Review: Cars
When you set the bar as high as Pixar, sooner or later you're not going to make it over. The unanimously accepted kings of CGI, they've set standards with Toy Story, The Incredibles and Monsters Inc. that almost defy all logic, which makes Cars all the more disappointing. It's not bad, not by any means, but when you expect brilliance, anything else feels a little bit flat.There's no fault in how the film looks. Every molecule of dust is perfectly rendered, leaving every other studio choking in its wake. Indeed, it's almost certainly Pixar's greatest visual achievement to date; everything brought together perfectly in a vivid cartoon world, it looks a billion dollars, and then some.
That's only part of the story, however. With previous offerings we've come to expect more than just something pretty to look at. The true masterstroke in the Pixar armoury has always been their ability to tell a bloody good story, so when confronted by the sluggish, sometimes even boring moments scattered throughout Cars, it's quite a let down. Even more surprising, considering animation uber-God John Lasseter takes up production duties for the first time since the triumphant Toy Story 2, but then a story about getting out of the fast lane doesn't scream pre-teen on a sugar rush.
It starts all guns blazing: cocky racer Lightning McQueen flying round a track in a breakneck action sequence that appears near flawless. One of the most pulse racing scenes you'll see all summer, it only goes to make later events more sedate. When dumped in the sleepy town of Radiator Springs, it's hard to impagine anyone not yearning for the adrenaline rush of the race track.
It's not the towns inhabitants are especially boring, they're just not that funny. Or memorable. In previous Pixar offerings, even the incidental characters have proved noteworthy, but not so here.
It's a relief then, that the films end proves to be back on the money, making sense of what's gone before and tying it all up brilliantly. It's a finale full of brilliance and sheer positivity, which, when combined with possibly the best Pixar credits punchline to date, means everything turns out OK in the end.
Stephen Ackroyd
Related Links:
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