Customer Reviews

Cars (Spanish Language Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(657)
4 star:		(151)
3 star:		(43)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

In Pixar's CARS, directed by TOY STORY director John Lasseter, the world is populated entirely by - you guessed it - cars. So it's only natural that the biggest event in the entire car world is the Piston Cup, the world's most popular race (inspired by the ever-popular NASCAR racing). This year, the public's rooting for Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), an immensely-talented albeit egotistic rookie. While traveling to California to prepare for the Piston Cup, Lightning's driver, Mack (John Ratzenberger), dozes off and sends Lightning off into the middle of nowhere. The middle of nowhere happens to be the small town of Radiator Springs, or - as Lightning described it - "hillbilly hell". Though at first Lightning wants nothing more than to escape from Radiator Springs and win the Piston Cup, he gradually becomes more and more attached to the town and its citizens, eventually realizing that friends and family mean more than fame.

Pixar makes family movies better than anyone. Adults find their films just as entertaining as do children. CARS is no exception, though it lacks the power of many of Pixar's previous creations, such as TOY STORY or FINDING NEMO. Also, it is becoming more and more clear that Pixar's films seem to revolve around the same sort of formula. Eventually, I believe that this will begin to bother some adults, but the children will go on loving these films, and that's what the films are here for in the first place.

The cast for CARS is even more impressive than that of previous Pixar films. The cast includes, along with Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, George Carlin, NASCAR racers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr., FINDING NEMO/A BUG'S LIFE director Andrew Stanton, Jay Leno, and Michael Keaton. That is quite the cast. It also features music by Randy Newman and some fantastic animation.

Despite all that it has going for it, CARS was considered a flop at the box office, primarily when compared to Pixar's previous masterpieces. I believe that this is due in part to the advertising, which I thought made the film look like many of the other stupid CGI family film imitations in theaters recently. All I can say is disregard the advertising and see the film for yourself. It's another delightful family film from Pixar. Your kids'll love it, and you'll love it too. What more could you ask for?

The greatest thing about `Cars,' the latest film coming from Pixar, is its rich and beautiful colors of the picture. Even those who points out the weakness of the story (which resembles that of Michael J. Fox film `Doc Hollywood') would admit the merit. After all, you just cannot keep telling good stories with originality forever, and Pixar is no exception. In `Cars' the respected company has decided on seeking the originality in another direction, that is, the setting of the film, in which all the characters are really cars, trucks, or any vehicle you can see on the road.

That means you don't see any humans here. The hero of the film is Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), hot shot race car who is stranded in the middle of nowhere, a sleepy town called Radiator Springs, after a series of incredible but funny misadventures. After damaging the town's main road, he is sentenced to community service in the court by Doc Hudson (voice by Paul Newman) while Lightning has to be in the next big race in California.

The town's `people' or cars are mostly misfits and rejects - the motif frequently used in Pixar films - and corky Lightning finds the life there miserable and hellish, but you know, people, no, cars change.

The film's idea about the cars and other vehicles is stretched to the point of some bizarre scenes - such as groupie cars, public restroom for cars, or car bugs that really fly - and you may not be impressed by all of them. Unlike `The Incredibles' or `Monster's Inc' the script of `Cars' is not the most original one in the marvelous history of Pixar, and the film's length (about 2 hours) makes us wish for the year 1995 when Pixar managed to make `Toy Story' that runs only 81 minutes and still is as good and enjoyable.

Still brilliant images full of striking colors and wonderful designs would appeal to everyone. The speedy car race sequences are brilliantly done, and the designs of the deserted town of Radiator Springs are often astonishingly real. And in spite of the weak story, the characters themselves are all well-written and likable, as those in the previous Pixar films are. Maybe `Cars' failed to reach the high standard of recent animations that Pixar has been pushing higher and higher, but it is still entertaining with a bit of sentimental and nostalgic feeling.

A lovely movie that leaves the kids with a beautiful life lesson and big time entertaining for the whole family. Main character is Lightning McQueen, a beautiful little spoiled racing car too vain of his own early success to see beyond his own unexperience. Too proud and sure of himself to rely on others' advice, and believing that he would never be in need of anyone else. When he accidentally falls off the truck that was taking him to California to participate in the Piston Racing Coup, he finds himself on his own in an unknown place. Lost and alone he gets to Radiator Springs, a long-ago forgotten community struggling to stay in business nevertheless no big roads or highways pass nearby. A bunch of colorful guys there, with engines and parts perhaps not so brand-new and shiny but with certainly far more experience will eventually make him value all those meaningful and important things that go far beyond the mere outside looks and efervescent success: friendship, companionship, experience, and love.
...And plus: what a soundtrack! Rascal Flatts' version of "Life is a highway" got me rocking all the way home after the movie theater... These guys are just purely and plainly great and make unbelievable music, even when remaking a new version of this famous 80's tune. I love them. Sheryl Crow's "Real Gone" opening theme rocks! The rest of the soundtrack is just as great combining classic tunes by Chuck Berry and James Taylor with performances by Brad Paisley, John Mayer and others. My advice: buy the movie DVD along with the soundtrack CD! You won't regret it.

