Car Lot Pixar Article
Pixar Cars – The Movie
In conjunction with its 20th anniversary, Pixar Animation Studios marks its first release under Disney by taking movie-goers on a high-speed ride into the dusty, rumbling world of car-racing. ‘Cars’ is a heartwarming comedy that aptly combines elements of humor, romance, adventure and brilliant story-telling to give audiences of all ages a most memorable cinematic experience.
The story revolves around Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), a young hot-shot racer who was primed to become the youngest winner of the Pistons Cup. On his way to the Championships venue, he accidentally lost directions and ended up in the seedy town of Radiator Springs on Route 66. There, he broke the law and was sentenced to do community service, but all he had wanted to do was to get away from that sleepy old town. However, during his stay there, he met a few down-to-earth characters who changed his perception of life. Sally Carrera (voice of Bonnie Hunt), Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) and former Pistons Cup winner Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman) taught him that life is not all about winning and glamour; it is about the things which are closer to him, it is about love and friendship.
When the car-racing community and media finally located his whereabouts, Lightning McQueen found himself a stranger to all the attention. Nevertheless, with a few new tricks in his bag, he resumed his quest for the Pistons Cup.
The ‘Cars’ is directed by Academy Award winner John Lasseter, who was also responsible for Pixar hits such as Toy Story and Toy Story 2 and A Bug’s Life. In this movie, he managed to integrate his passion for car-racing with a very personal outlook of life, offering movie-goers high-value entertainment with simple story-telling and a good moral. Together with co-director Joe Ranft and Jorgen Klubien, John developed the storyline of the ‘Cars’ around Route 66, the famous freeway which was the passing point of many a cultural phenomenon in America. Michael Wallis, author of a Route 66 book, was called upon to help the team research on the historical background of this fascinating road.
Producer Darla K. Andersen did a most admirable job, making tremendous efforts with her technical know-how and creativity to uphold John Lasseter’s original vision throughout the process of production. A star-studded cast of vocal performers, which also include Cheech Marin, Michael Keaton, George Carlin, John Ratzenberger,andKatherine Helmond has been especially selected to undertake the formidable task of putting a human touch to the characters. Racing greats such as Mario Andretti,Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Schumacher, and Darrell Waltrip also contributed their voices to make the racing scenes sound more authentic.
Compared to past Pixar releases, ‘Cars’ is an entirely different venture, not only in the sense of genre, but also in terms of plot and story-telling methods, which makes the movie a more predictable and traditional affair. On the whole, there is something in the movie for everybody, from children to adults, therefore, making it a most delightful film for the family.
