When Cars first came out on DVD, I was a little disappointed because there weren't very many extras on it. I didn't understand why Pixar would take one of their most popular films and give it such a mediocre treatment. Well.....now that I have the Blu-ray version of this film, I think I know why. They were saving it all for Cars debut on hi-def. This has to be the best looking picture I have seen yet on a hi-def title. I looks almost like the entire film is in 3-D!!! I managed to catch part of this movie on a hi-def cable channel and thought I would compare the two pictures. After a little fiddling, I managed to get both screens at the exact same frame, and was blown away at how much clearer the Blu-ray picture is. The Cine-Explore feature on this is the best special feature I've seen on a hi-def title. It is almost sensory overload at the amount of material that continuously pops up across the screen while the film is playing. This disc will be the one I will pop in to show my friends what Blu-ray is capable of doing. Every Blu-ray owner needs to get this title. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
You see Cars isn't just a cartoon about a world where cars are people. It's a tribute of the history of the automobile, a nod to NASCAR and its roots, and a love letter to Route 66. All of this done in a family-friendly and colorful animated universe. Any car nut with a broad spectrum interest in the automobile will find lots of different cars from different eras getting face time on this movie. NASCAR fans will love the racing sequences and level of detail dedicated to the sport. Those who remember the days before the Interstate system where there was as much fun travelling to your destination as there was being there will feel nostalgic for that time again. The movie hits on multiple levels, which is what makes it better than the sum of its parts.
Take that all away and you still have a fun cartoon. You have cars talking and acting like people for God's sake! The kids will eat that up! Cars are getting into crazy situations that are in their own way a slight play on human issues. There are plenty of little jokes on that vein that both the kids and parents can laugh over. There is even a joke or two with a double meaning the adults may get a kick out of. This is all classic Pixar and does much to fill in the little spaces between story development.
The story? Well like I said when I first saw it I got what they were saying, but wasn't impressed. It's essentially much like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show I remember seeing where somebody from the big city gets stuck in Mayberry, desparate to get out, only to end up loving the town and wanting more. Maybe it was because it was in a way the preachiest of the Pixar films telling us we should slow down our busy lives and go back to simpler times. Not that it's a bad message. Just not one that held onto on first viewing. Well after watching it several more times with my excited toddler the little details come into play that I either missed or ignored the first time around. The sleepy town that slowly comes to life the more their new visitor gives to it. The beautiful backdrops of painted deserts and canyons. There is character growth going on.
Cartoons live and die by their voice actors. While just about every animation company puts out movies that take advantage of celebrity power to gain an audience Pixar is one of the few who has consistently been able to get the best performances from them, and cars is no different. Every celebrity voice is pitch perfect and puts you in the view of the character more than the actor. Larry the Cable Guy as Mater the tow truck easily steals the show, but does it in such a way where you absolutely know it's Larry doing the voice, but you see Mater as a character in of itself rather than a cartoon Larry. Owen Wilson puts his best sly, but whiner-like demeanor for racing star McQueen that's his best. Some characters I still have trouble recognizing the transformation is so good. Tony Shalhoub (better known as Monk from the TV series) is absolutely unbelievable as tire shop owner Luigi. Better yet Michael Keaton as Chic Hicks barely sounds like Michael. Michael makes what is essentially the villain in the movie a very enjoyable and charismatic cut up. I can go on, but suffice it to say the "acting" is top notch.
Animation wise all I have to say is this is Pixar. They are just about the best in the business and what you see in this movie will impress even today. The race scenes are dynamically shot the same way you would see a big NASCAR race with gravel, debris, smoke and skid marks looking real. The level of detail is very impressive from the waxed shine on the cars to the minute dust.
This Blu-Ray release is pretty much identical to the previous release, but this time they include the DVD version as well. The differences between the Blu-Ray and DVD versions visually are striking, and that's admitting the DVD looks great. The Blu-Ray technically has two menus, but that's not a big deal. One of the menus has three options which are the movie, bonus cartoons and featurettes. Here's a breakdown (features on the DVD will have an * beside them):
Mater and the Ghost Light*: Like all Pixar releases Cars comes with both the animated short that was viewed before the movie in theaters plus a totally new short related to the movie itself. This is a story about Mater scaring the town with little tricks so he is told a story about the infamous Ghost Light, which he then appears to experience after left alone. Goofy funny with Mater kind of replaying a number of scenes from the movie in a different way.
One Man Band*: This is the short that was played before the movie in theaters. It's about two street musicians "dueling" for a little girl's coin. The musicians get more outrageous in their zeal for the money and things end up going crazy.
Mater in Bounding: Remember the Pixar short with the Jackalope and sheep? Well this is a quickie (non hi-def) short of Mater replacing the sheep bouncing all over the place. I think it's something the animators put together for fun and are sharing with us.
