Digital animation company Pixar is on a champion streak. After
the smash success of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Finding
Nemo, Monsters Inc and The Incredibles, it
races forth with its enjoyable new cartoon Cars. Though
the plot is somewhat predictable, the hyper-realistic look of the
CG cartoon is utterly gorgeous. There is simply more eye-candy here
than a Victoria's Secrets catalogue (for the girls) or a Bel Ami
video (for the boys).
Comedian Owen Wilson provides the voice of Lightning, the hottest
new sensation on the racing circuit. Loud and arrogant, Lighting
is a one-car show who is too selfish to make friends. All he wants
is fame and fortune.
But these fancy dreams grind to a halt when he takes a detour to
a small, sleepy town while on his way to another race. Here, the
folks are sweet-tempered and old-fashioned, and values like loyalty
and friendship are still highly-cherished. When Lightning is forced
to stay awhile to help repave the town road he unwittingly tore
up, he learns to appreciate these values too.
If reading the plot put you to sleep, don't be sorry. The story
certainly feels like something you've seen in so many other cartoons.
However, the dazzling quality of the computer-generated images is
NOT something you've seen in other cartoons. Even the tiniest object
in Cars pulses with a larger-than-life quality, shimmering
with stunning color and detail. Buy that ticket just to see how
far Pixar has taken digital animation. You won't regret it.