Movie Essay by martha

marthav0914 — 2023-12-04 15:42:57 UTC

"If Cars is heavy on hooey, it’s also genuinely endearing. The story is polished to a farewell, and the filmmakers have a few surprises up their sleeves. Refreshingly, neither of the big races that bookend the film ends the way formula would dictate. Cars doesn’t just mouth the platitude that winning isn’t everything; respect, dignity and loyalty are really honored above finishing first."

marthav0914 — 2023-12-04 15:43:29 UTC

"But a lot of the time it's just the tiniest bit dull with no decent gags or songs, and the score is heavily reliant on singing cover versions of Route 66. Naturally the animation is top-of-the-range, but an awful lot of mega-bytes and laptop hours have been lavished on the frankly uninteresting spectacle of those zillions of almost identical little car spectators in the stadium, their flashbulbs twinkling. The car-creatures zoom by impressively enough but there are very few point-of-view shots from the racing cockpits. Perhaps Lasseter thought this would make it look too much like a video game, or that it would allude too directly to the actual danger inherent in real-world racing. But it would have injected some much-needed excitement. And there really aren't any villains: apart from one swaggering car-competitor who isn't all that mean. One of his stickers reveals a sponsor called HTB, or Hostile Takeover Bank - not a masterpiece of clever scriptwriting. Needless to say, there appears to be a strict ban on cigarette advertising for these race meets."

marthav0914 — 2023-12-04 15:44:03 UTC

"The script, usually Pixar's secret weapon, is a surprisingly lame affair that substitutes endless automotive puns for real wit. The only bright spot in the tedium is Paul Newman, on magisterial form as a retired racer with a dark secret."

marthav0914 — 2023-12-04 16:03:44 UTC

"The message in "Cars" is simplicity itself: Life was better in the old days, when it revolved around small towns where everybody knew each other, and around small highways like Route 66, where you made new friends, sometimes even between Flagstaff and Winona. This older America has long been much-beloved by Hollywood, and apparently it survives in Radiator Springs as sort of a time capsule."

marthav0914 — 2023-12-04 16:05:44 UTC

"Alas, “too long” is the answer, and barring the boisterous antics of blue-collar comic Larry, there’s not much to make the time speed by. Granted, there are amusing sight gags involving the local bugs (in keeping with the automotive theme, Volkswagens with wings) and “tractor tipping,” but like Lightning himself, the action simply keeps running out of gas."

marthav0914 — 2023-12-04 16:07:43 UTC

'"Cars" finds a pleasant and often sparkling groove. Each car looks unique (though all have eyes on their windshield rather than the expected headlights), with precise character details: Doc's silver grille looks like a dapper mustache; Mater, when he sleeps, drools oil. All the colors look slightly faded in the Southwestern sun, and some of the scenes (such as a gorgeous drive through a tree-lined canyon) have the idyllic beauty of a vacation postcard."

marthav0914 — 2023-12-04 16:13:00 UTC

"The Pixar people have an extreme talent for conjuring imagery that is soaring in its majesty but also resonant -- it's a stylization but acute enough to carry emotional meaning. And boy, can these guys do a sky: If you've got a sentimental weakness for the hues that play across the cloud tufts as the big orb sinks behind the mountains, this is the movie for you."

marthav0914 — 2023-12-07 16:01:25 UTC

Even without any humans at all present the film "Cars", it is still so fun to watch. It feels as if you are there seeing them race yourself. With the fun color pallets and the variety of personalities each character has. Even each different story of every car absolutely makes the viewer fill with excitement.

marthav0914 — 2023-12-11 18:07:53 UTC

1) At first Lightning only thinks about himself and how badly he needs to win, but after staying in Radiator Springs he shows that winning isn't always that important by helping King cross the finish line even if it meant he wouldn't come first

marthav0914 — 2023-12-11 18:08:16 UTC

2) When Lightning arrives at Radiator Springs everyone is so excited to meet him but he doesn't feel that way at first, later on he warms up to them and realizes how nice it is having friends and small community around you is

marthav0914 — 2023-12-11 18:10:37 UTC

3) Radiator Springs even though small and left behind it still has this natural beauty to it that is also portrayed through the cars, like how Mater even though all rusty and a tad bit slow he finds a way to make connections with everyone he meets

marthav0914 — 2023-12-11 18:11:52 UTC

4) Radiator Springs has a vast sky with a gran canyon type or terrains with high mountains, showing how beautiful a small town can be

Criticism

marthav0914 — 2023-12-12 03:48:13 UTC

Peter Bradshaw The Guardian’s film critic calls the film dull with no good gags or songs saying that “ Naturally the animation is top-of-the-range, but an awful lot of mega-bytes and laptop hours have been lavished on the frankly uninteresting spectacle of those zillions of almost identical little car spectators in the stadium, their flashbulbs twinkling. ”

marthav0914 — 2023-12-12 03:59:21 UTC

Cars is an incredible animation even if it it isn’t necessarily the funniest it is nostalgic and has such key points to tell about friendships, honor, respect, and being humble. The film beautifully tells all of this in such a beautiful way only using automobiles and yet it is still intriguing as you can tell how each of them are different from their personalities, their life story, and even the type of car it is.