Cars 3

Today, my brother and I went to see "Cars 3," which came out last month, and now I'll let you know what I thought about it. 

When "Cars 2" came out in 2011, Pixar was actually a rare studio that was releasing sequels that were better than the originals ("Toy Story 3" had become the third animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar). However, "Cars 2" didn't have the nice calmness of the first film and instead had some James Bond elements, which people didn't like at all, and it didn't seem to spark interest when it came to continuing the story of our favorite characters and added new characters just to sell toys to their highest selling merchandise. ("Cars 2" was the rare Pixar film that wasn't nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar). When a third film was announced, audiences felt like it wasn't going to be anywhere near watchable, and I can understand why. It will be hard to wash the bad taste of the second film. Drew Taylor stated in his review, "Thankfully “Cars 3” is a welcome return to form that makes you appreciate what made the first, woefully underappreciated film so special and pushes the series into some unexpected places." This is actually an enjoyable time to watch throughout. 

At the start of "Cars 3," famous racecar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) who notices that he is the only old racer that is being competed against the new breed of rookies, the main one being Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), a self-centered, integrated speedster. After Lightning's new sponsor Sterling, voiced by Nathan Fillion, offers to give him some of the new school training, he avoids the traditional style and instead decides to train the same way his mentor Doc Hudson (Paul Newman, in some previously recorded audio) followed. Along with energetic trainer Cruz (Cristela Alonzo), Lightning drives to demolition derbies racing against Miss Fritter (Lea DeLaria) and eventually goes to meet Smokey (Chris Cooper), one of the old school racers and Doc's former teacher. Eventually, as predicted, Lightning gets back his vibe and competes in the Florida race. 

One of the most appealing parts of "Cars 3" is just how opposite of "Cars 2" it is. Unlike "Cars 2," which crammed in so many new characters and people complained about the action, "Cars 3" is nicely paced, introduced only a handful of nicely done characters and focuses more on the central group of characters from the first film (Mater, the lovably annoying tow truck that was the central focus of the second film, reprised by Larry the Cable Guy, thankfully is back as a side character). Taylor stated, "The sequel was a technical achievement, for sure (the amount of stuff in that movie is dizzying), but what made the first film so special was its measured narrative (director John Lasseter admitted to it being a loving Hayao Miyazaki homage), melancholic nostalgia and emphasis on atmosphere over action. “Cars 3” is all about returning to the fundamentals that made Lightning such a strong racer in the first place and “Cars 3,” as a movie does just that – it does away with the unnecessary ornamentation of the sequel and focuses on what really matters (much credit should be given to director Brian Fee, who was a story artist on the first two films and makes his feature debut here, and co-writer Mike Rich, who has a strong grip on sports narrative conventions thanks to his work on “The Rookie,” “Miracle” and “Secretariat“)." 

Taylor goes on to say, "When “The Good Dinosaur” was finally released back in the fall of 2015 it introduced an unheard of level of realism into the Pixar sandbox, exemplified by that film’s naturalistic backgrounds that felt like something out of a Terrence Malick film." "Cars 3" does that type of level of detail and visual composure and pushes it so far. You will never see anything as amazing looking as this. There's a part early in the film where Lightning trains on a beach and you could probably feel the wave of the cool water on your face as he drives by. Taylor noted, "While this additional detail gives the racing sequences some added oomph (sparks fly, rubber pebbles bounce along the track, oil gushes), it also gives the entire movie an extra layer of complexity, since the cartoony characters, set against almost photo-real backdrops, lends everything a gentle surrealism. Oftentimes watching these cars against the most realistic looking mud, sand, or dirt, you’ve ever seen in an animated film, comes across as downright trippy." 

The essential part you'll get from "Cars 3" is enjoyment. This is Pixar at its most brilliant and playful. Taylor noted, "Lightning is a surprisingly complex character and the filmmakers have described the three films as a single arc, as the racecar goes from hotshot upstart to seasoned pro to worn out veteran (again: thank Rich)." It's been a little over a decade since the first film and I like seeing the filmmakers give that time with respect and dignity. One of the lessons Smokey mentions is the decency of aging and the accomplishment that comes from allowing a younger person have the spotlight (Taylor said, "it’s hard not to see this as a metaphor for Lasseter letting Fee take over the series’ directorial duties"). I don't think this will be the last of the "Cars" franchise, but if it is, then "Cars 3" makes sure that the series at least ended on a beautiful, hopeful note. Taylor ended his review by saying, "As the old saying goes, it’s not the years it’s the mileage and “Cars 3” makes that metaphor beautifully literal." 

If you didn't like "Cars 2," then "Cars 3" will wash that bad taste out of your mouth. I didn't hate "Cars 2," as I thought that was still watchable, but I do understand the problems that people have with it, as I stated in my review. My thing is I understand why they shouldn't have made Mater the central focus, seeing how I do not like Southern-style comedy, but thankfully this movie resolved that. There are some parts that forced some emotion and others that are predictable, but overall, this was a fun time. It's still not as good as the first one, even though I acknowledge that the first movie wasn't one of Pixar's best, but it was still one of their good ones. I consider this to be a passable, serviceable, watchable, harmless film. Don't worry, you can go to the theaters to see it. I personally would have liked it to see Lightning move forward with the romance they portrayed in the first one with Sally, reprised by Bonnie Hunt, but they never did. Still, if anyone has sons, you can take them to see this because they will like it a lot. 

Thank you for joining in on my review, stay tuned this Friday for the continuation of "Despicable Me Month."