ScreenArt

The creators at Pixar have tried hard in breathing life into Cars, which is set in a world of cars where they all can talk and sing and run and sleep, just like human beings.. and precisely this extra effort exerted by the creators to make these cars sound very human-like is part of the problem. Lightning McQueen is a rash rookie race car focused only on Piston cup, thereby leaving other important things in life like friends and society unattended. A series of twists results in Lightning forced into doing community service in a small town just a few days ahead of his big race. Though he starts reluctantly and just wants to finish the job and run the heck out of that hillbilly hell, he finds other cars infuse the value of friendship and love in him. When he's learned his lessons, he participates in the race as a mature man.. err... car which finishes in an unpredictable but sweet twist.

The middle segment slows down very well in order to establish and develop characters in Radiator Springs, the town where Lightning gets struck. The kids might find it a little stretched and the adults wouldn't find it captivating either. John Lasseter, the director has made sure that nobody in the audience mistake the cars as mere automobiles and has gone over the board in assigning human values to them. No complaints in the voice acting department, with Owen Wilson for Lightning McQueen and Paul Newman for Doc Hudson, the mature mentor who guides the restless young hotshot. Though it doesn't come close to the entertaining level set by the previous Pixar production 'Incredibles', the animation is as good as you might have seen. You run the player in slow motion or pause anywhere, the images are just flawless. 'Cars' is a decent entertainer that serves for all ages, but doesn't strike a strong chord for any particular age group.