Cars
 

Just got back from seeing Cars. I liked it. It wasn't Nemo good, but it definitely holds a rightful place in the Pixar library. I would have liked it much more had I not seen already seen Doc Hollywood. Very strong beginning, strong end, but the middle got a bit boring for me. I liked it at least as much as Bug's Life though.

Here is my new order of Pixar favorites:

Finding Nemo
Incredibles
Cars
Toy Story 2
Monsters Inc.
Toy Story
Bugs Life

The bottom five are fairly even on the liking scale. If I like Nemo a 10 then I like Cars and Bug's Life an 8, kwim? The short at the front was funny, but nowhere near the genius that Boundin' was. The preview for Ratatouille looks promising.

Another job well done from Pixar. :snap:

I totally enjoyed every minute of this movie. Very cute, clever and entertaining in true Pixar form. Being the daughter and sister of race fans, and girlfriend to a total car guy, I had fun identifying the real-life racers and car parts. I can't wait to see it again.

I don't think I can rank it. I love all Pixar movies each in their own way.

From the moment I heard there was going to be a Pixar movie about cars, I knew I would have to love it...and I DID! Totally loved the flick. Lots of extra stuff details that were unnecesary for most but that really pay off for car buffs. Great movie all around. A lot of heart, funny, and CARS CARS CARS CARS!

:)

Fave pixar order? Hmmm. From top to bottom:

Toy Story 2
Cars
Toy Story
Monsters Inc.
Finding Nemo
Incredibles
Bugs Life

Saw it, digital projection. Liked it a lot, I'd say I liked it more than Incredibles, but still less than Nemo, and Monster's.

I liked this short far better than Boundin'. Not a fan of Boundin'

Yes...which has me worried.

I really liked this one. Great time at the theater. Everyone laughed together, lots of fun. The fact that it was filled with nods to classic car nostalgia was a real kick for me.

I liked Incredibles better I think (ranking is hard) but this was really really good.

Ranking Pixar movies is hard. Even though Bug's Life is at the bottom of my list, it's a movie that I love and has high repeatability for me. It's a difference between really good and super for the top and bottom of my list. I keep flipping back and forth whether I liked it better than Incredibles. I'll need to see both movies again.

GD- I had that same thought when watching the Ratatouille preview. But, perhaps, Pixar has just finally learned to make better previews. :p

I really enjoyed it. Was a great experiance at the movies. The graphics were incredible. Makes Chicken Little look like a Pre-School drawing. Was very impressed.

It also made the preview for the next Disney computer animated movie look like a pre-school drawing. It's called Meet the Robinsons, and the only reason I know that is because I just looked it up.

I found it to be a totally sweet movie. Charming and enjoyable. The end credits, though, were a rollicking reminder that this film was far shorter on laugh-out-loud comedy than just about any of the Pixar predecessors. The audience laughed more in that 2 minutes than they had in the entire rest of the film.

Maybe that's one of the reasons why, despite the title, I thought this film was lacking in Vvvvrooooom. It was very laid back, story absolutely trite, characters by the well-worn book ... and beautiful to look at, enjoyable to experience, heartfelt and sweet as can be.

Not one of the big Pixar greats in my book, but I liked it.


Oh, Nirvanaman, what were some of the car-buff insider jokes that us dweebs may have missed? I caught a couple of the race-driver cameos, but what else was there??


Also, I think Disney is - as usual - missing the synergy boat by pushing all that craptical pirate junk in the stores ... when it's frelling obvious that toys of these adorable cars would be all the rage.

There WERE Cars toys at Target. The selection seems to be pretty picked clean by Friday at 7 pm. Lots of empty displays.

Oh, my ranking, just for fun:

The Incredibles - not only one of the best animated films, simply one of the best movies ever made

Finding Nemo - comedy gold, and gorgeous to behold.

Toy Story - best buddy movie ever (and, hahahaha, "You Are a Toy Car!")

Monsters, Inc. - adorable and funny

Cars - sweet and warm

Toy Story 2 - sequel to the core, ugh. I don't know why people like this film

A Bugs Life - strictly for the kidlets, but cute in its own way

I am still iffy on going to the theater to see it. The boys have been talking about it, David is already chomping at the bit to take Nickolas. I just can't get past Owen Wilson's voice.

"He did what with his cup?" Couldn't even hear the next few lines as the theater was laughing so hard. But yeah, not exactly a laugh a minute. But a good movie none the less.

I just came back from 'Cars' as well. Boston Pride was one big soggy mess. So I took in a bit of the parade and the festival. Too many soggy fags and leaky dykes for me, so I left. :D

I thought 'Cars' was okay. I thought it was beautiful. Did anyone notice the ultra-cool shadows during the race? Tens of different light sources making car shadows all over the place. Loved it. The scenery was one of my favorite parts of the film, the car parts in the hills etc. And I think they did trees better than they did trees in 'The Incredibles'. The animation was stellar. Beautiful stuff.

But, I was bored in places. I found myself getting shifty midway through the 2nd Act. I wasn't the only one, there were a ton of kids and wet queens that were restless as well... Just an observation.

