It took three movies, but Pixar's Cars franchise finally actually feels like it’s made by Pixar.
There’s a very meta scene in Cars 3 where Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), shown a room filled with gaudy merchandise bearing his likeness, declares he’s not just a brand. Cars is a film series many dismiss as only existing to sell toys, and it feels like Pixar – under the guidance of director Brian Fee for this installment – was well aware of this perception and wanted to prove this movie had a bigger, story-driven reason for existing. And on that front they’ve succeeded, delivering a much more nuanced, emotional journey for this series.
The first teaser for the film brought about a lot of big (and humorous) reactions with its slow-mo shot of Lightning McQueen in a terrible crash. Was this sequel going to be about Lightning finding himself paralyzed? Or worse?! Well, no, and while that crash is a big moment early in the film, Lightning doesn’t have any long-term physical effects from it. But it does reflect how damaged his psyche has become. And yes, I know that sounds bizarre for Cars 3, yet it’s true.
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There’s a very meta scene in Cars 3 where Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), shown a room filled with gaudy merchandise bearing his likeness, declares he’s not just a brand. Cars is a film series many dismiss as only existing to sell toys, and it feels like Pixar – under the guidance of director Brian Fee for this installment – was well aware of this perception and wanted to prove this movie had a bigger, story-driven reason for existing. And on that front they’ve succeeded, delivering a much more nuanced, emotional journey for this series.
The first teaser for the film brought about a lot of big (and humorous) reactions with its slow-mo shot of Lightning McQueen in a terrible crash. Was this sequel going to be about Lightning finding himself paralyzed? Or worse?! Well, no, and while that crash is a big moment early in the film, Lightning doesn’t have any long-term physical effects from it. But it does reflect how damaged his psyche has become. And yes, I know that sounds bizarre for Cars 3, yet it’s true.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...