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Cars

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Cars (2006)

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Reviews Counted:39

Fresh:28

Rotten:11

Average Rating:6.7/10

Consensus: While the story may not reach the high standards of Toy Story and The Incredibles, viewers of all ages will marvel at the technical brilliance of the animation and come away satisfied.

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

US Box Office: $244,052,771

Synopsis: Talking cars rediscover the quirky originality of middle America in this inventive animated film from the folks at Pixar (TOY STORY, FINDING NEMO). Owen Wilson does the voice of arrogant rookie... Talking cars rediscover the quirky originality of middle America in this inventive animated film from the folks at Pixar (TOY STORY, FINDING NEMO). Owen Wilson does the voice of arrogant rookie racecar Lightning McQueen, who winds up stranded in the small desert town of Radiator Springs on his way west to a big showdown. Sentenced to community service after literally tearing up the road in a high-speed chase, at first all Lightning can think of is getting back to the world of corporate sponsorship and merchandising tie-ins he loves so well. Eventually, however, the eccentric residents of Radiator Springs begin to grow on him, especially the attractive lady Porsche lawyer (Bonnie Hunt) and a rusty old tow-truck (Larry the Cable Guy). There's also a hippie Volkswagen (George Carlin), a low-riding T-bird (Cheech Martin) and Paul Newman as the gruff, curmudgeonly Doc Hudson, the town judge who harbors his own checkered-flag past. The story may not be new, but Pixar's precision-engineered animation brilliantly illuminates the town and its surrounding cactus-studded vistas down to the minutest detail, and director/writer John Lasseter keeps the film's satiric wit and generous heart in perfect alignment. Adults in the audience should appreciate the film's celebration of old-school American eccentricity, and the kids will dig all the thunderous grit and high-octane wheel burning. Randy Newman composed the score; James Taylor sings one of the songs. [More]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Michael Keaton, George Carlin

Starring: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Michael Keaton, George Carlin, Larry the Cable Guy, Bob Costas, Cheech Marin, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Dooley, Guido Quaroni, Michael Wallis, Darrell Waltrip

Director: John Lasseter

Director: John Lasseter
Producer: Darla Anderson
Screenwriter: Kiel Murray, John Lasseter, Phil Lorin, Dan Fogelman
Composer: Randy Newman
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

[See More Credits]

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1 - 4 of 10

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Reviews for Cars

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1 - 12 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
06/24/06
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
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Cars is a brilliantly executed movie with a well tuned screenplay built on the simple but evergreen character elements that gave old Hollywood its golden glow: decent human values.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
06/05/06
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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Smooth, but bland and forgettable.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
07/29/06
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
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Judged against previous form, this is not Pixar firing on all cylinders, lacking the sophisticated comedy we’ve come to expect. Judged against fare from other studios, however, it’s a triumph.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/28/06
Olly Richards
Olly Richards
Empire Magazine
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Along came the interstate, apparently, and ruined everything. Just like that darned Internet, I guess, or that superhighway stuff, or those dumb movies they make with computers nowadays.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
06/12/06
Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
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It tells a bright and cheery story, and then has a little something profound lurking around the edges. In this case, it's a sense of loss.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
06/09/06
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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The animation is stunningly rendered. But the story is always the critical element in Pixar movies, and Cars' story is heartfelt with a clear and unabashed moral.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
06/08/06
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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It's the latest concoction from the geniuses at Pixar, probably the most inventive of the Computer Generated Imagery shop -- and the film's great fun, if well under the level of the first Toy Story.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
06/08/06
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
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... both in its ingratiating vibe and bland execution, Cars is nothing if not totally, disappointingly new-age Disney ...

comment Comment
06/08/06
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
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What's surprising about this supremely engaging film is the source of its curb appeal: It has heart.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
06/08/06
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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Despite representing another impressive technical achievement, it's the least visually interesting of the computer-animation boutique's movies, and -- in an ironic twist for a story about auto racing -- drifts slowly through its semi-arid midsection.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/05/06
Brian Lowry
Brian Lowry
Variety
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I found it really touching. I mean this is a worthy edition to the great Pixar library.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
05/30/06
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
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1 - 12 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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