I wished I liked Lightning McQueen more. I just didn't find enough of a reason to care about him. I don't know. I love Owen Wilson, though. And I can't stop saying 'Ka-Chow!'

I wished there was more of a villain throughout. That might have pushed the story along.

Loved Paul Newman.

I shed a small tear at the end. :)

I think we ranked Pixar flicks before, but can't remember where...

My ratings:

Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
Toy Story 2
Cars
Monsters Inc.
A Bug's Life
Toy Story

Kind of underwhelmed by 'One Man Band'. The girl was cute.

For me, TS2 was just a lot funnier than TS1. :shrug:

You know how I know you're gay? :p

The animation was breathtaking. Sometimes it's hard to remember that none of it exists. Loved the landscapes, the light reflections on shiny cars (ka-chow!), everything. The characters were awesome - the whole gamut of makes and models with just a bit of exaggerated flair, and personalities to match.

Voice talent was great, including the unrecognizable ones. The whole time I was listening to Chuck and thinking who is that, he's great. Checked, and it's Michael Keaton. :)

I'm with iSm on Toy Story - the sequel was very sequel-ish, even if it was great. The video game tie-in was even more blatant than the video game tie-in in the live action 101 Dalmations.

^ Funnier? Perhaps. Story construction and heart? Pure poor sequeldom (in my apparently lone opinion).

I don't know why, though, the original Toy Story seems to be in so low regard in the circle of people I know. It was a phenomenally successful film that put Pixar on the map. I'm certainly far from the only human being who thinks the movie is tops.


As for Cars ... hmm, yeah the Lightning McQueen main character was kind of weak. It was definitely the supporting roles that shone. Paul Newman could, of course, read the phone book and be compelling. Who played the tow truck character? He was great (and yes, had the big laugh line in the film). As for design, I loved the tailfin flow of Flo. I want a toy of her NOW.

Speaking of Toy Story sequels, I am sure you all already know this, but the premise for #3 is Buzz is under factory recall and Andy's gang has to rescue him from Taiwan. Hmmmm...sounds a lot like rescuing Woody from a collector's museum.

I too loved all of the details in this movie with color, shadow and light effects. We saw it on the big screen and it was so beautiful. Some of my favorites: Lizzie the Model T's classic black & white cartoon coloring. The red dust cloud when they turn right to go left. Route 66 and desert scenery. Lightning's little dimple and facial expressions (really on all cars). Car skid marks in the grass. Ramone's sparkle paint. The assfault texture - everything so realistic.

Characterwise, my favorite is the Luigi & Guido duo. (At least today! hee hee)

Not alone, I'm in agreement. Among other things, the joy of Pixar films is meeting new characters. Sure there's Jesse and gang...but I wasn't particularly fond of them as characters.

One of those "Blue Collar Comedy" guys. Don't know his name. "Git 'er done!" is kinda their catch-phrase, and they snuck one into the film.

My son says the Tow Truck was Larry the Cable Guy.
We saw it in our little town, we actually have a little one screen theater now! They gave the kids a Cars card game and afterwards they post winning tickets for the kids and my boy was the grand prize winner. He won a Mater(tow truck) toy car. He's been on cloud nine ever since!

Our theater erupted in laughter many times. When they did the tipping tractors gag the laughter was rolling for 3-4 minutes. I told you we live in a tiny backwoods kind of town:rolleyes:
I loved the backgrounds, the colors were so rich and deep I almost believed they were real. I liked the variety of cars in Radiator Springs. I loved how the town came to life at the end of the movie. The credits were hilarious but it was hard to see through people leaving the theater and many people were too busy talking to pay attention, which made it hard to hear.
We are going to go see it again when my husband gets back in town and I'm sure I will enjoy it a second time too.

As far as rating Pixar movies:
Finding Nemo
Incredibles
Monster Inc
Cars
Toy Story
Bugs Life
Toy Story II

Personally I love all the Pixar shorts. We bought Tiny Toy Stories, a collection of shorts, before I had ever heard of Pixar.

We found it enjoyabloe...for the most part. My four year daughter was bored throughout. My 6 year old son loved every moment of it because he is really into cars. My 12 year old daughter....she thought it beneath her to even be in the theatre viewing it.

I was a bit bored during the middle of the film.

The animation was simply stunning throughout. So much of the scenery seemed to be real images rather than animated.

To rank....hmmm.....

The Incredibles
Toy Story I
Toy Story II
Nemo
Monsters Inc
Cars
Bugs Life

There isn't a big gap between the top six anywhere, but the is a huge drop off to Bugs Life.

I disagree about the sentiment of Toy Story II. I found the emotional relevance to be at least equal to Toy Story I.

I find myself even today being annoyed that they copied Doc Hollywood so completely. I really enjoyed the movie, but couldn't they have thought of something at least a bit new? It was Doc Hollywood with cars. It was better than Doc, but still, the movie has been done!

Never saw Doc Hollywood.

I have (and detailed the similarity in my review) but it didn't bother me at all.

For me the middle of the movie was much better than the beginning and the end.

I wish I hadn't. Cars really is quite good, I think, I really really liked it. But the fact that it was just like it was distracting for me.

