From the acclaimed creators of TOY STORY, THE INCREDIBLES, and FINDING NEMO comes a high-octane adventure comedy that shows life is about the journey, not the finish line. Hotshot rookie race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is living life in the fast lane until he hits a detour on his way to the most important race of his life. Stranded in Radiator Springs, a forgotten town on the old Route 66, he meets Sally, Mater, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), and a variety of quirky characters who help him discover that there's more to life than trophies and fame. Revved up with a sensational soundtrack, featuring Rascal Flatts, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, James Taylor, and others, plus exciting bonus features, including the exclusive short movie "Mater And The Ghostlight," CARS is full of freewheeling fun for everyone.
There's an extra coat of hot wax on Pixar's vibrant, NASCAR-influenced comedy about a world populated entirely by cars. Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the slick rookie taking the Piston Cup series by storm when the last race of the season (the film's high-octane opening) ends in a three-way tie. On the way to the tie-breaker race in California, Lightning loses his way off Route 66 in the Southwest desert and is taught to stop and smell the roses by the forgotten citizens of Radiator Springs. It's odd to have such a slim story from the whizzes of Pixar, and the film pales a bit from their other films (though can that be a fair comparison?). Nonetheless, Cars is another gleaming ride with Pixar founder John Lasseter, who's directing for the first time since Toy Story 2. There's the usual spectrum of excellent characters teamed with appropriate voice talent, loads of smooth humor for kids and parents alike, knockout visuals, and a colorful array of sidekicks, including a scene-stealing baby blue forklift named Guido. Lightning's plight is changed with the help of former big-city lawyer Sally Carrera (Pixar veteran Bonnie Hunt), the town's patriarch Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), and kooky tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). The Incredibles was the first Pixar film to break the 100-minute barrier, but had enough story not to suffer; Cars, at 116 minutes (including some must-see end credit footage), is not as fortunate, plus it never pierces the heart. Trivia fans should have bonanza with the frame-by-frame DVD function; the movie is stuffed with in-jokes, some appearing only for an instant. Ages 5 and up. --Doug Thomas

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Comment: Great movie for kids. I love that it has a positive message. I would change a thing or two such as, I think they refer to one of the cars as being an idiot at one point but compared to a lot of the other "kid" movies out there it doesn't have a lot of questionable content. My 2 and a half year old loves it and would watch it all day every day if I allowed it.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Detail
Comment: The movie is a 5-star in its own right, but I'm mostly comparing the quality between Blu-Ray and DVD. The detail is great! Lettering, tire treads, car grills, road texture, horizons, you name it. Yep, the Blu-Ray (BD) is worth it here.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Admired it, but couldn't love it
Comment: An arrogant young race car (Owen Wilson) has his eyes opened to what really matters in life when he finds himself stranded in Radiator Springs, a forgotten little town on Route 66 where folks still care about each other.

There is a lot to enjoy in this movie. The animation is spectacular, the voice talent is top-notch, and it presents good lessons about respect for the simple, enduring pleasures of life and the false allure of fame. Despite these strengths and some good laughs, I didn't connect with this film on an emotional level. I think I just wasn't captivated by the concept of characters developed from cars, but my two-year-old son certainly was, and his opinion probably counts more than mine.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: great kids movie with very little violence and NO death - wow!
Comment: 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.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Would warm a cold dead heart
Comment: I initially resisted seeing this because I am not into cars or racing. Little did I know! First off the animation is absolutely stunning, the cars sparkle and shine and look so real you feel like you can read out and touch them. The characters are unforgettable-Paul Newman as Doc Hudson was my favorite. Mater, the good hearted old tow truck, was adorable and hilarious. The cars have such lifelike expression and personality you almost forget they are cars. There is a long list of unique and lovable characters-everyone will have a different favorite!

But I think the best thing about Cars is the touching message. I won't spoil it, but I actually get choked up at the end when Lightening Maqueen finally 'gets it', and sacrifices his own personal glory to do the right thing. An excellent, well written movie for all ages (my 2 year old just loves the cars), with the most amazing animation I've seen.

---