Cars [Blu-ray]

When I first heard about Cars, I didn't think much of it. I always loved Pixar's movies but I couldn't really see what they were trying to accomplish with a movie where there wasn't a single humanoid to be found anywhere. Plus, I thought another "talking cars" property would be as stupid as all the other ones. I didn't see or read much about the movie in the months leading to its release in theaters and so didn't have a whole lot of reason to expect a lot from the movie, which I was going to see almost out of duty (both because my younger cousins were in town and because it was a Pixar film).After the credits rolled, I knew I had just watched my second favorite Pixar film and one of my top 10 Disney films of all time. I still like Finding Nemo the best because it has a more emotional and universal moral component to it. I also happen to think that Ratatouille is a better "film" in general but I had a LOT more fun watching Cars. Like with Finding Nemo, I can watch this movie over and over again and not get tired of it. It may have to do with the inner child in me - my young nephew can't get enough of Cars and Finding Nemo but isn't nearly as impressed with The Incredibles and Ratatouille, two films my wife and friends like more.I liken Cars to Shrek in the sense that there's always something interesting going on in the background if you care to look past the core of what's happening. The world in which Lightning McQueen and Mater live is cleverly designed to be almost exactly like ours would be if there all organic life forms were replaced with motorized vehicles. Even many parts of the landscape are shaped like vehicles in much the same way we sometimes think that a mountain or tree kind of looks like the side of someone's face. And many aspects of the world are dealt with in the clever manner we've come to expect from the geniuses at Pixar - insects are VW Beetles, Lighting McQueen's two biggest fans love to flash their headlights (quite literally, for those of you with your mind in the gutter) and the racing commentators are named Bob Cutlass and Darryl Cartrip.While the general premise of the story is nothing new and fairly basic - a hot shot rookie race car concerned only with himself ends up in a long forgotten midwest town where the locals help him learn to enjoy life and care about something greater than oneself - the movie is immensely fun to watch, thanks mostly to the personality quirks of the citizens (specifically a run down tow truck with a good soul) of Radiator Springs, "the cutest little town in Carburetor County." It's always a joy to watch McQueen discover that there's more to life than fame and money.If the movie being great wasn't enough, this particular Blu-Ray disc also boasts the hands-down best video quality I've seen in any high-definition disc. This is the first movie I've seen where I can say that if you haven't seen it in high-definition, you haven't seen it at all. CGI movies tend to have really impressive transfers because the studios can use masters stored digitally instead of on film, but Cars outshines all others... and it's not a photo finish by a long shot. There are tons of little details that I didn't even see when I saw it on the big screen a year and a half ago. One perfect example is Lightning McQueen's paint job. Before I watched the Blu-Ray disc last night (Christmas Day), I didn't know that there were all these little sparkles in the paint similar to the "jewel" or "pearl" type colors you see for new car models these days (if you've seen the red 2008 Saturn Outlook, you'll know what I mean). My jaw simply dropped when I noticed that because it was just a completel revelation to me, all thanks to Blu-Ray (and my television is just 1080i).Another impressive thing about this disc is the "Car Finder" interactive movie game, a first of this kind on any home movie format. When you play this game, a special little heads-up graphical user interface comes on over the movie which shows your score, what cars to look for and how many you've missed so far. The premise of the game is that you basically keep an eye out for specific cars shown at the bottom of the screen. If you see one in any particular scene of the movie, you hit an action button on your remote control and a new car to look for pops up in its place. Even better, every car you find is added to a huge showcase gallery that has a close-up image of the car, the scene in which the car appeared and an audio background biography of the character (you can now find out what the actual name of the Apple-sponsored car in the opening Dinoco 400 race is). The only annoying aspect is that the normal controls for the movie (pause, stop, skip, etc.) are disabled - the only way to get out of the movie is to hit the "Pop-up Menu" button.All in all, this is hands-down the best and most impressive high-definition release so far (this is coming from a staunch HD-DVD supporter). I cannot recommend this movie highly enough unless you either just didn't like this movie or aren't a fan of "kids'" movies in the first place. Otherwise, if you own a Blu-Ray player, do yourself a service and purchase Cars today... or even better, buy a Blu-Ray player to enjoy this movie in a whole new way!

This a great movie no matter your age. Great voice actors, great storyline, good music and just overall a great film to watch by yourself or with the family. Don't know anyone that has anything bad to say about his movie. Definitely a must for any movie collection.

Race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) has had a fantastic rookie season and could easily become the first rookie to win the coveted Piston Cup. All he has to do is win the run off race against veteran The King (Richard Petty) and perpetual runner up Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton). If he can do that, he might be able to get a new sponsor. After all, being the spokescar for Rust-Eze is a little embarrassing for a sleek racecar like Lightning.On the way to the big race in Los Angeles, Lightning accidentally gets separated from his transport truck and finds himself in Radiator Springs, where he accidentally destroys the road. Much to his dismay, he's sentenced to repave the road before he can continue on the way.Radiator Springs is the town that time forgot. A former way station on the famous Route 66, it is barely surviving now that the big interstate has been build nearby, making stopping there no longer necessary. Of course, this is exactly the type of town Lightning wants to avoid. He's living life in the fast lane and just wants to get on his way.But to complete his community service, he has to deal with the locals. Mater the Tow Truck (Larry the Cable Guy) quickly labels Lightning his best friend and wants to help him have a good time. Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt) is cute and distracts the rather single focused Lightning. In fact, everyone in town seems to enjoy having Lightning around. Everyone but Doc Hudson (Paul Newman). What kind of secret might he have? And will Lightning take what he is learning to heart?This movie might bore kids. More so then other Pixar films, the main conflict is internal, focused on what Lightening is learning from his experiences in Radiator Springs. There is a villain, but he gets little screen time. And this is the first movie to not have on of Pixar's patented climaxes that will not quit.All this isn't to say that the movie is bad. I saw it twice in the theater, and loved every minute of it both times. The story is ultimately heartwarming, the characters endearing, and the movie is funny. The tractor-tipping scene alone is guaranteed to make you laugh. Plus there is lots of fun during and after the final credits.And then there's Pixar's attention to detail. Watching the car's backup lights turn on and off or the bugs being VW Beetles, for example, add to the charm. The animation in the movie is flawless, and many of the scenery shots are absolutely breathtaking. If I didn't know better, I would say they were real. This is a movie to watch on the big screen for those shots alone.Surprisingly, this is the first Pixar film not to get a two disc special edition. Frankly, I find that disappointing. Still, the movie looks and sounds wonderful. There's a new short with Mater, deleted scenes, and the "One Man Band" short that showed in theaters before this movie.While kids might not find it as engaging as Pixar's other films, they will enjoy it. The lack of extras is disappointing, but the film more then makes up for it. This is another triumph for Pixar.