I need a lighting McQueen bumper sticker. It's my maiden name and I tend to drive - ummm - not slow. But my lovely daughter said "Mom, shouldn't yours say crash McQueen?" :rolleyes:

Ka-Chow!

I didn't see 'Doc Hollywood' either. But I knew the premise of the story just by watching the previews. I knew exactly what the film was going to be about.

Anyone catch these things:

-Lightyear Tires
-The car parts in the scenery
-One of the racecars being called 'Jr' (voiced by Dale Earnhardt Jr.)
-The Rusteeze Brothers are Click and Clack from NPR

And Guido reminded me a lot of the cleaner shrimp in 'Nemo' but Italian.

I wish The King character was built up a little more to give the ending more oomph.

And what is that organic gas McQueen buys from George Carlin's character at the end? Hmmm? :D

The tire selling trucks spoke Italian a couple of times in the movie and apparently whatever they said was pretty funny. A lot of people in my theatre understood Italian... :D

You maiden name is Lightning?

I heard this on the radio the other day and just confirmed it (at least as much as I had patience to...):

Who is the only person to be a voice in all seven major Pixar releases?

Hey! I called that, even before I looked at the spoiler! Norm the Mailman was such a great character........

According to the common names search at IMDb,

John Ratzenberger and Joe Ranft both have voice parts in all seven movies. For three of them, however, he is just one of the credited "Additional Voices." His streak is now over, however, since he died last year in a car accident (there is a tribute to him during the credits of Cars).

Andrew Stanton has voice credits in six of the seven movies, lacking Monsters, Inc.

My son was asking who Joe Ranft was, thanks Alex for answering that question for us.

Oh great! I'm a big Car Talk fan! Yay for Tom & Ray! :snap:

I'm seeing Cars this afternoon and am soclooking forward to it!

katiesue Lightning! :D
The show's a lot of fun. Their office is in Harvard Square. It's in a building right in the square and their names are on a door on the 2nd floor, I believe. I'm not sure if they broadcast from there, but I seem to remember them mentioning Harvard Square once or twice. :)

He was much more than just a minor voice actor for Pixar. He just kind of fell into that. He is credited as a co-director of Cars and had done a lot of the early story work. If he hadn't died unexpectedly he would eventually have been given a shot at directing his own movie.

$62.8 Mil for 'Cars' this weekend.

Same here. Many many laugh out loud moments. The cow tipping bit was just one great example.

Traci - Doc Hollywood was a flop and no one saw it :p

Katiesue - you had to give up McQueen? I'd love to be Ms. McQueen! :D Mmm, Steve McQueen...

When Carlin's character mentions it earlier I thought it was an illicit kind of "organic", but when McQueen actually has some (without side effects) I realized it was supposed to be "organic produce" style. Although I thought a Cars trip out sequence would have been fun too ;)

Okay, I LOVED Cars.

I'm not a Nascar person at all, but I got a good many of the references (to reveal how ancient I am, I remember the days of ABC sports and AJ Foyt racing along side Richard Petty and Mario Andretti) I recognized #43 immediately.

I was charmed by the characters, but it did take me a while to warm to Lightening.

It was the animation that so totally blew me out of the water. All the little details. In one sequence when Lightening was talking with Mater in front of Flos and in the back ground was Flo, far back, but her eyes were moving. Little things like that were just amazingly good.

The water was so realistinc in spots and the scenary, well, sometimes it was really hard to believe this was animated. A gorgeous film to look at, it was so beautifully done.

I do want to see it again and am looking foreward to seeing it at home on DVD so I can really appreciate all the little things I missed (and get the joke in Italian with the Ferraris with the subtitles on).

My hat goes off to Pixar, this may not be my favorite, but it's right up there.

Incredibles
Cars
Finding Nemo
Monsters Inc.
Toy Story 1
Toy Story 2
A Bugs Life

I enjoyed One Man Band,but the audience I was with gave it a big ho hum, and practically ran from the theatre once the end credits started rolling.



Edited to add:



This slowed down a bit in the middle, but overall, I was not bored, but I do realize I kept taking myself out of the movie admiring the animation and scenary in the slow spots. It was a loving tribute to Route 66, all that charm and roadside attractions were captured beautifully.

Made me laugh out loud to hear Tom & Ray say "Don't Drive Like My Brother."

I liked it. I admit I've always had a soft spot for Michael J. Fox. :blush: :p

I've thought of changing it back but the munchkin was opposed so I'm stuck with what I got :(

People used to always ask me if Steve was my dad, after a while I'd just say "yes, but he's dead" they usually didn't know what to say after that.

Better get your memory checked: AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti raced Indy cars (think very low, open wheel racing) while Richard Petty was strictly Stock Cars (think Nascar).

Whilst they may have competed in a IROC competition, you would not have normally seen Richard in a race against the other two.

And this is knowledge you admit to having?!

Well I told you I was not a Nascar (racing) fan. :blush: Coulda been worse, I could have tossed Jackie Stewart's name in the mix...:)

I know nothing about NASCAR. What did the numbers on that tall skinny digital clock thing mean?

