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Cars - Its better than you think it'll be.

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Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
Sooo much better.

I know what you're thinking: "Yeah, I saw that trailer, it looked like childish rubbish. I mean how can a movie about an entire world populated by cas be any good?"

Well I've got news for ya buddy, not only is this a great film, I'm tossing up whether its Pixar's finest film to date. Certainly on a technical level its streets ahead of Nemo and the Incredibles. The CG its beautiful, full of little details that just make everything believable. Story wise its Cars versus Monsters Inc and at this stage I'm thinking Cars is the winner. Pixar have done an amazing thing creating these believable, likeable characters out of largely inanimate object. And this isn't like Toy Story - Theres a lot of difference between an action figure and car when it comes to the gaining an emotional performance. Pixar pull it off with aplomb.

The actual plot follows the misadventure of a narcissistic race car who finds himself (physically and metaphorically) in an old forgotten town along the recently bypassed Route 66, inhabited by an array of various outcast vehicles from an senile Model T Ford and hick Tow-truck to a stoner Combi-van and peculiarly emotional firetruck. Like the Incredibles before it, Cars manages to work on a number of levels and has plenty of adult humour without resorting to the crassness that tends to infect a lot of other animated movies that attempt this.

Car and racing enthusiasts will particularly dig this. I'm sure there was a lot of in jokes and references that went over my head and its very clear that Lasseter loves his cars and the crew has spent a great deal of time watching races and studying cars to get everything to feel just right.

Trust me on this one. I was pretty sceptical when I went in, but was turned around pretty much immediatley.

9/10

Oh one more thing... Tractor tipping for the win.

Thankyou and goodnight.

Replies

  • KDR_11k
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    KDR_11k polycounter lvl 18
    Why did people think it has to suck? Okay, car races aren't the most interesting thing you can put in a movie but I don't think that's what people were complaining about.
  • Mark Dygert
    Reasons I thought it would suck.

    1) They didn't publicise it well, until a few weeks ago the only trailer they really had avaiable was a car, racing around a track, and some stupid beat up tow truck doing a bad Larry the Cable guy impression. I'm sorry but saying the magic word "by-gum(Get-R-Done for those over 13)" 3 times in a row doesn't get me out to the theater. On the flip side its pixar do they really need to publicise? Still some tiny clue about the plot would have been nice.

    2) If they are stooping to ripping off Larry the Cable Guy what hope does the rest of the movie have? Its a movie about a race car, the hick jokes seem endless. Hick humor doesn't really captivate me like it should in fact it does the exact oposite.

    Now since it is getting such great reviews from everyone and it is pixar, I have totally relaxed my opion and I'll go see it this weekend.
  • Matabus
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    Matabus polycounter lvl 19
    That is Larry the Cable Guy.
  • KDR_11k
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    KDR_11k polycounter lvl 18
    Well, that is a hick character so of course he makes hick jokes.
  • Weiser_Cain
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    Weiser_Cain polycounter lvl 18
    That isn't going to help the not suck argument
  • flaagan
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    flaagan polycounter lvl 18
    Do I really need to chime in on this? tongue.gif
    Saw an advanced screening of the film last weekend (company I'm qa'ing for is doing the cars psp game), and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
  • hawken
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    hawken polycounter lvl 19
    cars with eyes look stupid.

    logic dictates I shall never see this movie, but who knows?
  • Lee3dee
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    Lee3dee polycounter lvl 18
    its pixar, they don't make sucky CG movies. They leave that to disney (before they bought pixar) and whoever made Hoodwinked.
  • Ferg
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    Ferg polycounter lvl 17
    my logic is that if anyone can make a movie about talking cars not suck, its pixar
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    I read a couple of reviews and apparently although it's not as good as, say, Monsters Inc. or The Incredibles, it's still well presented and enjoyable, even if the story is a tad lacking.
  • thomasp
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    thomasp hero character
    so it's just the usual hyped up praise for freshly released movies? would have never thought of that wink.gif
  • flaagan
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    flaagan polycounter lvl 18
    It's a good, fun, enjoyable pixar film.... what more needs to be said?
  • Luxury
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    Luxury polycounter lvl 18
    I've been looking forward to it. I mean, look at the trailers Pixar has put out for their previous films. Everyone trailer has been GOD awful, but the movie's themselves have all been absolutely amazing. Monsters Inc. trailer. Anyone remember that? 2 monsters come out of closet and start singing and dancing. WTF? Incredibles. A fat guy trying to put on a belt. Cars had an equally lame (albeit maybe moreso) trailer. But even so, I have complete confidence in them.
  • McIlroy
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    McIlroy polycounter lvl 17
    If I was to go by the trailers I would think it looks terrible story wise . I'll go see it though maybe it'll be a suprise ? Maybe i'll wait until you guys see it and hear what everyone has to say smile.gif
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    so it's just the usual hyped up praise for freshly released movies? would have never thought of that wink.gif

