Official Title: Cars
Release: June 9, 2006
Running Time: 117 minutes (another long “kids” movie)
Estimated Cost: $120 million
Estimated Revenue: $461.98 million (about $150 million less than The Incredibles)
Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Plot Summary:
Hotshot, rookie race-car, Lighting McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), ties for first with two other cars in a huge race. But on his way to the tie-breaking race, he gets pulled over and arrested for speeding, in a backwoods, former Route 66 glory town, Radiator Springs. The residents of Radiator Springs are proud of their depressed town and force McQueen to stay and repair the road he tore up when trying to escape his prison sentence. Being a racing-car he wasn’t built for hauling loads and finds this task very difficult. As he, begrudgingly, fixes the road, he becomes friends with the eclectic residents and possibly falls in love with Sally Carrera. But Doc Hudson, former race car champ himself, sees through McQueen and tells the media where to find him. McQueen makes it to the race on time, without saying “good-bye” to his new friends. During the race, the residents arrive to be McQueen’s pit crew (fulfilling some of their dreams). One of the race-cars, Chick Hicks, cheats his way to the finish line, by crashing into forerunner Strip “The King” Weathers. McQueen refuses to cross the finish line first as The King is unable to finish the race. Hicks crosses first, to boos from the audience, while McQueen (thinking of Doc) helps The King cross the line – McQueen coming in third. Dinoco, who was to sponsor the winner of the race, refuses to sponsor Hicks, but offers the job to McQueen. McQueen turns it down to return to Radiator Springs and put it back on the map!
Plot Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Overall, it was an excellent movie, but I hated McQueen for over half the movie. He was just a jerk. I was routing for him to be arrested and enjoyed watching him struggle in Radiator Springs. This is generally not what one wants from a hero.
Animation Rating: 5 out of 5
PIXAR has done it again, there were moments that I truly forgot this was a cartoon, as some of the cars looked real (except of the anthropomorphic aspect)!
The Test of Time:
A new land in Disney’s California Adventure, a sequel, a possible tv series in the works plus my Kindergarteners still carrying Cars lunch boxes. I believe Cars has stood the short test of time it has faced.
Next Up:
Ratatouille
