MOVIE REVIEWS

A fun one to watch. <em>'Cars'</em> is very good Disney, not quite in the upper echelons of their releases but certainly close. The voice cast do a lot of grand work, while the animation is super. I also like the tension building and set-up of the racing stuff, even if they don't take the overly realistic approach - which is fine. Owen Wilson is terrific as Lightning McQueen, while Bonnie Hunt and Larry the Cable Guy give noteworthy performances as Sally and Mater. The rest of the cast are good, including Michael Keaton (Chick Hicks). There's yet another role for John Ratzenberger, who features in a funny end credits gag. Solid soundtrack, amusing humour and it even has a decent amount of heart to it too. Would recommend.

**A commercial, critical and merchandising success... but with a cliché story.** When it came out, this movie was publicized and sold like hotcakes. It was a fever. A mania. I was already quite grown up, I didn't feel particularly within the target audience that the film wanted to reach, and I was really exhausted from seeing and hearing about the film everywhere, and on any object that could be sold. So, I sacramentally ignored it and all sequels until today. What most surprises and delights in this film are the extraordinary visuals and animations, so natural and authentic that it could be said to be real. The production used all the technology that money can buy, and make no mistake about it, there are indeed millions of dollars invested in the film! The racing scenes, on the car track, are particularly magnificent because all the speed and emotion are really conveyed to the scene, and to the audience. The colors and scenery are amazing too, and the soundtrack, while not being anything relatively notable or striking, sounds good and matches the movie. The film features several big names who lent their voices to the characters in the film. Owen Wilson does it flawlessly and Paul Newman and Tony Shalhoub also do a very good job. Where I really had doubts is in the script. Honestly, it has its quality moments, it's interesting enough that we don't think it's being too childish or being boring. However, it is really a giant cliché: the arrogant and ambitious young man who has to go through a lesson in humility and altruism in order to value others, find love and win the victory he wants. We see this in almost every morally sympathetic movie, with its nuances and differences. This is a problem? Honestly, I think so, that it is not something that favors the film, but it is also not something that should lead us not to see it.

Had no intention to ever see this movie. Another one my daughter wanted to watch with me. I actually liked it and thought it was hilarious.

So the shiny, red, "Lightning McQueen" is determined to make it to distant California to compete in the "Piston Cup". Along the way he stops off in the small town of "Radiator Springs" where he manages to tear up their road. His punishment? Well they have a giant tarmac laying machine, so he has to get it to resurface the road before he can be on his merry way. This isn't an easy task, and in order to finish that job he's going to have to find some allies. That's not so easy for this cocky and tunnel-visioned character, but as he gradually starts to listen, learns and make friends, he realises that there is much more to life than this one race! There's a gently bubbling moral to the story - learning to value the more important things in life like friendship, teamwork and self-reliance, and the characterisations of "Sally" - a lithe and stylish Porsche and "Mater" - a tow truck that looks like it's held together by Wrigley's and good will, help drum this message into "Lightning' and the watching audience. There's plenty of colourful and vibrant action alongside quite a bit of humour (and puns!) from the writing to keep it going and although I found this a bit wordy - and perhaps just a little too focussed for internal (US) consumption, it's still an enjoyable start to what I assume will become quite a flexible franchise.