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Bolstered by the
Disney-Pixar imprimatur and the popularity of NASCAR, John Lasseter and Joe Ranft’s computer-animated
Cars—set in a world of cute little anthropomorphic autos—was a huge commercial success. But while well-made and enjoyable, overall,
Cars is hardly a classic, serving up a standard-issue tale of a brash, self-centered protagonist—here a glory-seeking racecar—who learns that friends and fair-play are more important than petty ambition. For the most part, the voiceover work—Owen Wilson as the plucky hero who needs a life lesson, Bonnie Hunt as the Porsche he falls for, even Paul Newman as the gruff old town boss—is fairly bland, with Larry the Cable Guy, playing a goofy rust-bucket tow-truck, being the only real spark plug here. The ultimate message that winning isn’t as important as good sportsmanship (or more properly, sportscarship) is a solid one, but the fact that it takes nearly two hours to deliver it will test-drive the patience of many. Still, kids will want to take this out for a spin, while adults will be generally amused by the pop-culture jokes. Be sure to stick around for the closing credits, which actually contain some of the picture’s funniest material. Recommended.
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