Green Goblin Reviews: Cars 3
So I’m sure I’m not the first person to conclude this (in fact, I suppose it’s a cliché at this point), but the universe of Cars is weird. The concept of a planet run by sentient machines that have clear designs for human pilots that don’t exist is odd. I know it’s not unheard of in the realm of cartoons (a couple Tex Avery cartoons immediately pop into mind), but the idea of it floating an entire movie narrative felt weird enough to college-age me back when the first film came out, that I didn’t watch it until years later when it was playing on HBO. Sure enough, I quickly found myself not caring about the inconsistencies in the world of cars and actively caring about the lives of these sentient vehicles that didn’t transform. A decent sports movie about a young hotshot who needs to be humbled and brought down by a seasoned veteran’s small-town scope and caring nature before he can grow as a character and complete the big race with skills learned from his journey? Not exactly the most unique setup, but still some good set-pieces, some comedic timing and a bunch of car-related puns and they made a film that kids would happily keep in their routine viewing circles, next to Toy Story and Finding Nemo. That was 11 years ago. Now after a mediocre sequel and a spinoff most people forgot existed (for all the right reasons), Disney wants us to venture back into the Rick-and-Morty-esque reality where everything is a car to see what happens when older cars get put to pasture. It’s much better than that sentence makes it sound. Here’s my look at Cars 3.
Our film starts off with Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) noticing changes in the world of racing around him. Some of his old familiar friends have been either retiring or being dropped by their sponsors in favor of some newer model racers; chief among them is Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), a next generation simulation-trained machine that can scope out the perfect loop in a track with surgical precision. Determined to show that he’s not done yet, McQueen overexerts himself and crashes hard in the final lap of a race giving us that spectacular rollover from the teaser trailer. After four months, he’s bandaged up and is unsure about how he’s going to get back in the game. His sponsors at Rust-eze still have his back but have also sold the company to a new business partner named Sterling (Nathan Fillion), who’s on the fence about whether to put McQueen back into racing or allow him to be “sunsetted” into athletic marketing. He’s given a personal trainer named Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) and a single race to prove that he still has what it takes to compete with the younger blood. With a deadline set and stakes established, a mixture of old and new training methods are needed to make sure Lightning can rise back to glory. That is to say, if he even still wants it.
First thing I will say is that you do not have to see Cars 2 in order to understand Cars 3. In my due diligence, I decided to watch Cars 2 for the first time before viewing this film (I could tell it was a stinker then). It seems Disney wants you to forget that it existed too, with it’s “the Man Who Knew Too Little” plot and blatant car-murder. The only thing that’s happened in between the two films worth knowing is that actor Paul Newman’s passing in 2008 meant that Disney also allowed his character of Doc Hudson to pass on between Cars 1 and 2. And it’s addressed right at the start of the film, so there’s no real confusion. That setup is actually what drives a lot of the plot. Lightning is going sorta leaderless now. And in his time of need, he really doesn’t know who to turn to and needs to figure out his own path without the insight of someone who’s been there before. The character of Cruz is actually a second protagonist in this film, as her training capabilities have always only ever extended to simulations and as a result, isn’t use to getting her wheels dirty on actual tracks. So her excitement and anxiety over stepping out of her classroom with a seasoned pro to due more old-school training feels very welcome. The actual visuals and set-pieces of the training are all varied and fun as well, going from fiery demolition derbies to tractor stampedes. And despite this film being expressly about getting older, there’s no real dark moment here. I don’t know why, but after how many cars were just murdered on screen with Cars 2, I was expecting at some point for there to be like a junkyard scene, right out of the Brave Little Toaster (“You’re Worthless!!!”). I’m glad to have been wrong about my assumptions going in. It really is just a well-handled telling of the autumn years of an athlete. I think the only real issue is trying to figure out who the target audience is actually suppose to be here. The whole “No country for old cars” angle only really works if your audience has a realistic grasp on what it’s like to be aged out of things you like (which a younger audience might have trouble relating to), whereas the inevitable 3rd act turnabout would be very easily predictable to an older audience. Maybe they’re aiming for somewhere in between. Or maybe they’re just hoping that you won’t care, once you’re on the journey. They’re right for the most part.
I’m glad that Disney managed to save this world from spinoff oblivion. Now that they’ve ended things on a high note, I’d say it’s time to leave the world of Cars alone. Kids will love the goofy car puns and characters, and the adults will be interested enough to keep up with the plot until the credits roll. Here’s your solid family film, parents. No annoying minions required.
8/10. Solid entry. Now, let’s all cross our fingers in unison that the sequel to the Incredibles truly knocks our socks off.