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Special Features
"Mater And The Ghostlight" -- The Mischievous Mater Gets His Due In An Animated Short Movie
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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
Product Description
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.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
85 of 93 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
When Cars first came out on DVD, I was a little disappointed because there weren't very many extras on it. I didn't understand why Pixar would take one of their most popular films and give it such a mediocre treatment. Well.....now that I have the Blu-ray version of this film, I think I know why. They were saving it all for Cars debut on hi-def. This has to be the best looking picture I have seen yet on a hi-def title. I looks almost like the entire film is in 3-D!!! I managed to catch part of this movie on a hi-def cable channel and thought I would compare the two pictures. After a little fiddling, I managed to get both screens at the exact same frame, and was blown away at how much clearer the Blu-ray picture is. The Cine-Explore feature on this is the best special feature I've seen on a hi-def title. It is almost sensory overload at the amount of material that continuously pops up across the screen while the film is playing. This disc will be the one I will pop in to show my friends what Blu-ray is capable of doing. Every Blu-ray owner needs to get this title. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
51 of 55 people found the following review helpful
By SRFireside
Format:Blu-ray
When I saw this movie in the theaters I enjoyed watching it enough, but I kept thinking this was the worst Pixar film I have seen. Funny thing is the worst Pixar film is still A grade material compared to most other animated features released. And while Cars didn't wow me on the big screen the way The Incredibles or Monsters Inc (or a score of other Pixar films) the film grew on me in a big way when we got it home. You see my son (two years old at the time) loved to watch it. Being the inclusive dad that I am I would watch it with him. I got what Pixar was doing when I first saw Cars, but it didn't resonate with me until repeated viewings. Now, while it's still not my favorite Pixar movie, Cars made a believer out of me in what they were saying about this film.
You see Cars isn't just a cartoon about a world where cars are people. It's a tribute of the history of the automobile, a nod to NASCAR and its roots, and a love letter to Route 66. All of this done in a family-friendly and colorful animated universe. Any car nut with a broad spectrum interest in the automobile will find lots of different cars from different eras getting face time on this movie. NASCAR fans will love the racing sequences and level of detail dedicated to the sport. Those who remember the days before the Interstate system where there was as much fun travelling to your destination as there was being there will feel nostalgic for that time again. The movie hits on multiple levels, which is what makes it better than the sum of its parts.
Take that all away and you still have a fun cartoon. You have cars talking and acting like people for God's sake! The kids will eat that up! Cars are getting into crazy situations that are in their own way a slight play on human issues. There are plenty of little jokes on that vein that both the kids and parents can laugh over. There is even a joke or two with a double meaning the adults may get a kick out of. This is all classic Pixar and does much to fill in the little spaces between story development.
The story? Well like I said when I first saw it I got what they were saying, but wasn't impressed. It's essentially much like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show I remember seeing where somebody from the big city gets stuck in Mayberry, desparate to get out, only to end up loving the town and wanting more. Maybe it was because it was in a way the preachiest of the Pixar films telling us we should slow down our busy lives and go back to simpler times. Not that it's a bad message. Just not one that held onto on first viewing. Well after watching it several more times with my excited toddler the little details come into play that I either missed or ignored the first time around. The sleepy town that slowly comes to life the more their new visitor gives to it. The beautiful backdrops of painted deserts and canyons. There is character growth going on.
Cartoons live and die by their voice actors. While just about every animation company puts out movies that take advantage of celebrity power to gain an audience Pixar is one of the few who has consistently been able to get the best performances from them, and cars is no different. Every celebrity voice is pitch perfect and puts you in the view of the character more than the actor. Larry the Cable Guy as Mater the tow truck easily steals the show, but does it in such a way where you absolutely know it's Larry doing the voice, but you see Mater as a character in of itself rather than a cartoon Larry. Owen Wilson puts his best sly, but whiner-like demeanor for racing star McQueen that's his best. Some characters I still have trouble recognizing the transformation is so good. Tony Shalhoub (better known as Monk from the TV series) is absolutely unbelievable as tire shop owner Luigi. Better yet Michael Keaton as Chic Hicks barely sounds like Michael. Michael makes what is essentially the villain in the movie a very enjoyable and charismatic cut up. I can go on, but suffice it to say the "acting" is top notch.
Animation wise all I have to say is this is Pixar. They are just about the best in the business and what you see in this movie will impress even today. The race scenes are dynamically shot the same way you would see a big NASCAR race with gravel, debris, smoke and skid marks looking real. The level of detail is very impressive from the waxed shine on the cars to the minute dust.