It's too bad about the Doc Holiday similarities. That story was trite and done a thousand time for many decades before even Doc Holiday came along. That it's now been filmed 82 times instead of 83 shouldn't be much of a big deal.


I get a kick out of the comments that the scenic animation was impressive because it looked so real. Um, hello! This was done by a computer. It could have looked completely photorealistic at the touch of a button.

Computers don't work on their own. Artists are involved. Not only that but the trees in 'The Incredibles' weren't as good. There were some birds eye views of the island Mr. Incredible lands on in his pod where they show thousands of treetops... all the same color.

Did you notice the white car with the number G4?

The numbers on the tall clock thing (if I know what you're talking about) indicate the current place and lap of all the cars. Since the lead cars can. actually catch up to and lap the cars behind them you can't actually tell just by looking at the track who is in the lead (the front guy could be a full lap behind the person behind him).

Photorealistic images and photorealistic animation aren't quite the same thing. Though for unmoving backgrounds they would be close.

That makes sense. I wondered how people knew that. :)

I don't get the G4 reference. Although I do know that some of the cars had numbers that corresponded to the birthdates of some people in the production.

I also heard that the name 'McQueen' was in reference to someone who worked on the film and not Steve McQueen. I thought for sure that they were making a 'Bullitt' reference.

When I heard Pixar was making a movie about cars, I just about groaned.
Cars?!?!?
We saw it... I on the other hand felt the beginning was S-L-O-W, and was darned close to walking out I was so bored.

The kids, and my step-mother laughed non stop.
Myself, I hit two chuckle points, and two shock points. (If you know me, this is not surprising)

I cried when Mater got his wish, again with the Ferraris, and as soon as Ranft's name hit the screen I was bawling.
My apoloigies to Ratzenberger, I was crying too much to see what must have been great bits for you.

Paul Newman, Michael Keaton, you kept me in that theatre. I had forgotten how much I loathe Wilsons'.

Our theatre was quite full, had a great time, and the four children with me, 2,7,11, and 12, were ALL entertained.

I wished they had explained a little more why Mater wanted to fly in a helicopter. They could have worked in a 'car being grounded, not able to fly' kinda schmaltz... It was still pretty touching. Pushing the King across the finish line was amazing, though.

Tow Mater. It took me a second, but I got it half way through the flick. :D

Who doesn't want to fly in a helicopter?

I want to say a quick something about Mater.

In the previews Mater got :rolleyes: from me. Great, Larry the Cable Guy doing his blue-collar shtick that I don't care for. Lame.

In the movie he was super likable, in fact, lovable. The "he's dumb" jokes were surprisingly funny and fresh every time. I loved when he came across as smart - driving backwards, doing his towing jobs - it shows that there's always something people are good at. His confidence shone through in those parts and I think that was key to the character.

I did not cry at all during the film but I did feel my hearstrings pulled at several moments. One of these was the Radiator Springs heyday flashback, where you see a younger Mater with his light blue paint job and hood intact. Yeah, that got me for a minute.

I totally felt the same way. He turned out to be my favorite character by far.



Another thing I just thought of. Cars have tongues?:D

Is it just me, or would Main Street at Disneyland work really well themed to look like Radiator Springs (well, not a direct tie-in replica, but of that era)? That era is to today's families what the current Main Street era was to 1955 families.

I just have pictures of real cars portraying the characters and little kids running up to them for a hug and blamm-o. Then the kids will do it in real life on the I-5... Oh the horror! :D

But seriously, I agree. Or they could convert the street leading to IASW to Radiator Springs and theme it like they did for the Disney Afternoon shenanigans...

Am I the only one that loves Owen Wilson?

No, I like Owen Wilson. I just didn't like his character early on in the film.

I've loved Owen Wilson since 'Bottle Rocket'. :)

I LOVE Bottle Rocket! I really loved him in Royal Tenenbaums. "Everyone knows Colonel Mustard died at the Alamo. What this book presupposes is, maybe he didn't?"

Owen Wilson I can take or leave, but I enjoyed his voice in this film.

While at DL yesterday we noticed a Cars section in the shop by Carnation (used to be books, now usually baby/preschooler stuff). They had toy cars, some clothes, and other fun stuff. I was particularly tickled by the tractors that make all the noises and tip over backwards when you hit the button! :) The Lightning McQueen cars said "Ka-Chow" and it cracked me up.

Seeing Munchykin zip around this morning I called him "Munchkin McQueen". KA-CHOW! :D

Whenever I chase Frodo around the house or at the park, I'm starting to say 'Ka-Chow!' when I do it. Now, if he hears it, he perks up thinking we're going to run around.
:D

Heh heh. Michael stayed home with the baby while I took Indi to see it, so I'm driving him crazy with the ka-chows cause he doesn't get it. :evil:

I spent much of my youth at the now defunct Ontario Motor Speedway.

Also, it gives me a chance to post this picture again:

Umm, Wow, that's dedication. I guess it would be easy to cover up just add a shirt and no one knows it's there. He's really hairy though!

Wow, when did you start wearing a bra KB?

Actually it was the number 84..

