Cars 3 Review

     One of my favorite studios working in the movie industry today is Pixar Studios. Pixar seems to have a clear understanding of how to make animated movies that not only kids will genuinely enjoy but will appeal to the adult demographic as well. They know how to tug on the heartstrings and play up a great story, however that's not always the case. The Cars franchise is one of those for me personally that does not quite hit like other Pixar movies. Although these movies deliver for kids, they seem to have a very generic plot and doesn't really seem to stir up emotions. The first film was decent but the second one is arguably the worst Pixar movie released to this day. Fortunately, Cars 3 is a decent step up from Cars 2, however this film still under performs in many areas.

     Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is getting up there in age and must do whatever it takes to compete with hotshot rookie,  Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer). With the help from his trainer Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), McQueen will have to adapt if he wants to be the top racer once gain.
     The story is incredibly simple. It's a comeback story essentially. The only problem with this story though is how simplistic and beat for beat it is with every other movie that focuses on a comeback. You can see the exact direction that this movie is going from the beginning. It felt a lot like Pixar's attempt at a rehash of Talladega Nights, no joke. Without getting into spoiler territory, you find yourself trying to get behind a particular character except the execution is completely botched come third act.
     One of the problems with Cars 2 was how much Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) was in the forefront of the movie and the humor was poorly executed. Fortunately, he takes a significant step back in this movie but the humor still falls flat. They seem to throwout these reoccuring gimmicks but they do not really hit to begin with so it's just a waste all around.

     Fortunately, this movie is very much enticing when it comes to the visuals. There are some fantastic shots in this thing that make the race sequences feel very realistic. Directed by Bryan Fee, I don't think the direction is the problem here. The problems fall more on the writing side of this film. Since this movie is ultimately a comeback story, you have to touch on the training for Lightning McQueen. There are some training sequences that are really unique and fun to watch, especially when it comes McQueen's relationship with former trainer, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman). This is where I felt the film really delivered.
     Cars 3 is has its strengths and weaknesses but at the end of the day it falls towards the weaker side of Pixar. I think children will generally enjoy this but it might be a slight headache for the adults that have to take their kids.

Rating: 5.3 out of 10