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Well no, if it was hyped up praise it'd be saying "WOW THIS IS EVEN BETTER THAN THE LAST PIXAR FILM, THEY CAN DO NO WRONG!"

    Instead what it's saying is that, the plot is pretty mediocre, but it's kinda made up for by the care and attention that Pixar have put into the characters.

    Possibly you should try taking a little less of a cynical outlook on everything once in a while - Pixar consistently make good, enjoyable movies. smile.gif
  • flaagan
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    flaagan polycounter lvl 18
    Ok... let's leave it at this....
    I've been oversaturated with Cars for the past few months (that qa job i've mentioned), I'm a car nut (so high expectations on certain levels), and I *still* had a great time at this movie. If I can enjoy it even after a non-stop direct-to-brain assault of Cars related stuff, it's pretty safe to assume you can enjoy it too. (note the key word there being 'enjoy'... I won't make any promises as to you praising it when you get back, but come on, it's a fun film.. have a fun time and laugh at the great humor Pixar whips up for us!)
  • Hedhunta
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    Hedhunta polycounter lvl 18
    I agree, could it be simply that there are so many movies with "good" trailers and "bad" movies.. that Pixar is the only studio not putting all the best parts of the movie in the trailer?
  • Steve Schulze
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    Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
    That would appear to be the case.

    On the flipside of what Flaagan said, I don't know anything about cars or motor racing. I don't even have a drivers license, and I still really enjoyed this film.
  • Leech
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    Leech polycounter lvl 18
    This movie looks awful - cars with teeth?

    Maybe, just maybe will I check it out on HBO.
  • blankslatejoe
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    blankslatejoe polycounter lvl 19
    plot was hardly mediocre. It was formula, yes, but all of pixar's stuff has been formula.. and cars works through and through.

    cars are the main characters, yeah, but its still a good movie. I liked it more than finding nemo and bugslife, less than incredibles and monster inc.
  • Tully
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    Tully polycounter lvl 18
    I saw it last night. It was definitely an enjoyable film. It looks gorgeous (as if anybody had any doubt). I was even able to forget the windshield eyes--which is a stylistic decision I never cared for--because the characters are so engaging and the rest of it was so awesome looking.

    Only thing I would've changed is slightly forced dialogue in some places and Owen Wilson's voice (I don't like him at the best of times). Forgivable though. Blankslatejoe's assessment is a fair one... I'll agree, though I think I liked Finding Nemo a bit better than Cars.
  • Erol
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    Erol polycounter lvl 18
    I used to have no interest in Cars, but after so many talking-animal-buddy-movies (Madagascar/Hoodwinked/Ice Age2/Over The Hedge/The Wild/probably more) in the last year, I really look forward to seeing it.
  • Ninjas
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    Ninjas polycounter lvl 18
    We both really enjoyed the film.
  • Irritant
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    Irritant polycounter lvl 18
    I dunno. It would be interesting if I were still a kid I guess. I feel that way about all of Pixar's films though.
  • Scott Ruggels
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    Scott Ruggels polycounter lvl 18
    not as good as The Incredibles, not as good as Finding Nemo, but better than Tory Story One and A bug's Life, Cars is a nice Pixar filmof good quality and breathtaking ecenery and cut echaracters.