Ah, I'd noticed the Apple logo during the movie but not the car number. I'd read elsewhere that it was G4 and it seemed reasonable.

I was a bit mystified at the fact that the Porsche was named Sally. Hello? Mustangs are named Sally. Porsches are definitely not named Sally.

Other than that I adored the movie from beginning to end.

I said this the instant I found out the name in a magazine article, and of course maintained the stance after we saw it. A car named Sally MUST be a Mustang.

Never mind a high-powered attorney named Sally. Now that's pushing it.

I saw a bit of some Disney Channel thing on Cars and it mentioned that Sally was modelled after some woman on Route 66 who was an LA lawyer but gave it up and now runs a diner in some small town. Maybe her name was Sally.

But she does have a Porsche last name, at least.

My son keeps referencing different parts of Cars that I don't even remember. He siad he liked that the bugs flying around were mini cars, huh, I don't remember that. We went to McDonalds today so he could get a toy. We got Mater.
He says the next toy is going to be Pirates of the Caribean. I wondered how he knew, so I ask, he rolls his eyes and says "It's printed on the bottom of the box Mom!" Gosh, I feel old and dumb sometimes!!

They weren't Minis. They were VW Bugs, of course.

I should have known, I get it now! Thanks GD. Now I don't have to wait until I see it again to understand what he was talking about. He's laughing, I told him what you said about the bugs.

Beetles!

I had to go to imdb for that, as I didn't catch it in the movie. It's Carrera.

We saw a Hudson Hornet on TV last night during a show called "Million Dollar Auctions". Beautiful car.

Did you all see Sue Kruse's write up of her viewing at the El Cap on Mice Age. Check out what they had parked out front!

Going back to my earlier thought of a 50s era Route 66 town theme for main street...as I thought about it, I revised it and think it would have made a perfect Main Street for DCA. I mean, to me, nothing is as iconic to California as the car, and nothing says "I'm taking a vacation to California" like Route 66.

Aww, should have gone to the El Cap. :(

Those cars are (or were) touring the country for the last six weeks or so and will be going until mid July.

The schedule lists them as being in LA until the 18th so they may still be parked out at the El Cap. Here's the rest of their tour:

• June 11-18 Los Angeles, CA
• June 19 Phoenix, AZ
• June 21 San Antonio, TX
• June 22 Dallas, TX
• June 23-24 Tulsa, OK
• June 26 St. Louis, MO
• June 27 Erlanger, KY
• June 28 Cincinnati, OH
• June 29 Lexington, KY
• June 30 Columbus, OH
• July 5 Battle Creek, MI
• July 6 Oakbrook, IL
• July 7 Bloomington, IL
• July 8-11 Chicago, IL

I think that's a great idea. They could still do it, there are elements of the style right there already. The diner shaped like a train car comes to mind...
:)
Do they talk?

Love love LOVE this movie. I love all the Route 66 info and history. The scenery was amazing and more often then not I found myself thinking that there is no way that could be anamation.. until I noticed the cars in the flashbacks had eyes. Loved the Beetles, loved the entire concept of the movie. Everything was cars (including the bugs).

The tractor tipping was hillarious, as was the tractor crossing. I loved the nods to the various racing legends, and teared up a bit at #3. Not sure why, but I did. And of course attempted to not bawl as The King was pushed across the finish line.

Great movie. 2 wheels up and is on my list of movies to buy.

Now I'm wishing they were full-on AAs...a geek is never satisfied :D

Well, yeah, they could have. But, they didn't and I was not too clear in my point, I guess. I was so admiring the animation and as art, it blew me away. I admired the fact that they (the background animators) paid such close attention and hommage to the various scenic aspects of historic Route 66.:snap:

I loved the whole look and feel of Radiator Springs and the surrounding countryside. Nothing will look like that on my drive, I'm afraid. :(

"touch of a button"? No touch of a button will draw a landscape that doesn't exist.

That's interesting GD, that California is the association you have for Route 66. For me it is a completley not California thing. It is a rural Midwest and Southwest thing.

But then I don't think I've ever actually been on Route 66 in California and certainly never while going in that direction.

It just makes me think of things like On the Road. People packing up their things and crossing the country to reach California. Yeah, most of that culture existed outside of California, but my completely non-fisthand perception of it is as an prelude to entry into California, especially when it's heavy on the car culture side of the coin.

I agree. The only big association I have with Route 66 and California is the last part of the chorus. (Barstow, San Bernardino) And the one sign I see in Barstow.

I am not sure that I would want the main street of DCA to be Barstow, because then Burr-Bank Ice Cream-et al, would have to be the Mc Donald's built into the train. ;P


As for the scenery, I really liked the homage they paid to the road. The Cadillac's buried were my favorite, but the mountain ranges with the curves of old cars were fabulous.

Ahhhhh, Cadillac Ranch built by the wonfderful Ant Farm collective. (It is in Amarillo, Texas on Rt 66.)


This is the second time today my Art History studies have come in handy here on LoT. Cool!

Yes, that is cool. During, the audio tour for the MoMA exhibit, the animators described how they came up with the ideas for this. Since we as people usually see people-related objects in natural formations, it's only logical that a car world would see vehicle-related objects in natural formations. A lot of the rock landscape is modeled after Monument Valley.

