Pixar Pint #18: Cars 3
It's a movie no one wanted. Does it at least justify its existence?
Welcome back to Pixar Pints, our summer-long journey through all 26 Pixar films in release order.
No one was asking for this. At this point in Pixar’s history, audiences were either sick and tired of unnecessary sequels (especially given Finding Dory had just released) or they wanted one sequel in particular and this wasn’t it. Incredibles 2 had been officially announced back in 2014 and fans of the original were on the edge of their seats waiting for it…or even just any new information on it. But, by the time Cars 3 released in 2017, we still knew very little. And given how awful — vain, even — Cars 2 was, nobody was tripping over themselves to see another entry in this franchise. Did we miss out on anything?
Let’s get into it.
Cars 3 quick facts
Release date: June 16, 2017 | Director: Brian Fee | Music: Randy Newman
Starring: Owen Wilson (Lightning), Cristela Alonzo (Cruz), Chris Cooper (Smokey), Nathan Fillion (Sterling), Larry the Cable Guy (Mater), Armie Hammer (Jackson)
John Ratzenberger as: Mack, our beloved
Budget: $175 million | Box office: $383.9 million
Academy Awards: None
Eli
This is the first time I'd seen this movie.
Aesthetic: 8/10 | As with Cars 2, less Radiator Springs on my screen generally means a better-looking movie. The set designs aren't quite as dynamic here, but they do their job, and some of them (like Florida Speedway) were obviously the result of a ton of imagination. The character design is way better than either previous Cars film, though I do wish they would have made it more apparent that the main cast had aged significantly, especially given the whole movie is about Lightning getting old.
Animation: 9/10 | This is gonna sound at least a little deranged, but this film is a masterclass in animating limbs. The wheels of each car do such a good job in conveying the emotions of their characters, from Lightning's stress-induced blowout at the beginning to Cruz confidently getting the hang of "turn right to go left". Aside from that, it's standard high-quality Pixar animation...with a fair share of gratuitous explosions, of course.
Story: 10/10 | This is a near-perfect story for a modern sports movie and a perfect follow-up to the events of Cars. I love it because it integrates its era's real-life sports analytics movement seamlessly into the plot in a way that both unfamiliar children and sports-fanatic adults can understand. I love it even more because it sees the return, physically and especially spiritually, of the late Doc Hudson, whose life story is integral to Lightning's passing of the torch to the next generation. The ending is absurd, but I'm willing to give it a pass because it fits in with the absurdity of the film's universe and it resolved the storyline in a way that wouldn't have made much sense had it been written differently. Where Cars excels in making me nostalgic for my childhood, Cars 3 excels in reminding me why I love sports.
Characters: 10/10 | As much as I love Larry the Cable Guy's shtick (at least relative to the rest of our reviewers), the decision to make Mater the side character he should have been from the start is a good one, and it makes his gimmick less grating and far more endearing. Every new character in this movie is excellent. Sleazy billionaire owner Sterling, new hotshot Jackson Storm, determined trainer-turned-racer Cruz Ramirez, the living legends from Doc's hometown, and even the demolition derby folks at Thunder Hollow all add to the movie in their own fun ways without really being any flavor of offensive or overstaying their welcome. Lightning turns from the conceited asshole he was in Cars to a humble-yet-revigorated coach, truly completing his arc in a way that Cars didn't, and Chick Hicks being a post-career TV analyst is a perfect recasting.
Acting: 9/10 | Owen Wilson and Cristela Alonzo have incredible chemistry in this movie and both performances are better for it. Larry the Cable Guy still plays himself as well as he ever has. All of the side characters are acted pretty much exactly how you'd expect them to be. No real cracks, but no real standouts either.
Music: 8/10 | It's not the Cars score, but nothing ever could be; however, the callbacks are numerous and wonderful. The soundtrack pulls the same trick Cars did, using popular music to enhance the storytelling and atmosphere, but — and I'm definitely biased because I owned the Cars soundtrack as a kid — the hits just aren't as hard. All in all, it's good, not great.
Final score: 9/10 | I'm far from the first person to say this, but this is the movie Cars 2 always should have been, not the wacky John Lasseter vanity project we got in 2011. Cars 3 stands as an excellent sports movie on its own while also serving as a perfect follow-up to Cars.
Leah
Aesthetic: 9/10 | As someone who's lived in the southeast most of her life, I loved the setting of this movie. Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida? Heck yeah! Minor gripe is that Thomasville, Georgia, does not look like that; they made it look like northern Georgia, not southern Georgia. Still lots of cool visuals throughout the film.
Animation: 9/10 | Lots of fun effects! I do admire the thought they put into making cars expressive.