End Credits: Here you can see the animation end credits in full frame without the credits. Love the previous Pixar movie references.
Production Features include:
Two Full Length Commentaries: One is by Lasseter and the other with the production team (with pictures).
Inspiration for 'Cars'*: Documentary told by John Lasseter on the inspiration for Cars including a jaunt through Route 66 and seeing some race cars in action.
Documentary Shorts: There are seven little items here. "Radiator Springs," "Character Design," "Animation and Acting," "Real World Racing: Getting Geeky with the Details," "Hudson Hornet," "Graphics" and "Darrell Waltrip Museum Tour". This is the real meat of the extras. You get to see the real love for the source material and how much they put into making the movie as much a car-lovers movie as possible.
Cine-Explore: This is a way to see behind the scenes stuff while watching the movie. You can set it automatic or manually punch in the content. Much of the content comes from the other featurettes.
Deleted Scenes*: These are just sketches and storyboards that never went beyond pre-production. It's interesting to see how the script evolved, but don't expect extra cartoons.
Carfinder Game: It's dubbed as a very sophisticated BD game, but I call it incredibly tedious. The has three play modes. The primary mode is where you have to select a car from the bottom of your screen when it shows up in the movie. Next is the same concept, but this time the screen is frozen for an amount of time due to a massive amount of cars to rummage through. Third is like a bonus round where you get three images of the same car and you have to pick which one is accurate (with the other two having often the slightest differences in them).
The reward for going through the game (which you cannot get out of until you finish the movie with it) is a Showroom that has all the cars you found. You can click on the showroom and get a pretty neat profile of that car and it's personal history. I have to admit I really like getting this information as it broadens the story greatly. It's just a bear of a game to go through. This isn't a casual game to kill a little time. Be prepared to commit.
Cars is one of those movies that is very different from anything else out there, but then again you can say that for a good number of Pixar movies. It's a great movie for the car lover and those who enjoy remembering the 1950's driving experience where drive-ins and cruising mainstreet were how you treat a Friday night. Oh yeah... car racing fans will definitely get a kick out this film. If you aren't into any of that then you still should give this movie a try. It's VERY accessible to just everybody out there.
Buy Cars Gift Set (Combo Pack with DVD) (2006) Now
After seeing so many children's movies with animals lately (Hoodwinked, Over the Hedge, Ice Age 2, etc.) Cars was a needed change. It was wonderful sitting down to a movie that offered something a bit different. Don't get me wrong, our family loves movies with goofy animals. But after laughing at and with Tow Mater for 2 hours, I was so glad I didn't see a silly squirrel in the whole movie. Tow Mater was awesome. We all hope to see Tow starring in his own flick! Bring on the sequel!!!With that said, Cars is a heart warming story of a race car called Lightning McQueen who is full of himself. Lightning stumbles off the beaten path of life, and onto the backroads of route 66. There, Lightning McQueen finds all the things he was missing in life because of his self-absorption: friends, beauty, and love.
I was very pleasantly suprised with the story. Yes, Cars had many, many funny parts (especially the tractor tipping, and Tow Mater), but the story itself is what shines like a diamond. Cars is a movie that will have you leaving the theatre changed, looking for love, beauty and cherishing what you have. I can't give a movie any greater compliment than this. A must see, and must own children's movie.
Total Score (out of 100) = 90
43 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film.
8 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting?
10 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story?
9 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years?
10 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting?
8 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase?
Plus 2 extra bonus points for Tow Mater! Tow is a one one a kind children's movie character that will not soon be forgotten.
Read Best Reviews of Cars Gift Set (Combo Pack with DVD) (2006) Here
"Cars" is definitely a popular Disney/Pixar classic and in terms of quality, has received the highest of rankings when it was released on Blu-ray back in 2007. In 2009, the "Ultimate Cars Gift Pack" comes with the Blu-ray plus the original DVD and 2 exclusive cars (Cruisin' Lighting McQueen and Rescue Squad Mater) with custom Ransburg paint. These items are highly collectible and If you are looking for a holiday gift, especially for someone who owns a Blu-ray player, a die-hard "Cars" fan and loves Disney/Pixar films, you can not go wrong with this gift pack! Definitely recommended!In 2006, the seventh Disney/Pixar film "Cars" was released in theaters. Needless to say, the film was a major hit as it was nominated for two Academy Awards, has made over $461 million worldwide.
In fact, the film was so popular that merchandise is still sold in department stores today and the cars have been popular toys that have made over $5 billion in sales.
Needless to say, "Cars" was not just a box office success, it is one of Disney/Pixars biggest money making titles that is loved by critics and fans that easily ensured a sequel for a planned release in 2011.
In 2009, in time for the holidays is the release of "Cars Ultimate Cars Gift Pack" which is a great release for those who have now jumped aboard in purchasing a Blu-ray player and a Blu-ray which was released in 2007 and has received nothing but magnificent reviews.