I'm heading up to the Valley tomorrow afternoon. I may have to swing by El Cap and see if those guys are still there.

I had no idea this actually existed - how cool!

Finally saw Cars today in digital and thoroughly enjoyed it.

A couple of things I noticed... did not decrease my enjoyment... but I just noticed:



Pixar's done it again. I even had a little eye wiping moment at the end of the race, which my bud was happy to bust me with on the drive home.

Favorite moment? Guido's pit performance! Too too funny!

I noticed that about the boot too, Scrooge.

Finally saw Cars last night. Wow.

The first few minutes had me on the fence. I loved the animation, but I was a little put off by what seemed like the message (I'm not a NASCAR fan - and I'm increasingly grossed out by the 'sport' that glamorizes such waste and excess - but that's for another thread, I suppose).

Once the action moved to Radiator Springs, it was easier for me to see the characters as characters, and I warmed up to the flick.

As always, I was impressed with Pixar's ability to tell a story (especially after all of the previews for the other animated flicks they ran before the movie - "Ant Bully"? OMG) - and the animation was top notch.

In the Pixar pantheon, it's not one of the top few, but I'm sure that I'll get the DVD the day it's released, and I'll enjoy rewatching it to catch all the cool jokes and effects I missed the first time... but it's still no Toy Story.

(and for the record, I really like Bug's Life)

Says the Disney geek! Says the media collector! :eek: :confused:

I'm not a NASCAR fan at all, either.

^ huh, I don't get the comparison.

A sport that does nothing but waste precious gasoline while spewing pollutants into the air does not really compare with Disney geekdom or music collections. Or does it?

:confused:

CP, while I still think that that's for another thread (hence me writing those words), I don't get your rejoinder, either.

I wasn't being general about NASCAR, I was being specific. Fox hunting was once a very popular sport, too.

Sorry for the confusion. When I read "waste and excess" the first thing that jumped into my head was the cost of running fireworks every night, then the amount that each of us spends on APs and dinners out and collectibles and DVDs.

If your point is, like iSm stated, the using of gasoline and pollution, then I'm sure the numbers on theme parks is much higher.

Entertainment in general is not a waste of money or resouces, IMHO.

I hear what you're saying, CP (I guess we just hijacked the thread). I'm not sure that I totally agree. It's not strictly about numbers for me.
I'll use another example if it helps:

My sister-in-law is going to come with us to WDW this summer. She's never been there before, and hasn't been to DL for decades and was asking me what's so great about a Disney place.
She's a huge fan of Las Vegas, particularly the casinos (as opposed to the shows, decor etc.), because she enjoys gambling. She not a big time gambler by any means.
She asked me to compare Disney parks to Las Vegas. I said that they're essentially the same, except that Disney parks profit from people's laughter and Vegas profits from people's tears.

I understand the lure of NASCAR. However, the part of the psyche that it seems to appeal to grosses me out.

Well, seems the reviews have died down. ;)
Devil's Advocate: Disney profits from jacking up food prices while you are on their property. The cost of admission is astronomical compared to the admission 20 years ago when adjusted for inflation. Disney parks are a cultural icon and they are fully aware of this, and hold the magical memories hostage for profit. People dish it out because it's DL. So many families can't afford to go. Yadda yadda.

I can come up with an argument against many different kinds of entertainment that others may find appealing.

I repeat that I'm not a NASCAR fan but having grown up watching tractor pulls, all kinds of quarter mile (funny car etc) and monster truck rallies, I dig the concepts behind racing of all kinds. Powerful, precision machinery, at the hands of experts, performing incredible feats.

If by "psyche" you're talking about beer hats, painted chests, mullets, rivalries...then I refer you to any other event where people get into it. I'd say staking out a fireworks spot for hours beforehand, wearing a Mickey hoodie and eating a Mickey pretzel, heatedly discussing the Haunted Mansion changes for half an hour, then going wild when Tink appears and singing along with the music is the same thing.

By psyche ("the human soul, mind, or spirit"), I'm referring to the part of the human spirit at the heart of the appeal. To me, Disney appeals to happiness, youthful exuberance, creativity, fantasy etc. Whether that has been perverted by the corporation is beside the point to me. That's the part of me that is touched at a Disney park, or talking with people like you.

My perception (and remember, I always personalized the argument - my perception might be totally "wrong" for other people), NASCAR appeals to bloodlust and euphoria (my old shrink used to define euphoria as "an unearned sense of wellbeing"). It's the ugly in "ugly American". And while I've read numerous attacks on Disney Co. that make a similar argument, I have yet to find that feeling in abundance at a Disney park.

First off - I'd refer you to the World Cup to demonstrate that bloodlust and euphoria are not solely American traits.

In fact, "bloodlust and euphoria" can be applied to any competitive event, from Connect Four with your sibling to bullfighting. Winning at chess or a game of pick-up sticks might not induce drunken and disorderly behavior but it still pushes that competitive pleasure center button. I'd apply this to enjoying an action sequence in a movie...or indeed, enjoying when the villian gets their due at the end of any movie.