This Blu-Ray release is pretty much identical to the previous release, but this time they include the DVD version as well. The differences between the Blu-Ray and DVD versions visually are striking, and that's admitting the DVD looks great. The Blu-Ray technically has two menus, but that's not a big deal. One of the menus has three options which are the movie, bonus cartoons and featurettes. Here's a breakdown (features on the DVD will have an * beside them):
Mater and the Ghost Light*: Like all Pixar releases Cars comes with both the animated short that was viewed before the movie in theaters plus a totally new short related to the movie itself. This is a story about Mater scaring the town with little tricks so he is told a story about the infamous Ghost Light, which he then appears to experience after left alone. Goofy funny with Mater kind of replaying a number of scenes from the movie in a different way.
One Man Band*: This is the short that was played before the movie in theaters. It's about two street musicians "dueling" for a little girl's coin. The musicians get more outrageous in their zeal for the money and things end up going crazy.
Mater in Bounding: Remember the Pixar short with the Jackalope and sheep? Well this is a quickie (non hi-def) short of Mater replacing the sheep bouncing all over the place. I think it's something the animators put together for fun and are sharing with us.
End Credits: Here you can see the animation end credits in full frame without the credits. Love the previous Pixar movie references.
Production Features include:
Two Full Length Commentaries: One is by Lasseter and the other with the production team (with pictures).
Inspiration for 'Cars'*: Documentary told by John Lasseter on the inspiration for Cars including a jaunt through Route 66 and seeing some race cars in action.
Documentary Shorts: There are seven little items here. "Radiator Springs," "Character Design," "Animation and Acting," "Real World Racing: Getting Geeky with the Details," "Hudson Hornet," "Graphics" and "Darrell Waltrip Museum Tour". This is the real meat of the extras. You get to see the real love for the source material and how much they put into making the movie as much a car-lovers movie as possible.
Cine-Explore: This is a way to see behind the scenes stuff while watching the movie. You can set it automatic or manually punch in the content. Much of the content comes from the other featurettes.
Deleted Scenes*: These are just sketches and storyboards that never went beyond pre-production. It's interesting to see how the script evolved, but don't expect extra cartoons.
Carfinder Game: It's dubbed as a very sophisticated BD game, but I call it incredibly tedious. The has three play modes. The primary mode is where you have to select a car from the bottom of your screen when it shows up in the movie. Next is the same concept, but this time the screen is frozen for an amount of time due to a massive amount of cars to rummage through. Third is like a bonus round where you get three images of the same car and you have to pick which one is accurate (with the other two having often the slightest differences in them).
The reward for going through the game (which you cannot get out of until you finish the movie with it) is a Showroom that has all the cars you found. You can click on the showroom and get a pretty neat profile of that car and it's personal history. I have to admit I really like getting this information as it broadens the story greatly. It's just a bear of a game to go through. This isn't a casual game to kill a little time. Be prepared to commit.
Cars is one of those movies that is very different from anything else out there, but then again you can say that for a good number of Pixar movies. It's a great movie for the car lover and those who enjoy remembering the 1950's driving experience where drive-ins and cruising mainstreet were how you treat a Friday night. Oh yeah... car racing fans will definitely get a kick out this film. If you aren't into any of that then you still should give this movie a try. It's VERY accessible to just everybody out there.
You see Cars isn't just a cartoon about a world where cars are people. It's a tribute of the history of the automobile, a nod to NASCAR and its roots, and a love letter to Route 66. All of this done in a family-friendly and colorful animated universe. Any car nut with a broad spectrum interest in the automobile will find lots of different cars from different eras getting face time on this movie. NASCAR fans will love the racing sequences and level of detail dedicated to the sport. Those who remember the days before the Interstate system where there was as much fun travelling to your destination as there was being there will feel nostalgic for that time again. The movie hits on multiple levels, which is what makes it better than the sum of its parts.
Take that all away and you still have a fun cartoon. You have cars talking and acting like people for God's sake! The kids will eat that up! Cars are getting into crazy situations that are in their own way a slight play on human issues. There are plenty of little jokes on that vein that both the kids and parents can laugh over. There is even a joke or two with a double meaning the adults may get a kick out of. This is all classic Pixar and does much to fill in the little spaces between story development.
