Cars (2006)

Directors:

John Lasseter
Joe Ranft (co-director)

Writers:

John Lasseter (story) &
Joe Ranft (story) ...

Release Date:

9 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Family | Sport

Tagline:

Ahhh... it's got that new movie smell.

Plot:

A hot-shot race-car named Lightning McQueen gets waylaid in Radiator Springs, where he finds the true meaning of friendship and family.

Plot Keywords:

Car | Friendship | Race Car | Route 66 | Trophy

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Owen Wilson	...	Lightning McQueen (voice)
Paul Newman	...	Doc Hudson (voice)
Bonnie Hunt	...	Sally Carrera (voice)
Larry The Cable Guy	...	Mater (voice)
Cheech Marin	...	Ramone (voice)
Tony Shalhoub	...	Luigi (voice)
Guido Quaroni	...	Guido (voice)
Jenifer Lewis	...	Flo (voice)
Paul Dooley	...	Sarge (voice)
Michael Wallis	...	Sheriff (voice)
George Carlin	...	Fillmore (voice)
Katherine Helmond	...	Lizzie (voice)
John Ratzenberger	...	Mack / Hamm Truck / Abominable Snow Plow / P.T. Flea Car (voice)
Joe Ranft	...	Red / Jerry Recycled Batteries / Peterbilt (voice)
Michael Keaton	...	Chick Hicks (voice)

Also Known As:

Route 66 (USA) (working title)
The Cars (USA) (working title)
The Yellow Car (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | Japanese | Yiddish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | UK:PG | Ireland:G | Singapore:G | Australia:G | USA:G (certificate #42361) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/6 | Argentina:Atp | Norway:A | Netherlands:AL | Sweden:Btl | Hong Kong:I | Germany:o.Al. | Philippines:G | Brazil:Livre | India:U | Finland:K-3 | South Africa:PG | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Peru:PT | Malta:U

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

The yellow Humvee that says "Lightning McQueen must be found at all costs!" is an obvious spoof of California's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, based on the fact that Humvee is standing in front of the California State House in Sacramento, speaking with a Austrian accent, and sporting a roof ornament, which distinctly resembles Arnold's hairstyle. Probably not coincidentally, Schwarzenegger was the first private owner of a Humvee (High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle) in the USA.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Lightning has a full re-spray just before he leaves Radiator Springs, including white sections with a yellow lightning bolt. But when we see him in the race, he's back in his old colors, and when he gets back to Radiator Springs he's in his new colors again. Evidently, cars change their paint job as readily as humans change clothes, which Ramone demonstrates repeatedly throughout the movie. McQueen's changes are consistent with the plot and the character - he likes his new paint job, but can't use it in a race, because it doesn't feature his sponsor's ads, in particular.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lightning McQueen: Okay, here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner, forty-two losers. I eat losers for breakfast. Breakfast? Maybe I should have had breakfast? Brekkie could be good for me. No, no, no, focus. Speed. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning.

Movie Connections:

Features Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (2003) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Elvira

"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. Deliver a somewhat clichéd message, but deliver it in such a way that the meaning resounds. Teach me the same lessons that your characters learn. And above all, entertain.

Pretty easy, right? Well, at least Pixar makes it look that way because with Cars they have once again succeeded.

I'll be honest; I had my doubts about the movie. How would they be able to take a story featuring nothing but vehicles, with nary a human in sight, and keep my interest for a full two hours? Animals are one thing, but could Pixar successfully master the personification of modes of transportation?

Yes, they could, and they did.

Thanks to Director Lasseter's strong attention to detail, going so far as to insist that the vehicles bend and gesture in ways that were true to their construction, every car and truck truly becomes a unique character and personality. And along with those characters and personalities comes a story which yes, contains a well-traveled theme, but it comes with so much charm that even Grouchy McKilljoy's hard little heart can't help but be warmed.

Don't worry if you're not a racing fan; I assure you it's not a requirement to enjoy the movie. I love watching muscle cars race the quarter mile (ask me about my '69 Camaro), but NASCAR doesn't do it for me. That's another aspect about the film that gave me pause. I once fell asleep at a NASCAR qualifying race, despite the 90-degree heat and ear-splitting decibel levels, so would Cars keep me awake and interested? Within five minutes my worries began to slowly subside as I happily settled in for the ride.

Animation should be about bringing imagination to life. Give us something that can't be done in live action. Cars does this so effectively that it almost seems a redundancy to comment on how Pixar continues to raise the CGI bar. The scenery on screen is awe-inducing to the point that it's getting harder to distinguish the real from the created. The filmmakers have gone so far as to perfect reflections in the cars and to pay careful attention to weeds growing out of cracks in the sidewalk. I don't see any way you could not be visually stunned.

But impressive visuals are little comfort if I'm not presented with a story that I care to follow. No problems there. If you're the kind of person who loves to go "awwwww" at movies then prepare to be satisfied. What I appreciate the most is that, at the risk of causing some youngsters to become restless, time and attention has been given to character and story development. Lasseter and his team stood their ground and resisted any pressure to trim this to a runtime more suitable to those with limited attention spans, and I thank them for it.

As I said earlier, Cars hit the starting line with a disadvantage. I didn't greet it with a warm smile. I crossed my arms, furrowed my brow, and dared it to prove my preconceived notions wrong.

It proceeded to exceed my expectations. It made me feel for its characters and forced me to care about McQueen's journey, both to California and to a different viewpoint on life. Sure, the "slow down and enjoy the scenery" message may seem a little routine, but it's a message I took to heart.

Immediately following the movie I was on the Internet looking up information regarding Route 66. I'm now ready for a road trip void of interstates and efforts to beat my best time. I feel like slowing down a bit and exploring the unknown. Give me the scenic route, and give me more finely-tuned, detailed movies like Cars. That's all I ask. Two hours of entertainment that make me care, even if briefly, about something other than myself and what goal has to be accomplished next.

See? It was simple, really. At least Pixar made it look that way.