Cars (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Cars (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Movie Review: great kids movie with very little violence and NO death - wow!
Summary: 5 Stars
Cars is about the only feature length movie that my little kids can watch without having to be afraid that the main character(s) are going to be killed. How is it that so many "kids" movies feature scene after scene of the animated characters (usually animals) running for their lives under the threat of death? "Finding Nemo" coming to mind right away. Not only all that issue, but the movie starts with the mother and all of Nemo's siblings getting killed. Do children really need to contemplate this possibility? I also checked out "A Bug's Life." The grasshoppers are really scary, threaten the life of the little ant, Dot, and also plan to kill the reigning Queen. Then there's the scene with the bird trying to eat them. And of course the end where Flick maneuvers Hopper into a location so that he can get captured by a bird, and then - of all things! - fed to the baby birds.
I really don't understand why kids movies, in general, feature that kind of "life and death" tension. Plenty of adult movies don't have those themes and are nonetheless compelling. And that's what we have with Cars. No one is trying to kill anyone - whew! And although Chick Hicks is "the bad guy" and "a meanie," he's only is a small portion of the movie. And the aggressive stuff he does is pushing and shoving the other cars, which isn't great, but at least it's not some animated animal punching, kicking, biting, and/or stomping on another. Chick Hicks aside, the main storyline of the movie is about Lightening McQueen's personal growth and what he learns about friendship and life. These are an appropriate topics for children to consider, in my opinion! These are issues that I expect my children to confront in their own lives, unlike (God willing) running for their lives and/or getting beaten senseless and/or losing family members to acts of violence and/or engineering a situation that results in the death of their "enemies."
In summation, I wish there were other great, high quality movies out there that can appeal to kids (and adults!) without resulting to violence and death as motivating factors for the characters. Cars proves that we can be motivated by other things than these, such as what it means to have a friend and be a friend.
Movie Review: Finally got around to seeing it.
Summary: 5 Stars
I admit that I avoided it in the theatre. Partially because I was annoyed that Pixar was bought out by Disney and the fact my girl is noise sensitive and would have gotten upset over the race scenes and the noise involved.
While getting a haircut for her, they had it playing. I decided to buy it after she was done.
As typical to Pixar it's a great story about about a self absorbed up and coming race car named Lightning McQueen (named after Steve McQueen).
Lightning thinks he can do everything by himself and it comes back on him as he ignores advice and ends up in a 3-way tie in a race he should have won. He has to head out to California for a race off between the 3 winners and eventually gets lost and ends up on the forgotten roads of Route 66. He panics and ends up destroying the streets of the forgotten town of Radiator Springs. He is caught and his punishment is to repair the roads.
There he finds many characters. Doc Hudson (Paul Neuman) who may have a secret past, Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) the simple happy go lucky tow truck, and of course a nice Girl Porsche Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt) who is a dreamer and longs for what the town used to be.
Along the way Lightning makes friends with the town people. Mater being the best friend. He helps the improve itself and they help him start thinking about other people.
The movie has a well rounded cast with the efforts of Tony Shalhoub, Cheeh marin, John Ratzenburger, Michel Keaton, George Carlin, and cameos by others.
There are two shorts, One Man Band and Mater and the Ghostlight. I lost count on how many times my girl had to watch them!
There are deleted scenes which are drawing form.
There is a short by John Lasseter called Inspiration For Cars. He takes you on a trip on Route 66 and you can see where stuff came from in the movie! You even get to meet the real life Mater!
I am happy with this purchase and I HOPE Disney leaves them alone!
Movie Review: Awesome DVD, Slick Packaging, Kids Love It
Summary: 5 Stars
Disney's Pixar Car Cars was the number one animated feature film of 2006. If you didn't catch the movie in theaters, surely you were aware that the movie was out. The branding campaign for this movie was unprecedented it seems with available merchandise ranging from breakfast cereals to children's gym shoes, books, video games, apparel, posters and more.
Well if you didn't catch the movie in theaters the good thing is that now you can pick up the DVD. If you did check out the movie this past summer, chances are this is one that you may want to add to your DVD collection.