    Scott
  • moose
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    moose polycount sponsor
    [ QUOTE ]
    my logic is that if anyone can make a movie about talking cars not suck, its pixar

    [/ QUOTE ]

    that has been my thinking. im still skeptical... but i will see it. I thought the concept of Finding Nemo was completely lame until i saw it
  • Snowfly
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    Snowfly polycounter lvl 18
    The end credits were hilarious.
  • adam
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    adam polycounter lvl 19
    I don't know, I guess I'm a Pixar fanboy cause going in to the movie I knew I'd like it... which I did. I've never NOT enjoyed a Pixar flick.

    Car's was definitely a step up in visuals than any other Pixar movie I've seen, save The Incredibles which had some nifty scenes aswell. Car's with teeth? Damn right, and they pulled it off swimmingly.

    Tractor tipping was awesome. Guido's (sp?) scene near the end of the movie in the pit was hilarious. The end credits were the best from any Pixar movie, ever.

    During the previews they showed about 5 other CG movies coming out from various studios which made me appreciate the production value of Cars (re: Pixar movies in general) a lot more.
  • flaagan
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    flaagan polycounter lvl 18
    Went and saw it again today (saturday) with my buddy, his wife, and their (19 month old) daughter. The kid ended up having too short an attention span (it was a test to see whether she could sit through a whole movie). His wife didn't really think the movie was that great story wise, but loved the movie visually. My buddy and I were cracking up quite often, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
  • Josh_Singh
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    Josh_Singh polycounter lvl 18
    I liked it. I but what I love are the Little shorts they do before each film. The "One mand Band" short was awsome. I love that kind of stuff.
  • ebagg
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    ebagg polycounter lvl 17
    Loved it, Pixar scores another knockout.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    Loved it. Leaving the theater, I half expected my car to ask me how it was. It was great to see Click and Clack from Car Talk with a nice role in the film, while A Prairie Home Companion is also in theaters.

    So many scenes in the movie were brilliant.
  • arshlevon
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    arshlevon polycounter lvl 18
    it was better than i thought it would be. the way they gave life to the cars was amazing, some of the gestures and acting are superb, i would have no clue were to start on the personification of an automobile. they came across as real characters, and i thought it was better than most pixar films. it was no incredibles, but i liked it more than nemo, or bugs life, still have a soft spot for toystory but cars is definatly up there as far as im concerned. i liked it more than anything dreamworks has ever done, period.
  • Lee3dee
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    Lee3dee polycounter lvl 18
    OMG, how many hours did raytracing all those cars take! I enjoyed it far more than Incredibles that was freaking amazing also. So many good jokes, and the cow tipping was awesome.

    The bloopers at the end with all the Pixar movies shown as Cars was outstanding!

    They were giving out trading cards at the theater in North Raleigh, anyone want to trade?
  • flaagan
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    flaagan polycounter lvl 18
    There was an article online recently about how they had to change up their render server setup, it was taking up to 10 hours to render a single frame... after the change up it went back down to an hour a frame.
  • adam
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    adam polycounter lvl 19
    flaagan, I think that was for the waterfall scene only. I could be wrong.
  • Lee3dee
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    Lee3dee polycounter lvl 18
    the scene with the neon lights in the town, with all the reflecting paint, my computer would of died trying to render 1 frame. The waterfall was very well done. I was most inpressed with the view distance in the outdoor scenes. They looks so nice!

    Gonna goto the disney store today, get me a cars toy for the desk laugh.gif
  • Luxury
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    Luxury polycounter lvl 18
    Just watched it at the USC Digital Theater - probably about THE nicest projector/screen/audio in the US. My god was it gorgeous! First Pixar movie to be done at the 2k digital resolution (I saw Incredibles there also when that came out - and I thought THAT looked great. But that was only at 1.2k or whatever) This blew that away.
  • flaagan
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    flaagan polycounter lvl 18
    Saw it for a third time today, still laughed, and caught a few more of the bumper stickers. laugh.gif
  • snemmy
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    snemmy polycounter lvl 18
    really good movie. pixar are great at re-telling classic tales/morals. loved most of the voice acting.
    Mator and the tire shop cars were great. really made the film for me.

    wish they had spent just a little more time on the race track upping the drama.

    was still a packed crowd when i saw it. smile.gif
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