"Cars" is a film directed by John Lasseter ("Toy Story" films, "A Bug's Life") and co-directed by Joseph Ranft ("Monsters, Inc.", "Finding Nemo", "A Bug's Life", "The Incredibles") and features a screenplay by Lasster, Ranft, Dan Fogelman ("Bolt", "The 12th Man"), Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin and Jorgen Klubein ("A Bug's Life", "Mulan", "Pocohontaas", "The Lion King").
The film revolves around a popular rookie named Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson, "Bottle Rocket", "Marley & Me") who races in the Piston Cup stock car racing competition.
Lightning McQueen is quite arrogant and not much of a team-player. He doesn't trust his pit crew and sure enough, when he gets into a 3-car tie, the race would be determined a week later at the Los Angeles International Speedway.
While on the road to practice in California, he pushes his big rig Mack to travel all early morning but when a group of cars start becoming reckless around Mack, Lightning McQueen rolls out of the back of the big rig and ends up in the countryside.
When Lightning McQueen goes to find Mack, he ends up in a small town of Radiator Springs. But when he gets into a problematic situation with the local Sheriff (he tears up the main road), Lightning is arrested and put in jail.
The town's judge and doctor Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "The Hustler", "Nobody's Fool") wants him out of town but the local lawyer Sally Carrera (voiced by Bonnie Hunt, "The Bonnie Hunt Show") insists that Lightning to do community service.
And thus, Lightning must spend time with the locals of Radiator Springs where he gets to learn more about himself, making new friends such as Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, "Blue Collar TV"), Ramone (voiced by Cheech Marin, "Lost", "Born in East LA", "Race to Witch Mountain"), Luigi (voiced by Tony Shaloub, "Monk", "Wings") and many more. But also Lightning possibly discovering love.
"Cars" is an exciting, hilarious and well-cast film featuring beautiful animation from Pixar and looks and sounds incredible via HD on Blu-ray!
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"Cars" on Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:39:1) and the picture quality of the film is absolutely vibrant. Colors are absolutely beautiful as you can see the nice sheen of the cars and the reflections of the cars. You can see the detail on the rust stains on Mater and for the most part, if you put in your DVD, you can see how much of a difference the film looks in HD via Blu-ray over its DVD counterpart. Vibrant colors, more detail and overall, a beautiful video transfer with no blemishes, compression artifacts whatsoever.
Audio is presented in English 5.1 (uncompressed, 48 kHz/24-Bit) and the racing segments really utilize the surround channels but also the LFE. It's one thing to have the nice clear dialogue and music through the front and center channels but to hear the cars speeding on the raceway and zooming and hearing through the surrounds is fantastic. Crashes bring out the booms and the audience on the race track can be heard on the surround channels. Overall, a solid lossless audio soundtrack!
Subtitles are in English SDH.
As for the DVD, the DVD is featured in widescreen (2:39:1) and is enhanced for 16×9 televisions. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound EX and Dolby Digital 2.0. Subtitles are presented in English SDH.
SPECIAL FEATURES
"Cars Ultimate Cars Gift Pack" contains the original Blu-ray released in Nov. 2007 but also comes with the original DVD plus 2 exclusive cars (Cruisin' Lightning McQueen and Rescue Squad Mater) with custom Ransburg paint.
The Blu-ray special features are presented in 1080p and 1080i High Definition and also 480i Standard Definition with English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital. Also, with English subtitles.
DISC 1:
* Cine-Explore Cine-Explore allows the viewer to watch the film with interactive audio commentary by director John Lasseter. You can see storyboards during the commentary and also see the shorts and deleted scenes as well.
* Cine-Explore Documentary Shorts: Included in this feature are:
Radiator Springs (5:23) Behind-the-scenes of Pixar and trying to make the world of "Radiator Springs" seem believable.
Character Design (6:06) Director John Lasseter talks about the details that he wanted to see in the film. From the reflections to the dirt being kicked up on the tires and more.
Animation and Acting (5:15) Scott Clark and Doug Sweetland (both have the title of Supervising Animator) talk about the character animation and how the characters must have a soul.
Real World Racing: Getting Geeky with the Details (5:29) Those who love "Cars" talk about how they love the details in the film since so many other films tend to not cover car racing that well. So, director John Lasseter (who loves cars) made sure that the details were right on the film and professionals talk about how happy they were that Lasseter wanted to get the details correctly for an animated film.
Hudson Hornet (2:44) Director John Lasseter talks about his first impression of the Hudson Hornet and how it was the fastest car of its day and then realizing how innovative, how powerful and how fast this car was. Others talk about how significant the car was.
Graphics (3:34) The various graphics and product stickers used on the film for each car. Graphic designers talk about the various logos that were used from brands, food, restaurants, products, etc.
