Originally Posted by a film critic reviewing CARS
...A celebration of the fanatical roar and whirr of NASCAR racing, the film opens in a packed speedway, where an upstart car named Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is winning the race for the prestigious Piston Cup. The animation is, of course, astounding. The electrifying cinematography and meticulous detail will make you forget that you’re watching a cartoon; even the most standoffish viewers will find themselves inching to the edge of their seats. A model of arrogant youth, Lightning refuses to have his tires changed. Sure enough, in the final lap, one tire, then another, blows out, allowing Lightning’s closest rivals, Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton) and The King (former real-life racer Richard Petty), to catch up. The cars end up in a three-way tie. Due to the inconclusive result, Lightning, Chick and the King must compete in a run-off race in California one week later to determine the Piston Cup champ...
...Every kids’ film requires some sort of message, and the premise here is that Radiator Springs is the town that time forgot. Located along Route 66, it was a once-thriving burgh, but since the paving of a multi-lane superhighway several miles to the south, most travellers just pass it by. Listening to a bunch of cars gripe about the evils of commuting feels a little disingenuous to me; if they weren’t immersed in child-like logic, the screenwriters might have realized that it was our car culture that facilitated freeways in the first place. But hey, that’s just the rational adult in me.
The fact is, Cars is more kid-oriented than most Pixar films. Directed by John Lasseter, who helmed A Bug’s Life and Toy Story 2, Cars was obviously conceived to appeal to gaffers who worship Bob the Builder, an animated series that also anthropomorphizes machines. Imbuing animals, robots, even toys with human feelings can be done in a reasonably credible fashion. Anthropomorphizing an automobile might seem like a clever conceit, but a 90-minute movie requires more than a visual ruse — you should feel compelled to care about the characters from beginning to end. Lightning learns timeless lessons about empty materialism, friendship and loyalty, but even the most credulous youngster will have trouble reconciling the growing tenderness between Lightning and a metallic-blue Porsche named Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt). I think I speak for my inner child when I say that seeing two cars get cozy is just plain wack...