*** Official CARS Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Henry Gale]

I'm not too young, I've driven 66 from Chicago to the Pacific, more than once.
As with The Iron Giant much of this movie is wasted on the young.

During the credits there was a whole section listing Route 66 Museums, etc. This was in a font that I'll probably never be able to read on my TV.

95% of the people I saw this with trooped out as soon as the credits started. Is it a secret that that's when a lot of the really funny stuff starts?

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Technically amazing, the story was a little more pedestrian compared to other Pixar efforts. Loved the short before Cars and the sneak preview of their next flick looks very promising. I'd put this one down at the bottom with Bug's Life.

 

[Stephen_L]

I enjoyed watching "Cars", but place it with "A Bug's Life" as one of Pixar's lesser films. What most disappointed me was that Cars succumbed to the stale formulas used by many of the other animation houses. It seems many of the voice actors were cast for their well known personas (ala Sharktales) Hence the characters in the film didn't stand alone but rather were cute versions of movie or Nascar stars. Yes, its momentarily cool to realize the King is Richard Petty, Doc- Paul Newman, the Rusteze guys-the Magliosi brothers from Car Talk, Bob Cutlass-Bob Costas, etc. But that prevents the characters from really existing in their own world; they are rather just cartoon versions of stars. Lightning was never a distinct character; it was Owen Wilson. Big stars can do voices but they can't be doing versions of themselves or film personas. (Hanks is great as Woody, Holly Hunter as Elastigirl)
I was also disappointed in the plot which was pulled almost page for page from Doc Hollywood, a film I really enjoy. I know that plots are recycled, but I couldn't for a moment lose myself in this story knowing exactly where each plot twist would lead.

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

I have to disagree with you on the voice casting, Stephen. All of the voices were just right for the characters. Only a minute or so after their introductions, I stopped hearing Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy and started hearing Lightning and Mater. Pixar tends to pick the voice that fits best, whether or not that actor is well-known or on the story team.

 

[todd s]

The only voice actor I am surprised they didn't get or use was for "Sarge". I would have bet money they would use R.Lee Ermey. But, Paul Dooley does a fine job.

 

[Stephen_L]

Brandon, many of the voices were excellent (Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Dooley, Tony Shaloub, Larry the Cable Guy); but casting Bob Costas, the Car Talk guys, Richard Petty and the other NASCAR stars was based solely on their association with cars, auto racing and motorsport, not the quality of their voiceover work. When you pick voices for their human association and even make their names comical variations of their real names (Bob Cutlass, the King, etc.) it prevents me from really immersing myself in the Cars world. The characters in a cartoon should be their own characters, not some charicature of a real person.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I'm glad they didn't use Ermey - he's beaten that kind of role into the ground for almost 20 years. It's way too predictable to cast him in that sort of part...

 

[Bob Turnbull]

But would you really have noticed those voices had you not known they were in the movie? Don't mean to be argumentative, I'm really curious. Would you have recognized them going in blind? Short of Owen Wilson and Bob Costas, no one jumped out at me (well OK, John Ratzenberger, but that's expected by now I think... ).

I thought it was just fantastic all the way through. Intricate plot? Nah. But just so much to look at and enjoy along the way...

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Loved it, if you watch close, you'll find small flying insects, little
volkswagon beetle's flying about, how cool is that?
Plus the animation was top notch, as you'd come to expect from Pixar...
G2

 

[ThomasC]

I don't think I ever got used to Owen's voice, but it wasn't too bad. Costas definitely jumped out, and the van definitely sounded like Carlin to me, although I wasn't 100% sure it was him. All in all, there were only a few moments when I was taken out of the movie.

 

[Stephen_L]

I did not know the film's cast other than the major leads (Wilson, Hunt, Newman, Larry) and immediately recognized George Carlin (reprising his aging hippy persona), the Car Talk guys from National Public Radio, Richard Petty, Bob Costas (even named Bob Cutlass) and a few others. (I'm glad Paul Dooley did Sarge, because if Ermey reprised his D.I. persona again, I would have had the same complaint with his casting) Every time I snagged a name the character became just a version of the human actor. It isn't the use of famous people as voices that bothers me. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Craig Nelson, Holly Hunter, Ellen Degeneres, and Billy Crystal all did outstanding work. But none of them were used to voice characters that were essentially cartoon versions of themselves on screen. I also got the feeling they were chosen not because of who they were, but how well their voice fit the character they were to play.

 

[James Ryfun]

I'm a bit surprised by some of the "ho hum" comments directed towards this film. From the One Man Band short straight through the end credits of the main feature, this was one of the best times I've had at the theater in a LONG time. I loved every second of Cars, and rank it right near the top of the heap. I'm not a particular fan of cars in general, and my history with small towns and route 66 is incredibly limited, yet I could easily connect with this film.

I can't wait for the DVD. Just saw it and I can't wait to see it again.

 

[todd s]

Does anyone have any idea when this will probably be released on dvd? Or should I not expect it until X-mas?

 

[TravisR]

The DVD will be out in November. Probably the beginning of the month.

 

[Adam_S]

put Reeds Springs Missouri on the list of towns ran into the ground by a new highway. In this case, Highway 13 was rebuilt for a more direct route to Silver Dollar City, it's still only two lanes, but now you don't have to go through the town, just zip by, a mile and a half to the east of the town. two years later and the charming downtown area is beginning to turn ghostly.

 

[BrettB]

Agree completely with these statements. I've only seen it once so far but I think it's probably mid to lower Pixar overall (which of course is better than about 90% of what gets released) but it was the most fun I've had watching a film in a long time. I'm going to wait a little longer then catch it again in the theater.

Edit: Dang, forgot to say; It seems that a lot of the people who are less enthusiastic about Cars had a problem with the characters being cars and/or the 'car universe'. I didn't have a problem with either of these issues and think that Pixar did a pretty good job bringing the characters to life. Although, I did notice myself a couple of times getting fixated on a characters' frequently moving tires.

 

[Rob Willey]

Like Michael Schumacher?

Rob

 

[Chris Atkins]

Just saw this one. I'd give it 7/10 right now. I saw it with my toddler, though, and the sound in the theater wasn't that great. I know I will like it more the next time I see it.

 

[andrew markworthy]

FWIW, the early reviews in the UK press have varied from lukewarm to hostile. And believe me, over here Pixar are very highly regarded. I suspect that because envionmental awareness is arguably a bigger thing in Europe than in the USA, a film celebrating gas guzzling cars may strike an inappropriate note with a lot of critics on this side of the Pond.

We get Cars on general release in another week or so, and I've got to say that from the trailers I'm not desperate to see it. Nor for that matter are my kids (aged 10 and 12). My daughter would normally sit through a theology lecture if it was animated and she's already said she's not bothered because she thinks the cars look dumb and who cares about cars?

I'll still go to see it and no doubt it will be better than anything else the House of Mouse has produced in years (not difficult) but I can't see it being up there with The Incredibles et al. I just hope I'm proved wrong.

 

[MarkHastings]

I think you will.