ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Cars 3

Lou – A Short Look at Redeption

by Leave a Comment

It’s not unusual for me to go to a Disney/Pixar animation film and be more impressed with the short that plays before the feature than the feature itself. That is certainly true of Lou, which plays before Cars 3. I thought Cars 3 was very well done with important ideas. But still, Lou was better. (I’m not alone in this assessment. When I checked the IMDB scores, Lou was more than a full point higher than Cars 3.) The film is written and directed by Dave Mullins, a long-time animator and animation supervisor for Pixar, now getting his first writing and directing credits.

On a school playground, a bully named J.J. terrorizes other children, stealing their most precious possessions. Little does he know that there is a monster living in the Lost and Found box, made up of all the lost and stolen articles that have been collected. That Lost and Found creature comes to life and stops J.J. It even knows that his teddy bear is in the box from when he was bullied. He teaches J. J. an important lesson about sharing and respect of others.

While the story seems simple enough, it is actually a serious look at redemption. As J. J. does what’s needed to earn back his teddy bear, he is changed by the process. On one level, this might be seen as salvation by works, i.e., he gets his reward for doing what he needs to do. But there is a grace that fills the tone of the story. The real reward that J. J. receives is not his teddy bear, but the understanding that he can be a better person, and in so doing find an acceptance he has never felt.

All of this in just six minutes. That is the wonder of shorts. They are often overlooked, but as with Lou, they can carry a powerful message in a concise package.

Cars 3 – We Need Each Other

by Leave a Comment

The film Cars opened with a blank screen as Lightning McQueen pumped himself up for the upcoming race: “Speed.  I am speed.”

The film Cars 3 opens with a blank screen as Lightning McQueen pumps himself up for the upcoming race: “Speed.  I am speed.”

If there’s nothing else you take from this review, know that the third installment of the Pixar animated series returns to its original roots, eschewing the 007-like escapades of the second film.

I’ve always been a fan of the anthropomorphic cars, but always felt cheated that the second film was more about the wisecracking sidekick Mater than Lightning and his role in the Cars universe.  Our Steve Norton felt the same way and recently posted a list of items that would make the new film a good one.  Happily, this version brings back the whimsy, excitement, and fun, along with a darker theme that will resonate with adults.  It’s pretty formulaic and sputters in places, but is still worth a theater viewing.  The kids, of course, will eat it up regardless of when and where they see it.

As I mentioned, the plot is reminiscent of the original film.  Lightning (voiced by Owen Wilson) is still quite successful on the Piston Cup tour and has even found a few friends along the way.  But he’s straight up blindsided in a race when Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) comes out of nowhere and wins, setting up a seven-race winning streak.  Jackson is part of a new generation of cars that are able to drive faster and train better than Lightning, forcing the older generation to retire.  Of course, Lightning wants to win at all costs, so he pushes himself to the limits in the last race of the season—and violently crashes (this scene caused one kid in the viewing to scream “Oh, no!” in panic).

Lightning has to figure out what to do, and instead of doing something, he throws a pity party in Doc Hudson’s garage.  Hudson (the late Paul Newman) ‘died,’ so Lightning is left with the lovable cast of characters in Radiator Springs to encourage him to keep going.  A phone call from the owners of the Rust-eze team convince him to train at their new facility in Florida, so he heads out and finds a state-of-the-art facility, spearheaded by new owner, Sterling (Nathan Fillion). Sterling loves Lightning, but secretly believes his days are up, seeing him as a way to market all sorts of products.  However, Lightning wants to keep racing and is willing to use the fancy technology to get faster, including a fancy high speed simulator.  The trainer for all the cars is a shiny yellow speedster named Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), who sees Lightning as her senior project.  When things don’t work out in training, Sterling gives Lightning one chance to win—or retire to the life of a marketer.

Cruz comes along for the ride and endures the life of a car in a demolition derby where Miss Fritter (Lea DeLaria), a school bus on performance-enhancing-fuel (okay, not really), runs the show—and even steals the spotlight from Lightning and Cruz. Soon, Lightning realizes that Doc Hudson had to have a mentor, so he and Cruz travel to Thomasville GA to find Smokey (Chris Cooper), an old truck reminiscent of Mater (Larry the Cable Guy).  Once there, Lightning makes a discovery that may change his life.  Perhaps the race in Florida means more than anyone thought possible . . .

As always, Pixar continues to push the limits of technology with their animation, which is jaw-droppingly photorealistic throughout. While Cars 3 returns to the ways of the first film, it doesn’t quite reach its level of fun.  Laughs aren’t as prevalent and the subject matter is darker (the crash, for example).  You’re not going to hear Lightning yell “Ka-chow!,” but at least the tractors make a return.  Cruz is a fantastic addition to the ecosystem and little girls will gravitate to her character.  I also appreciated the nods to the first film—especially the loving tributes to Doc Hudson.  Chick Hicks (Bob Peterson) is still obnoxious and smacks Lightning down every chance he gets.  Thankfully, Mater is relegated to a minor character, as he’s best in small doses. But Sally (Bonnie Hunt), Lightning’s romantic interest, is basically a throwaway character for the second consecutive film.  This was an opportunity wasted.