Darrel Waltrip Museum Tour (7:13) Director John Lasseter visits the Darrel Waltrip Museum and takes a look at the various cars in the museum and learn some of the history behind those cars from Darrel Waltrip.
* Carfinder Game A game in which you select the cars at a bottom row while watching the film and try to get the best score.
* Deleted Scenes (14:00) Five deleted scenes which includes: Community Service, Top Down Truck Stop, Lost, Motorama Girls and Traffic School featuring opening commentary by director John Lasseter. Deleted scenes are from pre-production sketches (created 3-4 years before the film was released in theaters) are shown.
* One Man Band (4:33) Featured in HD, this featurette is a Pixar animation of a man with many instruments (ala a One Man Band) and competes with another musician in order to get the coin of a young boy who wants to donate.
* Mater and the Ghostlight Short (7:09) Featured in HD, this story features Doc Hudson telling a story of "The Ghostlight" to Lightning McQueen.
* Epilogue (4:20) Featured in HD, this is the ending of "Cars" without the ending credits.
* Boundin' Cars (:46) Featuring Mater and Lightning McQueen at the Drive-in watching a short film.
* Movie Showcase (6:34) Certain scenes that showcase the ultimate in High Definition in picture and sound such as the sequences: Crash, Drive with Sally, Doc Racing and Neon
* The Inspiration of Cars (16:02) John Laseter talks about his love for cars and wanting to bring his love for cars to animated format. A Behind-the-Scenes look at the making of the film and the crew taking a trip on Route 66.
DVD:
The DVD contains the "Mater and the Ghostlight" short, "One Man Band" short, inspiration for "Cars", deleted scenes and more!
JUDGMENT CALL:
"Cars" was definitely an amazing animated film when it came out back in 2007 and in 2009, the film is still a classic and its so popular that toys for "Cars" are still being offered in department stores which is rare to see for an animated film.
I loved the film when it first came out and the film still holds up today and continues to be quite entertaining. The picture and audio quality of "Cars" in High Definition is still magnificent but of course since the original Blu-ray was released in 2007, the lossless audio soundtrack is presented in English 5.1 uncompressed (48 kHz/24-Bit) instead of the current 5.1 or 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless soundtrack that Pixar films are offered in today's Blu-ray releases. But still, it's uncompressed audio and the lossless audio soundtrack of this Blu-ray release is still fantastic. And of course, picture quality is still outstanding.
As for the "Ultimate Cars Gift Pack", the release is right on time for the holidays. With many people now moving to Blu-ray and many Disney/Pixar fans knowing that "Cars" is one of those must-have films to own, Disney is offering a gift pack that includes a DVD (which is great for the kids during long commutes) and two exclusive cars with custom Ransburg paint.
Really, there's nothing negative that can be said about "Cars Ultimate Cars Gift Pack". If you have know someone who is new to Blu-ray and is a Disney/Pixar fan, this is a wonderful holiday gift to give. It's a high quality release that is definitely recommended!
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In Pixar's CARS, directed by TOY STORY director John Lasseter, the world is populated entirely by you guessed it cars. So it's only natural that the biggest event in the entire car world is the Piston Cup, the world's most popular race (inspired by the ever-popular NASCAR racing). This year, the public's rooting for Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), an immensely-talented albeit egotistic rookie. While traveling to California to prepare for the Piston Cup, Lightning's driver, Mack (John Ratzenberger), dozes off and sends Lightning off into the middle of nowhere. The middle of nowhere happens to be the small town of Radiator Springs, or as Lightning described it "hillbilly hell". Though at first Lightning wants nothing more than to escape from Radiator Springs and win the Piston Cup, he gradually becomes more and more attached to the town and its citizens, eventually realizing that friends and family mean more than fame.Pixar makes family movies better than anyone. Adults find their films just as entertaining as do children. CARS is no exception, though it lacks the power of many of Pixar's previous creations, such as TOY STORY or FINDING NEMO. Also, it is becoming more and more clear that Pixar's films seem to revolve around the same sort of formula. Eventually, I believe that this will begin to bother some adults, but the children will go on loving these films, and that's what the films are here for in the first place.
The cast for CARS is even more impressive than that of previous Pixar films. The cast includes, along with Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, George Carlin, NASCAR racers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr., FINDING NEMO/A BUG'S LIFE director Andrew Stanton, Jay Leno, and Michael Keaton. That is quite the cast. It also features music by Randy Newman and some fantastic animation.
Despite all that it has going for it, CARS was considered a flop at the box office, primarily when compared to Pixar's previous masterpieces. I believe that this is due in part to the advertising, which I thought made the film look like many of the other stupid CGI family film imitations in theaters recently. All I can say is disregard the advertising and see the film for yourself. It's another delightful family film from Pixar. Your kids'll love it, and you'll love it too. What more could you ask for?
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