that the movie isn't funny. It's very well written, easily on a par with some of the other Pixar films. The animation is also up to snuff, although some of the race sequences suffered in comparison to the Phantom Menace.
I give this a solid recommendation, but I would suggest that it isn't for the youngest children not due to subject matter but more due to presentation.
Lightning McQueen (voice Owen Wilson), is a self-centered rookie contending for the Piston Cup. In the final race of the season, he ignores his crew chief, has a blow-out, but manages to just hold on for a tie with the King (voice Richard Petty), the long-standing champ, and Chick (voice Michael Keaton), the perennial second-place finisher. On his way to a run-off race in California, he gets lost and while running from the law wrecks the road in Radiator Springs, AZ, a town on Route 66 bypassed . He gets sentenced to fix the road before they'll let him leave to finish. While there he learns important life lessons from its denizens Doc (voice Paul Newman), Sally (voice Bonnie Hunt), Mater (voice Larry The Cable Guy), Ramone (voice Cheech Marin), Luigi (voice Tony Shalhoub), Flo (voice Jenifer Lewis), Sarge (voice Paul Dooley), Sheriff (voice Michael Wallis), Filmore (voice George Carlin), and Lizzie (voice Katherine Helmond). After he learns his lessons it's on to California for the big race.
At least one reason that there was so much talking from the under-10 set is that Cars is a very talky movie for a cartoon. There are a number of well-done action sequences, but the bulk of the movie consists of the characters waxing philosophical about the virtues of the towns on Route 66 that were bypassed by the freeways. That isn't to say that the movie isn't funny. It's very well written, easily on a par with some of the other Pixar films. The animation is also up to snuff, although some of the race sequences suffered in comparison to the Phantom Menace.
I give this a solid recommendation, but I would suggest that it isn't for the youngest children not due to subject matter but more due to presentation.
posted by mypetrock at 8:04 AM
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