Director Brian Fee provides a story replete with themes of overcoming obstacles, thinking outside the box, the need for others, and empowerment.  Regarding the need for others, it’s important to have people in your life who can laugh with you, cry with you, cheer you up, and push you to be the best you can be. The Bible has something to say about this topic in the book of Ecclesiastes: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NASB).  In the case of Lightning and Cruz, the two create a symbiotic relationship that pays dividends for each before the film’s credits roll. Without each other, the two fail in their individual pursuits and goals.  It’s a great reminder for us in our fast-paced, hectic lives.

There is an animated short before the film entitled Lou that will bring back memories of the schoolyard bully.  It’s well done (as the shorts tend to be). And don’t forget to stay through the credits!

 

Cars 3 Needs Repair: Saving Radiator Springs

by Leave a Comment

Over the years, the Cars franchise has been widely viewed as the flat tire of the Pixar world.  Despite decent reviews, the first entry remains one of the lowest financial successes in their canon (not counting merchandise, of course).  When the utterly unforgivable second film was released, the franchise found itself left in a twisted wreck along the side of the road, better forgotten than salvaged.

And yet, here comes Cars 3.

It’s not a secret that, despite their poor showings at the box office, the Cars films have been motivated largely by merchandising.  (In fact, even though it was the lowest financial success in Pixar’s history at the time, the original Cars still brought in over a billion dollars in the toy store itself!)  Still, after the release of Cars 2, the franchise has been left with egg on its bumper and a stench from its tailpipe.

In light of that, much of the early marketing for the third entry into the franchise seems to be attempting to get return to its racing roots.  (In fact, even rumors of the return of Doc Hudson, long-deceased Paul Newman’s mentor to Lightning, suggests that Pixar is trying to reclaim the chemistry of the original film.

Still, with ‘race day’ upon us, I thought it might be wise to see what tinkering needs to happen in order for the world of Cars to cross the finish line at top speed.  With that in mind, let’s take a look under the hood…

BODY REPAIRS: Remember Who You Are

One of the most glaring issues with Cars 2 was simply the fact that they changed their tone so dramatically.  John Lasseter clearly cares about these characters but, in developing the sequel, abandoned them in favor of an action piece.  Excited about making his James Bond movie, Lasseter completely dropped any of the charm and character development of the first one for a fast-paced comedy with globe-trotting set pieces.  (Ironically, had they opted to create new characters, the film would likely have worked far better by freeing them up from the burden of characters and interactions they’d already established.)  The result was jarring and reeked of marketing opportunities.  To save the franchise, Cars 3 has to remember the characters that they began with and allow them to be themselves.

BRIGHTEN HEADLIGHTS: Focus your Story

It doesn’t take a road map to follow Lightning’s journey in the original Cars.  Whether or not you were a fan of the film, you can’t deny that the film had a specific goal in mind.  From the opening race, we had a clear understanding of what the film sought to do and where it wanted to go.  Lightning’s emotional journey was clearly going to be the central narrative arc with racing providing the central background.  By Cars 2 though, we were ‘treated’ to such misadventures as a race around the world, Mater’s mistaken identity, drummed up tension between Mater and Lightning, a bizarre plot about a villain who makes gas only to destroy it, AND a romantic subplot between Mater and Holly Shiftwell.  In other words… what was that movie about?  Even after watching it twice, I still have no idea.  For Cars 3 to succeed, it needs to offer a more streamlined story with a deeper focus on its primary characters.

WHEEL ALIGNMENT: Build on Lightning

Look, I get it.  Mater is highly marketable and, at times, steals the first movie from Lightning McQueen.  The temptation to focus on his adventures in the second film was incredibly high but, unfortunately, some characters don’t do well in the spotlight.  Like the Minions in the Despicable Me franchise, Mater’s role is best served in doses.  In Cars, he provided humble grounding to Lightning’s arrogance.  In Cars 2, that emotional grounding was all but stripped of him, emphasizing the fact that he simply didn’t belong in the larger world.  With a stronger confidence and a more interesting character arc, Lightning McQueen needs to be the foundation that the franchise builds itself around.  (Thankfully, based on all the early previews and trailers, it appears as though this mistake has been corrected through their emphasis on Lightning at every possible opportunity.)

ENGINE CHECK: Rediscover the Soul

One of the harshest criticisms leveled against the original Cars was the story’s emphasis on seemingly simplistic messages like ‘Slow down to enjoy life’ and ‘Friends first.’  To many, it was ‘hokey’.  To me, though, it was holistic.  In truth, the film’s messages are some of Pixar’s most counter-cultural in many ways.  While many other Pixar entries focus on common 21st Century cultural ideas as ‘be true to yourself’ or ‘never give up’, Cars actually introduces the idea of living a life of wholeness, rest and the value of the other over our own.  In a world that’s lost all sense of Sabbath repose, Cars is a reminder that there are greater things in life than what we’re being sold on a daily basis.  In many ways, it is a sensibility that remains at the deepest core of our spiritual longings.  However, in Cars 2, all of this is lost in favor of a poorly developed environmental theme.  (Don’t get me wrong.  I have no opposition at all to this line of thinking—in fact, it too is a deeply spiritual one—but the film offers no passion or heart behind it.  It offers nothing new to the viewers emotionally or spiritually.)

Cars 3 opens in theatres Friday, June 16th, 2017