The story? Well like I said when I first saw it I got what they were saying, but wasn't impressed. It's essentially much like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show I remember seeing where somebody from the big city gets stuck in Mayberry, desparate to get out, only to end up loving the town and wanting more. Maybe it was because it was in a way the preachiest of the Pixar films telling us we should slow down our busy lives and go back to simpler times. Not that it's a bad message. Just not one that held onto on first viewing. Well after watching it several more times with my excited toddler the little details come into play that I either missed or ignored the first time around. The sleepy town that slowly comes to life the more their new visitor gives to it. The beautiful backdrops of painted deserts and canyons. There is character growth going on.
Cartoons live and die by their voice actors. While just about every animation company puts out movies that take advantage of celebrity power to gain an audience Pixar is one of the few who has consistently been able to get the best performances from them, and cars is no different. Every celebrity voice is pitch perfect and puts you in the view of the character more than the actor. Larry the Cable Guy as Mater the tow truck easily steals the show, but does it in such a way where you absolutely know it's Larry doing the voice, but you see Mater as a character in of itself rather than a cartoon Larry. Owen Wilson puts his best sly, but whiner-like demeanor for racing star McQueen that's his best. Some characters I still have trouble recognizing the transformation is so good. Tony Shalhoub (better known as Monk from the TV series) is absolutely unbelievable as tire shop owner Luigi. Better yet Michael Keaton as Chic Hicks barely sounds like Michael. Michael makes what is essentially the villain in the movie a very enjoyable and charismatic cut up. I can go on, but suffice it to say the "acting" is top notch.
Animation wise all I have to say is this is Pixar. They are just about the best in the business and what you see in this movie will impress even today. The race scenes are dynamically shot the same way you would see a big NASCAR race with gravel, debris, smoke and skid marks looking real. The level of detail is very impressive from the waxed shine on the cars to the minute dust.
This Blu-Ray release is pretty much identical to the previous release, but this time they include the DVD version as well. The differences between the Blu-Ray and DVD versions visually are striking, and that's admitting the DVD looks great. The Blu-Ray technically has two menus, but that's not a big deal. One of the menus has three options which are the movie, bonus cartoons and featurettes. Here's a breakdown (features on the DVD will have an * beside them):
Mater and the Ghost Light*: Like all Pixar releases Cars comes with both the animated short that was viewed before the movie in theaters plus a totally new short related to the movie itself. This is a story about Mater scaring the town with little tricks so he is told a story about the infamous Ghost Light, which he then appears to experience after left alone. Goofy funny with Mater kind of replaying a number of scenes from the movie in a different way.
One Man Band*: This is the short that was played before the movie in theaters. It's about two street musicians "dueling" for a little girl's coin. The musicians get more outrageous in their zeal for the money and things end up going crazy.
Mater in Bounding: Remember the Pixar short with the Jackalope and sheep? Well this is a quickie (non hi-def) short of Mater replacing the sheep bouncing all over the place. I think it's something the animators put together for fun and are sharing with us.
End Credits: Here you can see the animation end credits in full frame without the credits. Love the previous Pixar movie references.
Production Features include:
Two Full Length Commentaries: One is by Lasseter and the other with the production team (with pictures).
Inspiration for 'Cars'*: Documentary told by John Lasseter on the inspiration for Cars including a jaunt through Route 66 and seeing some race cars in action.
Documentary Shorts: There are seven little items here. "Radiator Springs," "Character Design," "Animation and Acting," "Real World Racing: Getting Geeky with the Details," "Hudson Hornet," "Graphics" and "Darrell Waltrip Museum Tour". This is the real meat of the extras. You get to see the real love for the source material and how much they put into making the movie as much a car-lovers movie as possible.
Cine-Explore: This is a way to see behind the scenes stuff while watching the movie. You can set it automatic or manually punch in the content. Much of the content comes from the other featurettes.
Deleted Scenes*: These are just sketches and storyboards that never went beyond pre-production. It's interesting to see how the script evolved, but don't expect extra cartoons.
Carfinder Game: It's dubbed as a very sophisticated BD game, but I call it incredibly tedious. The has three play modes. The primary mode is where you have to select a car from the bottom of your screen when it shows up in the movie. Next is the same concept, but this time the screen is frozen for an amount of time due to a massive amount of cars to rummage through. Third is like a bonus round where you get three images of the same car and you have to pick which one is accurate (with the other two having often the slightest differences in them).
The reward for going through the game (which you cannot get out of until you finish the movie with it) is a Showroom that has all the cars you found. You can click on the showroom and get a pretty neat profile of that car and it's personal history. I have to admit I really like getting this information as it broadens the story greatly. It's just a bear of a game to go through. This isn't a casual game to kill a little time. Be prepared to commit.