Story: 8/10 | What Cars 2 should have been. It's a good continuation of the arc McQueen went through in the first movie. I also think it's a creative take on the sports movie genre. Dealing with getting older and the changing sports landscape is a reality many pro athletes face. Even if you're not a pro athlete, you'll probably have to contend with change and getting older. I think the moral of the story was sweet as Lightning learned to find fulfillment in being a mentor to Cruz, just as Doc was a mentor to him. I also appreciated that this movie was funny. I found myself laughing at a lot of the jokes. (Chick Hicks as a talk-show host? LMAO) The ending didn't make a ton of sense though. If switching racers is allowed, why wouldn't cars do that all the time? It's faster than pit stops. I appreciate the thematic meaning behind it, but the logic fell apart for me.
Characters: 8/10 | Lightning fills the role of older athlete well. Cruz played well against him; she's really easy to root for. I appreciate that this movie included a female racing legend and had a few lines about how she broke the glass ceiling. The Thunder Hollow cars were fun. I also really loved Smokey and all the old racing legends!
Acting: 8/10 | Solid performances across the cast! Owen Wilson is really good!
Music: 8/10 | I dunno, maybe I’d like the pop songs more if I'd grown up watching this movie, but this just wasn't as good as the soundtrack of the first movie. Still good, but not as memorable.
Final score: 8/10 | I think this movie is better than Cars. It was a fun idea and it made sense as a sequel. I think if you're looking for a Pixar sports movie, this is it.
Maddy
Aesthetic: 8/10 | Animation: 9/10 | Story: 7/10 | Characters: 9/10 | Acting: 7/10 | Music: 8/10
I don’t even know how to start this review. Cars 3 is just…a good movie. If the Cars 2 we got didn’t exist, and this was Cars 2 instead, the Cars franchise would absolutely be seen in a much better light than it is now.
It’s Pixar’s sports movie attempt and it does a really good job making you feel for the characters. The biggest strength of the original Cars is its vibe, even though the writing was pretty lackluster. Cars 3 is the opposite; it has the strongest writing of the series, and while we are long past the wonderful vibes of the original, this movie is better because of how its story develops.
Watching McQueen witness his career falling apart honestly hits, and seeing this buildup to the movie’s amazing climax really highlights how good of a story Pixar put together here. Lightning McQueen isn’t an asshole for no reason and has a good arc, Cruz Ramirez is likeable and hard not to cheer for, Jackson Storm…is fine. The side characters are wonderful. Sterling is such a bitch, but it’s for a good reason that makes sense in the story. Mater being nonexistent is swag. Doc Hudson is still the best character, rivaled only by Chick Hicks being the Stephen A. Smith of the Cars universe.
The movie is absolutely beautiful and stunning. Everyone is on their A-game in the acting sense. The soundtrack is…really good??? This movie is good?????
The impact of Cars 2 cannot go overlooked because of how it absolutely killed any general interest for a franchise with two movies that can, in my opinion, be considered Pixar classics, even if for different reasons. Maybe Cars 3 won’t be for everyone given how deep it digs into “sports movie” storytelling, but man, it’s good.
It’s really good.
Final score: 48/60 or 8/10
David
Aesthetic: Pixar has had some missteps in the movies leading up to this, but one of their sure bets is that they're generally going to get the look of their worlds real right, and this movie is no exception. I loved the designs of the "new generation" of cars, but do wish that there had maybe been some grander indication of the aging process for other cars.
Animation: They give the cars such a realistic movement - it's almost disorienting at times. Really neat.
Story: I love this story, genuinely. Perfect “sports movie” fodder, and watching that transition as Lightning realizes he doesn't have it anymore and moves into the coaching role that gives him that same purpose is just chef's kiss.
Characters: As it turns out, taking Mater out of the central focus point of your movie is in fact the good decision literally everyone could have told you it would be. Lightning's story fulfills itself beautifully as his arc comes to a close, and all the new additions fit into the puzzle just well enough to make it work. Chick "Stephen A. Smith" Hicks is phenomenal.
Acting: [Owen Wilson voice] wow
Music: Real solid. It's not Cars, but nothing could be that soundtrack. This one was just fine in comparison.
Final score: 8/10 | I...really wasn't expecting to like this one this much, to be honest. It slots just in front of Toy Story in my rankings - which is a wild sentence given where Cars 2 left us.
Final notes
So there you have it: Cars 3 is legitimately a hidden gem. If you liked the first Cars, or if you like sports movies in general, and you haven’t seen this one yet, our consensus is that it’s definitely worth your while.
That IGN placed it last on their overall list is nonsensical. Here’s where we have it on ours.
Next up: Coco