"Cars 3" Movie Review

The latest instalment in a franchise considered by many as Pixar’s most substandard offering, “Cars 3” will probably not change any opinions – unless “Cars 2” was your favourite. Pixar seems to have heard the complaints everyone had with “Cars 2” and delivered something closer to the original – with more focus on characters and an emotional plot. So “Cars 3” is a solid-ish movie, but definitely not in the league of some of Pixar’s finest.

The movie brings back the focus to race car Lightning McQueen, whose career seems to be arriving at the finish line with the rise of a new breed of racers led by rookie Jackson Storm, who use technology to gain more speed and consistency forcing the old timers into retirement. Now McQueen must try and keep up with the pack, or risk fading away – his journey forms the core of the movie.

The key strength of “Cars 3” is the emotional heft it carries – the themes of mortality, relevance, and legacy the filmmakers focus on would touch a chord with the adults, though probably may not be fully appreciated by the younger audiences. It was also good to see that Paul Newman’s Doc Hudson was integrated beautifully and is an integral part of the story, effectively becoming a heartfelt tribute to the actor. The voice acting is spot on, especially Owen Wilson who effectively conveys McQueen’s doubts and misgivings.

That is not to say the movie doesn’t have its share of spectacle – as with every Pixar movie, the animation is spectacular. The racing scenes are gorgeous, and the demolition derby scene in particular stands out (both beautiful to watch and maybe the most fun part of the movie). I saw the movie in 4DX, which really added to the fun element – this movie really works perfectly with the format.

To sum up, “Cars 3” is fun while it lasts. While it may not be an addition to Pixar’s best list, it definitely gets the franchise back on track.