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Cars 3
STARRING: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper
DIRECTOR: Brian Fee
Genre: Animation
Rating: G
RUNNING TIME: 109 minutes
Cars has always been the black sheep of Pixar’s roster. While most of the studio’s creations are viewed as landmarks in the animation industry and soar high on critical praise, Cars has been left in the dust and the first two films were somewhat of a wreck.
However, it was a roaring success on the merchandise front, which perhaps offers insight into why this franchise has spawned a trilogy when some of its finer siblings don’t even get a sequel.
While that may be a negative note to start on, things are about to take a swift U-turn around a hairpin as Cars 3 actually gets it right for the most part, and deserves to bear the Pixar name.
In fact, there’s a very meta scene in this movie where Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), when shown a room filled with extravagant merchandise bearing his likeness, declares he’s not just a brand. It feels like Pixar addressed the toy-selling concerns, and director Brian Fee delivers a more nuanced, emotional journey which gave him the confidence to include such a self-referential scene.
The story begins with Lightning suddenly supplanted as the hotshot racer to beat on the circuit as a new generation of cars takes centre stage, led by the flashy, formidable Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer). No matter what he tries, Lightning can’t seem to outrace Jackson, and a devastating crash sidelines him completely – and casts doubt on whether he can or should ever race again.
But Lightning is determined to return to the sport he loves and begins getting ready, backed by a slick, ambitious sponsor, Sterling (Nathan Fillion), and with the help of an energetic trainer, Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo).
Cars was a basic story about a naturally skilled but arrogant athlete learning about good sportsmanship, while Cars 2 was a spy caper. Both had their amusing moments, but neither had that weight Pixar usually brings to its stories. Cars 3, on the other hand, feels like it’s about something deeper. Lightning’s story here is filled with allegory and metaphor, in that classic Pixar manner, as he is determined to end his career on his own terms, even as he has to acknowledge he’s not what he once was.
The set up makes it easy to assume Cars 3 is the Rocky III of the series – with Lightning meeting his match, taking a bad loss, and then fighting his way back to victory. But the film has more on its mind than that, taking a good, hard look at what it’s like to be an aging athlete (or any aging professional) who has to come to terms with not being the best anymore and that, at a certain point, someone new will supplant you.
Thankfully, it works. Lightning is a much more fully realised character here, and Wilson’s charismatic delivery captures the thoughtful feeling he’s is going through. Meanwhile, Lightning’s dynamic with Cruz is great and easy to invest in, with Alonzo perfectly capturing her amusing mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation.
There are some typically impressive Pixar visuals, with the scenes of the cars racing looking better than ever – and often eerily realistic, such as when you’re watching them from afar or behind and don’t see those eyes where the headlights should be. One scene on a beach where Lightning and Cruz are training is particularly lovely, featuring gorgeous-looking waves in the background as the two cars zoom along the sand.
Cars 3 still has some off moments and the humour is hit and miss, though there are some very funny scenes. Also on the downside, it’s surprising how one-dimensional Jackson Storm is, who’s a very simplistic antagonist with zero layers, delivering one condescending line after another to Lightning.
On top of that, Cars 3 still has the innate oddness of being about talking cars in a world made only of cars. While Pixar has so deftly invested us in talking toys, monsters, emotions and more, the Cars films have a strange distancing factor. It’s a weird world, filled with moments that can easily give you pause or take you out of the story for a second. There’s a scene where a character mentions getting letters from another, and I found myself wondering: “Wait, how do cars write letters?”
Cars 3 may not be among the best films Pixar has made, but it’s definitely the best film in the Cars series and the first to feel worthy of the Pixar label. It’s got more on its mind than simply being about Lightning trying to win a race and is the first Cars film likely to truly resonate with a larger audience beyond the kids who love it already.
It still has flaws, but there’s a nice sense of closure here, too, which would make this a perfect and redemptive beat to take the chequered flag on – both for the characters and the franchise as a whole.
Showing at: Cineco, Seef II, Saar, Wadi Al Sail, Mukta A2
Rating: 4/5
