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Cars (2006)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for Cars
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
... both in its ingratiating vibe and bland execution, Cars is nothing if not totally, disappointingly new-age Disney ...
What's surprising about this supremely engaging film is the source of its curb appeal: It has heart.
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.
I found it really touching. I mean this is a worthy edition to the great Pixar library.
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