While I was resting yesterday I decided somewhat lazily to see Cars, the Pixar movie from last summer. Like most Pixar movies, it was a computer animated adventure aimed at a family audience of both kids and adults. Past Pixar films like Toy Story and Finding Nemo were impressive in the level of sophisticated animation and heartfelt storytelling. Not having any kids of my own, I view these movies only as an adult and have often found them to be entertaining and technologically impressive.
Cars tells the story of Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car voiced by Owen Wilson. McQueen is a hotshot who dreams only of winning the Piston Cup race. He ties with two other cars for the title and has to travel to California for a tie breaking race. Along the way McQueen winds up at Radiator Springs, a small town that he wrecks in a panic after falling out of his transport truck. The Doctor / Judge Car (voiced by Paul Newman) sentences McQueen to repair the roads damaged during McQueen's run.
In the small town McQueen learns about the value of people, er, cars and friendship. The film also ties in some sympathy for the disappearance of small towns in the face of modernization. This story has been told before, Michael J Fox's Doc Hollywood comes to mind, so there is a bit of predictability to it. While it loses a little in story, Cars makes up for it in the animation. The computer graphics almost look real in the backgrounds and settings. The detail in the racing arenas and desert canyons are amazing. The cars themselves have the right balance of realism and cartoon.
I can't say this was the best Pixar movie I've seen as much as a strong reminder of the types of films they can produce. The movie has the expected quirky characters, race car action and feel good moments but doesn't quite transcend them. It ultimately is a kids movie. Cars isn't a classic, but does manage to beat most of the kids movie competition. A nice ride through undemanding well constructed entertainment.
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