Cars (2006)

 

Genre: Comedy/ Sport

Time: 1h 57mins

Director: John Lasseter

Quick Summary: On the way to the biggest race of his life, a hotshot rookie race car gets stranded in a rundown town and learns that winning isn't everything in life.

I really didn't expect this to be a banger, to be honest. 

Straight away this film opens up with music that slaps as well as brilliant animation. Everything is so shiny, glitzy and extra and I'm all for it. Though, going through a lot of recent Pixar Films the animation isn't as great as those, but this still holds up incredibly well considering the newer ones are very realistic. I loved how bright and vibrant everything was, it really holds your attention at times with how cartoony this is as well. Visually this is a treat. 

You know what, I didn't expect to almost cry over this as well as it is so heartwarming, especially by the end. It highlights how friendships can help you improve, slow down or even simply enjoy life. It's fun too, even if it's silly at times, It doesn't ruin the story at all. Being targeted towards kids I still think a lot of adults can enjoy this, either through the said silly moments or the cleverly placed multiple adult jokes. 

This is so charming in multiple ways. The humour is always delivered perfectly through slapstick moments, delivery or how the characters react using their bodies. A lot of this comes down to how good the script is, it's clever and full of witty moments, especially the back-and-forth with Mcqueen and Mater who are my absolute favourite duo within this. Those two are just pure shenanigans and pure gold to watch interact. Mater I did worry was going to become annoying once he appeared as it's very much childlike humour and gags with him, but he grew on me and I found him pretty enduring. My soft spot went to Doc though, as I just simply loved his character. I think a lot of adults can relate to him more than kids do, and his dry humour might not always land with them either, but from an adult perspective, he's a very well-written character. 

Another thing I want to bring up is the fact that all the characters are cars. Cars that are animated to move like humans, and done almost flawlessly too. Each one bends and gestures in ways that are true to their body, every car and truck truly becomes a unique character and personality through this as each one moves differently. They're all animated to have their own physical quirks and ways of speaking. Putting that much detail in is a massive win for me. 

If you're like me, who slept on cars for a long while, I do recommend you watch it. You'll forget it's two hours long as this is pure enjoyment. If you have seen it. Watch it again. 

9/10

"Lightning McQueen: He's won three Piston Cups!

Mater: [spits out fuel] He did WHAT in his cup?"

"Fillmore: [looking at a stoplight blinking yellow] I'm tellin' you, man, every third blink is slower.

Sarge: The '60s weren't good to you, were they?

"Hey, McQueen, that must be really embarrassing. But I wouldn't worry about it... because I didn't do it!"