Cars is the story about a red race car named Lightning McQueen. It appears that he is rather new to the championship aspect of racing as he doesn't have the biggest endorsements and he is still chasing the coveted Piston Cup. On his way to the Piston Cup Championship Race, the big rig truck that is carrying him dozes off and McQueen is accidentally ejected from the rig. This leaves McQueen lost in the middle of nowhere. He rips into a really old town named Radiator Springs where he is stranded. The town needs a new road and they enlist McQueen's help. McQueen isn't quite willing to help in the beginning but he soon grows close to the people he meets in town like the rusty pick-up truck Toe-Mater and a pretty blue Porsche named Sally.
Cars is a really endearing story and the critics who hail the film as an instant classic are right on the money. It's a story you won't forget after watching it. However, the film is very long clocking in at 116 minutes, just four minutes under 2 hours. Some kids may get bored during parts of the film. The film has such a fast paced beginning and slows down drastically while McQueen is in Radiator Springs. The pace picks up again toward the end of the film after McQueen is rescued from Radiator Springs, but younger kids may have tuned out long ago.
The film is rated G, but I will note there is one scene where McQueen shouts out that he is stuck in "Hillbilly Hell."
Movie Review: Amazing animation
Summary: 5 Stars
This should have gotten the Oscar. It is head-and-shoulders above _Happy Feet_ in all respects: The animation is better, the storyline is vastly better, and it's much less crude. However, unlike _Happy Feet_, it's not a movie that does all the entertaining for you with cheap laughs; you have to pay attention.
I must confess that I thought the story line needed a bit of editing (was not as well-paced as the Toy Story movies), but it wasn't glaring. The other downside is that this is not really a kids' movie. The action is much too fast and the bulk of the humor is in cultural references and comparatively sophisticated sight gags, most of which will go right over the heads of children (and, I guess, of some adults, hence the criticism that it is "tedious"). It's an extraordinarily clever movie and can be watched several times before one catches all the little gags.
On the up side:
1) It lacks most of the toilet humor and thinly-disguised sexual references to which Disney seems to be resorting more and more.
2) The animation is mind-boggling. Some of the scenery doesn't even look like animation, and the nuances of automotive movement (shaking smokestacks, etc.) are dead-on. Makes _Happy Feet_ look mediocre and _Toy Story_ look like stick figures. Absolutely a visually gorgeous movie.
3) The story line, while a bit uneven, is still better than the vast majority of animated features.
4) For those old enough to "get" them, the celebrity cameos, identifiable cars, historical references, and Americana references are priceless. Click and Clack from NPR's "Car Talk" are not to be missed as the Rust-Eze guys.
Movie Review: Life Is A Highway
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, this is a Pixar film. What this means is that this is a well-made, incredibly visualized film with a good story, strong characters, and a plot moral to make you feel things both during and after the film is done. While this film may not be quite as strong as others in the Pixar canon, it stands up quite well on its own. The basic line of the story is to take the time in life to realize what's really important in life. To not go-go-go at breakneck speed at all times, or you'll miss out on so much that life has to offer. A big parallel is drawn between the Interstate, and the more winding Route 66. We race through life on the Interstate, when we could take the scenic route on an old winding road and see and learn so much more, about ourselves and life in general. One thing I really enjoyed in this film was the strong sense of nostalgia it evoked. So many towns withered and died when their access roads suddenly were cut off by new highways. Many just didn't make it when the travelers stopped coming through, and by the magic of film, we're presented with one that almost completely dies, then comes back to life. As is usual for Pixar, the voice-over work is inspired, with many Pixar-veterans at work again here. The sound is wonderful, with the roar of a full-scale race doing laps through my surround-sound system. The picture quality is exceptional, the cars here gleam like I wish mine did! Oh well, that's the magic of movies! This fine film keeps Pixar's winning streak rolling on, what is it now, seven straight hits with no bombs anywhere? Anyway, get this film for yourself and take the time to enjoy a little side trip down Route 66.