Cars is one of those movies that is very different from anything else out there, but then again you can say that for a good number of Pixar movies. It's a great movie for the car lover and those who enjoy remembering the 1950's driving experience where drive-ins and cruising mainstreet were how you treat a Friday night. Oh yeah... car racing fans will definitely get a kick out this film. If you aren't into any of that then you still should give this movie a try. It's VERY accessible to just everybody out there.
198 of 245 people found the following review helpful
After seeing so many children's movies with animals lately (Hoodwinked, Over the Hedge, Ice Age 2, etc.) Cars was a needed change. It was wonderful sitting down to a movie that offered something a bit different. Don't get me wrong, our family loves movies with goofy animals. But after laughing at and with Tow Mater for 2 hours, I was so glad I didn't see a silly squirrel in the whole movie. Tow Mater was awesome. We all hope to see Tow starring in his own flick! Bring on the sequel!!!
With that said, Cars is a heart warming story of a race car called Lightning McQueen who is full of himself. Lightning stumbles off the beaten path of life, and onto the backroads of route 66. There, Lightning McQueen finds all the things he was missing in life because of his self-absorption: friends, beauty, and love.
I was very pleasantly suprised with the story. Yes, Cars had many, many funny parts (especially the tractor tipping, and Tow Mater), but the story itself is what shines like a diamond. Cars is a movie that will have you leaving the theatre changed, looking for love, beauty and cherishing what you have. I can't give a movie any greater compliment than this. A must see, and must own children's movie.
Total Score (out of 100) = 90
43 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.
8 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?
10 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?
9 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?
10 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?
8 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase?
Plus 2 extra bonus points for Tow Mater! Tow is a one one a kind children's movie character that will not soon be forgotten.
With that said, Cars is a heart warming story of a race car called Lightning McQueen who is full of himself. Lightning stumbles off the beaten path of life, and onto the backroads of route 66. There, Lightning McQueen finds all the things he was missing in life because of his self-absorption: friends, beauty, and love.
I was very pleasantly suprised with the story. Yes, Cars had many, many funny parts (especially the tractor tipping, and Tow Mater), but the story itself is what shines like a diamond. Cars is a movie that will have you leaving the theatre changed, looking for love, beauty and cherishing what you have. I can't give a movie any greater compliment than this. A must see, and must own children's movie.
Total Score (out of 100) = 90
43 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.
8 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?
10 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?
9 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?
10 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?
8 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase?
Plus 2 extra bonus points for Tow Mater! Tow is a one one a kind children's movie character that will not soon be forgotten.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Could not find it on my Kindle
I tried for 10 minutes to find it on my Kindle. I rented other movies and have not had this problem. We never ended up watching it.
Published 19 hours ago by Camie Gadbois
5.0 out of 5 stars
son loves it
I have never seen this movie so when it arrived so quickly I was happy to open the securely wrapped package and watch the clear picture of this amazing movie with my son. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Kerry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Watch this every week
My 3 year old son LOVES this movie. It's also super cute for adults with a little humor thrown in without being inappropriate.
Published 2 days ago by M. L. McFarland
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good purchase!!!
At first, i was a little worry to buy a used movie, but im verry happy with my purchase, the box and the dvd its in great shape.
Published 3 days ago by maria luisa
5.0 out of 5 stars
get it for the drive to Disneyland
Hey it's Disney and Pixar so you know it's going to be fun for both you and the kids and with Disneyland opening up the new Cars section it's worth getting.
Published 4 days ago by TwoGirls
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie
One of my favorite movies. It did not playback well, but I see you issued a refund and I appreciate that
Published 5 days ago by Pat Halsey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Movie for Me and my Son
My 2.5 year old really likes this movie and its enjoyable for me to watch too. He gets scared when the large combine tractor (the one that makes the bull noise) comes on. Read more
Published 6 days ago by C. Lyles
1.0 out of 5 stars
download issues
i was never able to watch this movie. I ordered it to keep my child entertained abd tried multiple tines to get it downloaded. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Etolia Crawford
5.0 out of 5 stars
son loves it
cute movie my son loves cars because of this movie he points out every cars movie item he sees at stores
Published 6 days ago by Dulce R
4.0 out of 5 stars
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!
"I think boys will generally enjoy this movie more than girls (my nephew certainly likes it better than my niece) but there's something here for everyone, even the parents. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Daphne Jones
