Essay Preview: Cars
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“Cars didnt ride on it to make great time; they rode on it to have a great time.”
Its not hard to make a successful movie. Its simple, really. Exceed my expectations. Make me feel. Force me to care. Deliver a somewhat clichйd message, but deliver it in such a way that the meaning resounds. Teach me the same lessons that your characters learn. And above all, entertain.
Pretty easy, right? Well, at least Pixar makes it look that way because with Cars they have once again succeeded.
Ill be honest; I had my doubts about the movie. How would they be able to take a story featuring nothing but vehicles, with nary a human in sight, and keep my interest for a full two hours? Animals are one thing, but could Pixar successfully master the personification of modes of transportation?
Yes, they could, and they did.
Thanks to Director Lasseters strong attention to detail, going so far as to insist that the vehicles bend and gesture in ways that were true to their construction, every car and truck truly becomes a unique character and personality. And along with those characters and personalities comes a story which yes, contains a well-traveled theme, but it comes with so much charm that even Grouchy McKilljoys hard little heart cant help but be warmed.
Dont worry if youre not a racing fan; I assure you its not a requirement to enjoy the movie. I love watching muscle cars race the quarter mile (ask me about my 69 Camaro), but NASCAR doesnt do it for me. Thats another aspect about the film that gave me pause. I once fell asleep at a NASCAR qualifying race, despite the 90-degree heat and ear-splitting decibel levels, so would Cars keep me awake and interested? Within five minutes my worries began to slowly subside as I happily settled in for the ride.
Animation should be about bringing imagination to life. Give us something that cant be done in live action. Cars does this so effectively that it almost seems a redundancy to comment on how Pixar continues to raise the CGI bar. The scenery on screen is awe-inducing to the point that its getting harder to distinguish the real from the created. The filmmakers have gone so far as to perfect reflections in the cars and to pay careful attention to weeds growing out of cracks in the sidewalk. I dont see any way you could not be visually stunned.
But impressive visuals are little