Cars

I don’t know why I often find myself doubting Pixar’s ability to make a great film. They have never put out a sub-par film. They have never steered away from clever writing. They have never let me down. Yet, every time I see a trailer for their next film, I get nervous thinking that this may be the film that breaks Pixar’s perfect record. They started off strong with Toy Story (my favourite), A Bug’s Life and Monsters Inc. (my least favourite but still better than most animation). The Toy Story sequel raised eyebrows but was also fantastically done. When I first saw ads for Finding Nemo, I thought it looked boring. Who cares about a bunch of fish? Apparently, a lot of people; including me (it’s now my third favourite Pixar film.) Then there were ads for The Incredibles. I thought Pixar excelled at giving life to inanimate objects but to use humans? With an overload of superhero cleverness by Brad Bird, the film turned out to be my second favourite Pixar film. Go figure. So with Cars, I was nervous again and again Pixar did not let me down. Another great film. It doesn’t quite enter my top 3, but it is still highly enjoyable.

I can’t quite put my finger on what makes Cars so special. This time, it’s the voices of the supporting cast that overshadows the main characters of Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt and Paul Newman. Larry the Cable Guy who gives voice to the rusted tow truck Mater, pretty much steals the show. Tony Shalhoub (Monk, Wings), Cheech Marin, and George Carlin all add some of their eccentric characteristics to their animated counterparts. And it’s always great to see Pixar loyalty with John Ratzenberger (Cheers, Toy Story) lending his voice yet again. He’s been in every Pixar film and they even give a salute to John by showcasing his talents during the credits. As some of you know, I am a big fan of cleverness. And maybe that’s why I am in love with Pixar films. Cars has many moments of cleverness. For example, the insects buzzing around during the film are played by bugs, VW bugs. And it’s always great to see how they can add human personalities and actions to inanimate cars. I probably would have enjoyed the film more if I was a big car buff but it’s not like I was expected to know all about the inner workings of automobiles. I thought this film was both fun and touching, just like most Pixar movies. I recommend this film to all. Even little children.