I want to say a quick something about Mater.
In the previews Mater got
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.