Cars
2006  G  ANIMATED  1h 56min
CAST— Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, George Carlin, Richard Petty, Michael Keaton, Tony Shalhoub, John Ratzenberger, Michael Wallis, Paul Dooley, Jenifer Lewis, Bob Costas
MUSIC— Randy Newman  DIRECTOR— John Lasseter

     Yet another effort from the Disney/Pixar powerhouse, sadly lacking the charm of previous outings. A hotshot race car is on his way to the race of his young life when he gets waylaid in a bump-in-the-road town on the almost desolate Route 66. After driving recklessly he pays community service by repairing the town’s main street. Throughout his time in town he begins to fall in love, acquire friends, and gain a sense of perspective regarding his own priorities… all within a matter of days. Overlong by at least an hour this feels like a Chevron commercial that never ends. The problem lies with characterization; without engaging characters a film goes down the tubes. Not to say the film is a complete loss; the CGI is top-notch, as always; the vocal casting is a creative blend of talented actors spanning all varieties of film. Yet when you have a film that depicts NASCAR-esqe racing as a good thing, you know you have a problem. Paul Newman’s final role.
OUR RATING— **
FOLLOWED BY— Cars 2 (2011), Planes (2013), Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014), Cars 3 (2017)