Cars 3
In 2002, Paul Neman made his final live-action film, The Road to Perdition. Following that performance, he retired, making only a few TV appearances. He made one exception, providing the voice of Doc Hudson in Pixars 2006 animated feature, Cars. Newman died in 2008 and, when Cars 2 came along in 2011, the decision was made not to recast the role. Laid to rest like the man who portrayed him, Doc was mentioned in passing but the characters absence was more of a footnote than a plot point. With Cars 3, the filmmakers have corrected this in a major way. Using repurposed vocals and new images, Doc and his legacy are a big part of Cars 3, which serves as a belated Valentine to Newman.
As Cars 3 opens, Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is still dominating the racing circuitthen everything changes. The status quo is interrupted by the arrival of hotshot newcomer Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), the first of a new breed of tech cars. He wins, handily beating McQueen in not only his first race but every subsequent contest. Following a fiery crash, McQueen realizes he has to try something different. Backed by a new sponsor (Nathan Fillion), McQueen is introduced to a trainer, Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), and begins a program designed to increase his speed from 198 mph to 210 mph. When that doesnt work, he goes in search of Doc Hudsons mentor, Smokey (Chris Cooper), hoping to figure out what hes missing.
Newcomers join old friends in doing the voice work, with Owen Wilson reprising his part. Most of the original Cars characters have small parts, including Bonnie Hunt as McQueens girlfriend, Sally, and Larry the Cable Guy as the buck-toothed tow truck Mater. Doc Hudson, appearing in memories and dream sequences, doesnt talk a lot but, when he does, the voice is Newmans and its impossible to tell that the late actor didnt record lines specifically for Cars 3. Of the newcomers, Armie Hammer and Cristela Alonzo are the standouts.
With John Lasseter, the man behind the camera for the first two Cars movies, stepping aside, the directors chair was left empty. Enter Brian Fee, the veteran storyboard artist and animator, making his feature debut. As might be expected from someone with Fees background, the visuals pop. Whatever its narrative flaws, Cars 3 consistently looks great. Its often the little details that make the difference, like reflections in puddles of water. Pixar has always been at the top of the pyramid when it comes to the look of their animation; Cars 3 will only enhance that reputation.
As has become traditional for Pixar films, Cars 3 is preceded by a seven-minute short. In this case, its something called Lou, about a schoolyard bully learning lessons. Among the weakest of the Pixar shorts (some of them have been excellent), this will be remembered neither for its story nor its visuals and serves to pad out the amount of time viewers will spend in the theater.
The gap between Toy Story 3 and Cars 3 highlights the difference between a classic and something thats merely well-made. The former has the capacity to bring tears to the eyes. Its message resonates with immediacy and touches every viewer on a deep, personal level. The latter, however, tells the same truth but without the power. Theres something missing in the presentation. Perhaps its that we care more about Woody and Buzz than Lightning McQueen. More likely, its simply that everything about Toy Story 3 works better than everything about Cars 3. Still, following in the wake of a flawed Cars and an even more flawed Cars 2, the final chapter of the trilogy has saved the best for last and will at least deflect the most serious concerns of those who think this series has taken too many extra laps.
Source: www.reelviews.net