As for what Disney appeals to - I've written on this before - as you say, it's fantasy. Unreality, escapism...you can see where a naysayer could make this into a negative thing.

I think that like fantasy, competitiveness is neither good nor bad - it's a tool, an mindset that can evoke both positive and negative effects.

NASCAR is hot. Tinkerbell is hot. Fireworks are shiny.

SHINY?! Where?!

NASCAR is not hot. NASCAR drivers are sometimes hot.
:D

But I'm not applying it to any competetive event. I'm applying it to NASCAR.

This tangent started when you compared my being "grossed out" at what I percieved was the message of CARS (before the action moved to Radiator Springs) with my Disney and music appreciation.

I personally am not competetive at all with my Disney or music stuff. In fact, quite the opposite, I try to share those passions with my friends, family and strangers.

If I only watched the first minute of Ferdinand the Bull, I'd have made similar comments.

If you look at what we (you and I) are saying, you'll see that there really isn't any conflict in our theses.

Cool.

Cool. :cool:

That too.

Fast cars are hot. NASCAR cars fast. And shiny. Shiny?! WHERE?!

Agreed!

Isn't Gordon a little too gay for you, SM?

I don't find fast cars hot at all. I find a car that can climb a mountain hot. I find most cars to be a bit lame.

My father in law is a huge racing fan, as he used to race sand buggies, and he's on the crew for a racing baja truck. My mother in law is a huge disney fan, so their interests virtually never cross. He agreed to go to DL with us a few years back on the condition that he could go back to the hotel to watch the races he wanted to watch. He actually enjoyed DCA so much that he never returned for his race. No point to that story except that racing's got nothin on DL. :p

You mean DCA? :p

Trucks are hot too. Not fast trucks though. 4x4 trucks, trucks that can climb mountains. Muddy trucks. I like shiny fast cars and powerful muddy trucks.

SHINY?! WHERE!?

I have gone to several NHRA races and, I'm very happy about it because I don't ever have to go again. The cars I find "hot" are ones that are out of both my price range and lifestyle. Like a vintage Jag convertable or a James Bond Aston Martin.

Cars that have sexy naked women in them are sexy.

Oh hell no! Jeff can shift my stick anytime! :evil:

Now this is too gay for me:

I really should have shaved that day...
:D

I didn't scroll down the first time. I'm so sorry I scrolled the second time.

Be gone evil picture!



Ahhh, much better.

I'm not a car guy. My mantra my whole life has been that I don't care so long as it gets me where I'm going.

So it was quite a shock when one of these moved in across the street from my office and I have been in perpetual car-lust ever since. The 2003 Mercedes SL500 hard-top convertable is automotive perfection (at least when looking from the outside; never been in one and starting at $80,000 never will).

http://www.autobellausa.com/images/c...edes_sl500.jpg

I always thought the sport of auto racing was all about seeing the grusome wrecks? That's all that appealed to me anyway.

I'm marginally interested in oval track racing. I don't follow it to the point of knowing who's won what races and where they are in the standings, but I know who more than a handful of the drivers are, recognize several of the cars, and at least look up who wins the major events of the year. On rare occasions I'll watch a few laps. A race is not just about the crashes. If you know what you're watching, it's a long and gruelling mental battle. On the surface, all of the cars are equally powerful, all the drivers are equally skilled. So it comes who can keep their focus and make the best decissions with the fewest mistakes over 300, 400, 500 miles at 200 miles per hour, wedged into a car that gets up over 100 degrees and shakes the hell out of you.

I can understand why a lot of people don't watch it. It's a slow developing drama and takes a long time to get the whole story. Like I said, I rarely actually pay attention any more. But I know enough to know that it's more than cars going in a circle and crashing, whether non-fans can see it or not.

I just saw the dumbest thing. A car was driving backwards on a pretty busy street near our house. The idiot behind the wheel was saying, 'Git Er Done, Git Er Done. Yeehaw.' Or some sh!t like that. Teenagers! Ugh.
:D

Nice description, GD. Next time I wake up on the couch on a Sunday morning with the TV still on, I might spend a minute or two actually watching the race before I switch to Meet The Press or cartoons.

I've been wanting to see Cars again, and this post made me want to more than ever.

Hmm, who can I "take" to see it...

I still haven't seen Cars

Ahem, as of this evening, NA and € have still not seen Cars.


If they're not careful, talk will be on to the next Disney movie must (ahem, July 7) before they get around to this last one.

Finally saw Cars today. That was fun! I know that I missed a lot of the car references, but that's okay. There were a number of times were I thought "I know that's supposed to be a reference to something....." Which just means that now I want to watch it again!

If nothing else, it made me want to go drive Route 66. Usually I prefer fields and forests to dust and rock formations, but that was pretty amazing. I guess that's why my brother keeps heading down that way on vacations.

