User reviews

I'm actually shocked by how low the ratings are for this movie. I thought it was the best Cars film and a pretty solid film in general. It follows Lightning McQueen in a completely different role, that of the aging star who is out of touch with the times. It is heartbreaking, it is dramatic and it is compelling. I never knew I could feel so sorry and yet so hopeful for such a has-been.

Way better than I expected. After being slightly disappointed by Cars 2, this was a pretty good return to form for the Cars franchise. I thought it definitely could've been much better, though. A lot of the scenes were unneeded and once again, did not have the magic the first one has. But somehow, it still finds its way and manages to be a formidable sequel and satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Although, was it really the conclusion? It seems like they could do another, but they just don't make enough money. Hopefully we'll see a fourth that just completely blows people away. Other than that, I don't have much else to say, pretty forgettable but still pretty funny and entertaining.

While another sequel to Cars was still not needed, Cars 3 is at least closer to the quality of the original. With more of a focus on Lightning McQueen and his internal struggle, the story has a lot more depth than Cars 2. The story isn't original by any means, but it's told in an interesting way and is a pretty fun watch.

The first Cars movie was awesome and it jumpstarted a lot of rip-offs tv shows for children. talking cars or talking planes everywhere nowadays... cars was the origin and of course there have been two sequels to that movie. while the first sequel felt forced onto the franchise this one here fits perfectly. a great continuation about how his career would develop over the years. he's not a rookie any more... he's not as fast as he used to be... he needs to find out how to solve this... the hints about where the story goes are subtle and reach the right conclusion in the end. and its feels like this might also be the final movie for the franchise but who knows... it a solid 7. if you loved the first one you will love this one as well

Aside from what should be obvious to most of those who are over the age of 5 - merchandising, merchandising! I can hear Yogurt from Spaceballs say (which this movie does try to sort of, kind of, almost satirize but doesn't quite get there, and I'll get to that later) - I wondered going in why Pixar would make Cars 3. The first Cars, one of those unlikely passion projects for John Lasseter, was fine though not remarkable unless one didn't mind getting their Paul Newman fix (last movie too!) if it meant wading through the "comedy" of Larry the Cable Guy, and the sequel was one of the most mediocre films of the past decade, from anywhere (again, Larry the Cable Guy as the protagonist). But then I thought that this was exactly why it would be interesting to see the movie - what would the Pixar creative team come up on this one. What they came up with was a good movie, no more but no less either.

Aside from a far smaller quotent of scenes with that grating Mater character (I'll get off it now but, really, who really was hungering for more of Mater in their movie theater in 2017?), this is another example like Monsters University where the filmmakers are favoring a strong message over having a simple villain. And, curiously enough, while both movies do feature Nathan Fillion as an almost/would-be antagonist, it's not about that (it can't be coincidence that in both movies he voices the show-off, cocksure figure, right? - actually Armie Hammer is more-so that character here, but nevermind), I suspect that the message was what was key for those in the story room. What could make Lightning McQueen interesting again after all these years? Was he even interesting to begin with? It's not even him so much as it is what a character's arc is, and what Pixar taps in pretty well here is the idea of moving on and what education means.

In the story of Cars 3, McQueen gets into a terrible accident as the first turning point - one remembers that from the surreal teaser trailer where it made it look as though this might be the Saving Private Ryan of Cars movies or something - and though he wants to get back into racing there's constant trepidation, about his age, about his ability, about everyone else out on the track... and then comes, ironically enough, his trainer (thanks sponsor Fillion!), with a good voice job by Cristela Alonzo by the way, who of course didn't grow up as a, uh, small car wanting to become a trainer of other cars, she wanted to be race car herself! But she lacked the confidence and the wherewithal to keep at it (those who can't do teach sort of thing). Matter of fact, that may be the whole point of the movie, but it's also saying that isn't necessarily a bad thing - if you want it, it can be great.