I had no idea how much my 2 1/2 year old daughter would love this movie until we saw it. She's seen it 5, yes 5, times now, and she gets more excited each time she sees it. It's such a nice change of pace to watch an exciting well-made kid's movie. The cg-graphics are spellbindingly awesome, and the cast of characters is unforgettable. My girl "acts out" scenes from the movie with her die-cast cars every day.

A little known secret about Pixar, is their huge support for their local community. Last night I attended a fund raiser premier of CARS at Pixar's studio's in Emeryville CA. The event raised over $80,000 for our local school district!

So here are my thoughts on the movie.

Firstly, this is a fast paced and LOUD movie. Those with sensitive ears should think about taking cotton buds to the theater.

Ok, I read some of the comments so far based on the teaser's and have to say that the animated cars are done wonderfully. Each car really has it's own personality and although they do look a little cartoonish, Pixar has again shown that they can animate anything and bring it to life and then some.

The big race scenes are really only at the very beginning and at the very end, the majority of the movie is set in a small town "Radiator Springs" somewhere in the midwest just off Route 66.

I won't give too much away as far as the story goes, you'll need to go see it yourself for that.

The movie is packed full of very funny jokes and scenes, like the Tractor Tipping scene, and the SUV off-road bootcamp!

Visually, this movie is stunning. I can't imagine the amount of research that went into producing this one. Anyone who has driven I-40 near Amarillo TX will recognise the mountain ranges shaped like old Cadillac's burried nose down in the sand. They really capture the road trip experience. And the scenery is breath-taking.

Not being a big fan of "Larry The Cable Guy" I have to say that his performance as Mater the tow truck, was brilliant. As one of the main characters, he was very funny and endearing.

Technically, Pixar really pushed the envelope again. We're used to Pixar movies breaking ground in each movie, the underwater rendering in Finding Nemo, the fur rendering in Monsters Inc., etc.. In cars, it's all about the rendering of dust particles which looks super realistic and is not an easy thing to achieve.

Overall, this movie will have great appeal to a lot of people, although I personally think that The Incredibles is still my favorite. This one might not win the Best Animated Feature award but I'm sure it will get awards for the technical aspects of the film.

Finally, I just want to thank Pixar once again for their amazing and continued support to the local community, whether it be fund raising events like last nights, or the masses of computers they donate to the schools, or the number of their employee's that regularly volunteer their freetime to work with the kids in mentoring programs. I couldn't wish for a better neighbor.

I had low expectations for this film. I think the title is pathetically uninspired and lifeless. I thought the Cable Guy would be the overly talkative, obnoxious character like Donkey in Shrek. And, not being a big expert/fan of cars in general, I thought I might be overall underwhelmed. But, my father wanted to see this, so I took him to see it for Father's Day. And, I had the best day with him in a long time. Amazingly captivating--with a few details that are culturally overplayed groaners--and well paced, CARS takes a checkered flag in my book. I have seen probably more computer animated films than I'd like to see in one year. [I was equally surprised by Over The Hedge. Ice Age 2 was a bit of a disappointment, though.] But, I was happy after seeing this one. I have read other reviews that mention a slight disapproval with how the cars handle some activities without the use of humans(ie. answering the phone and working the gas pumps) and have to agree with them. But, I wouldn't like that to ruin the film for me. One of the funnier highlights is the use of cars as even the insects of the film. Oh, and stay through the credits for a satisfying end note.

First let me say this is a ***** 5-star movie, it is the single disc DVD that reduces it by a star. But wait....

Yes, there are 2-Disc versions of this classic-to-be Pixar movie, but the "powers that be" are making you look for them! Only certain U.S. retail store chains have gotten them and their second discs are different, so you have to buy them all to get all of the extras.

Even the acclaimed Australian 2-Disc DVD doesn't have all of the extras that are on the U.S. retail stores second disc.

Why Buena Vista decided to market this movie this way can only mean a real 2-Disc version will be made available to everyone next year after their exclusive contracts expire.