The little tidbit at the end with Van and Minnie was cute. They have two such distinctive voices. Although I couldn't explain to Ryan who Richard Kind was (couldn't think of his name.) "You know, the guy from Spin City." "Andy Dick?" "What???? No. Tall. Dark hair. Weird looking." "Jon Lovitz?" "I said *TALL*" (And yet, when I can't think of anything she's been in and say "you know, she does the Minnesota accent" he immediately comes up with Edie McClurg. :rolleyes: )

Anyhow, I thought it was cute. I liked it. Ryan says it's better than anything else he's seen lately, which is probably true. There was a lot of funny stuff in there, from the twins' headlights to the tractor tipping to the Pixar film roll call. And yet, I didn't feel like it was just a string of jokes lacking cohesion, which seems the standard mode for American comedies lately.

And even if they were just cartoons, I enjoyed seeing those obnoxious souped up cars in impound at the end. Take that!

And, like all of the more recent Pixar films, we get to wave at Katrin's name in the credits. Yay!

Um...

This is one of those movies where I wonder if I saw the same movie as all the rest of you...

I nearly walked out 20 minutes in to it. It was one bad car pun after another (which seems to be seen as "clever" by so many people). I really wish Owen Wilson would just become a mime, because his voice is the only thing more annoying than his face.

I did like "One Man Band", and the owners of the tire shop were cool... but otherwise, meh.

to me, cars and nemo are miles above the incredibles... after watching the incredibles i was like eh... cars and nemo both left me in awe- like wow... that was an awesome movie... i can't wait to see it again!

Sayyyyy, I have a question. Why do the cars in 'Cars' have doors and side view mirrors? People don't exist in their reality, right?

They have doors to help in the manipulation of objects. They have sideview mirros so that they can run backwards (as was highlighted in an important scene).

Though I'm trying to remember if we ever actually saw a car with its doors open.

Should we still be using spoiler tags? NA and Euro need to stop reading the thread and go see it ;)


When Lightning asks Mater how he drives backwards, Mater recommends that Lightning get a rear view mirror. Apparently the cars use the rear view mirrors too, and I guess that would include side views.

As for doors....well jeez, that's just the tip of the iceberg in a car-centric reality problem. If you pick at that loose end the whole thing will unravel :rolleyes: ;)

ETA - Alex, I don't think they ever manipulated objects with their doors.

Yeah but Lightning is like deviod of everyuseful car item there is...
I mean Stickers? really. :rolleyes:

Yeah, I know. If I'm not sure they ever had their doors open in the movie I'm definitely not recalling any instance when they were put to useful puprose. I was just trying to give a reason for why they'd have them anyway.

As you say, if we're nitpicking there is a lot you could question.

Why are tractors essentially bovine but other "working" vehicles are still human. Is the fact that the cars require gasoline to operate a sign of Pixar's support of intelligent design since the cars couldn't exist until refining technology had been developed which couldn't be developed until cars existed? And yet the movie seems to also argue for evolution since the cars are presented as being on a fast track of technological improvement from the towns founder Mr. Steamer to Sally's porsche.

What is the method of procreation? Is racism (model-ism) acceptable since obviously different classes of vehicles were designed for different purposes. Is it slavery that the cotton-picking combine picks cotton?

Are cars essentially immortal or can they be killed in a horrific racetrack accident? Do they feel pain? And if so in what ways? It seems clear that the cars shown in accidents were feeling pain but a blown tire didn't bother McQueen.

Crap, now I've talked myself into hating the movie.

If the Cars eyes are the windshield, how do they use the rear view mirror? Or the side mirrors for that matter.

I'm being half nitpicky/half joking. But it's something I bet the animators talked about...
:)

I'm sure they did. I suggest that the rearview mirrors (and side-view mirrors) are tied into an ocular complex so that they are essentially an extension of the eyes.

They don't look into the mirrors to see what is behind them. They see directly with the mirrors.

Weird, I definitely only clicked once.

Well, assume I said something witty here.

I was looking for baby cars in the movie and don't remember if I saw any or not.

And if McQueen is riding inside a truck, isn't that kind of gross in the Cars world?

And if getting a little stencil is like getting a tattoo, is getting your whole body painted like a full body tattoo or plastic surgery?

Are electric cars like android cars or like cars with artificial parts like a pacemaker or something?

Is global warming a huuuuge problem in the Cars world?

When a car plays with himself is it autoautoerotic?

Neither. It's a new wardrobe.
The metal is the body, the paint covers it.

But they refer to Sally's back "tattoo pinstriping" which she's obviously embarrassed about - if it was just wardrobe she'd get it removed.

All this nitpicking is going to show that it's not flawless...one could do the same to all the other Pixar flicks. In fact, that's what I thought when I read Coaster Matt's negative reaction - each Pixar flick is a full movie of puns, be it about toys or fish or monsters or cars, so if you like that sort of thing, you love Pixar (which I do, apparently) :)

Ah, see I didnt read that as embarrased. I saw that as coy.

Here's the thing:
I absolutely love Toy Story, and Finding Nemo - even though I hate Ellen DeGeneres voice - is one of my all time favorite films.

Cars just did NOTHING but annoy me, (except for Mater and the Tire shop guys) - I don't know, maybe I'll enjoy it on video.

Oh, frell the mojo limiter!!!!


autoautoerotic ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!:D