It reminds me too of what happens in other professions like in the movies where actors find they aren't getting the good roles or aren't being challenged enough so they decide to direct, and it takes on a whole new feeling and passion. All of this noted, Cars 3 doesn't exactly make this some big surprise, it's actually a predictable story that, at least for me and I'm sure many others, one will see coming a mile away as far as whether or not Lightning McQueen is going to do that first race (really the only question is how much or how little will he really race before passing on the baton). But Pixar was sneakily impressive here with how it brought real emotion, or as much as can happen with these cars, and Owen Wilson and Alonzo have a good pairing in the film that has an arc and develops over the course of the story.

There's a little shakier ground that Pixar tip-toes up to as far as what it means to have, say, branding and merchandising - the Fillion "Billionaire" car Sterling (I wondered if he had ever wanted to race or as a tiny car wanted to be a, uh, Billionaire car, however they can spend it) looks at Lightning as a vehicle, no pun intended, for money-making, that his admiration for McQueen is for what he is *valued* as a commodity, as a presence or a thing, as opposed to his ability (which goes a way to explain why he's not impressed when he begs Sterling that he can do one more race). But I'm not sure Pixar developed that side of it enough, or perhaps they could only do so much satire in a G-rated movie for all audiences. It may be enough, though a little more could've gone a longer way to make a decent movie into one of their REALLY good sequels like Monsters U or Toy Story 3.

At the end of it all though, Cars 3 is entertaining, occasionally quite funny (some puns and jokes hit better than others), and eschews typical villainy or the usual antagonists and embraces more like existential questions, which is probably more than a kid-friendly blockbuster like Cars 3 of all things had to concern itself with. I give Pixar points for that, and if seems like something that had... effort put into it, at least up to a point. Not to mention, last but not least, what seems to be a fitting coincidence (or it may be just what Lasseter intended) that a first-time director was promoted up to do this movie within Pixar, Brian Fee. It was time to get in the race, I suppose, and he showed up to do well.

Yes! Love this ending of cars! 1 and 3 are the best, 2 more for fun. I enjoyed this movie a lot! Just for a fun night

If you came out of Cars 2 disappointed you're not alone, the bad spy stuff, the melodramatic plot and the awful characterization. This film is visually fantastic having Lightning McQueen take part in a customary mid life crisis in a racing, mafia and sports movie. This part is a little bit boring but you can ignore it because it becomes an awesome race towards the end. I hope they don't make a fourth it will be a bad reboot featuring a ugly yellow car.

In retrospect an animated movie about anthropromorphized vehicles maybe never really had any long-term prospects but still surprising to see how quickly the series ran out of gas. By the second installment the characters already played the "let's go to Europe" card. By number 3 our hero - Lightning McQueen - (get it, his name is a reference to actor / racer Steve McQueen, aren't Easter eggs fun!) gets replaced. Maybe Thewestchestarian missed something but the plot features "2.0" (it actually says it on Jackson Storm's paint job) racers replacing McQueen's generation (which is what he did in the first film - aren't callbacks fun!). Yet the car/human hybrid, McQueen passes his baton to seems to also be a first generation car? Unwisely, this installment ventures into math which is the natural enemy of pathos. Storm cruises at 207MPH with gusts up to 214MPH but our heroine Cruz (get it? "Cruz" like in "cruising" in a car - aren't puns fun?!) tops out at 193 during training. So how is she keeping up? Anyway, the plot not making a lot of sense and the abundant overuse of references, puns, and callbacks is not actually important. Pixar made it's name through snappy dialog (see anything Mike says in Monsters, Inc.), powerful emotional moments (see first vignette in Up), and sheer artistry (see all of Wall-E). Cars 3 just delivers little of the first 2 and the, perhaps unfairly, moviegoers have grown accustomed to the art in the Cars universe after two previous outings. In short, kind of a meh outing but at least they kept Daniel Lawrence Whitney's Larry the Cable Guy in check in this one.

2 out of 5 stars (has some good moments, but is overall bad)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Pixar. They have provided my generation with animated classics finding heart, humor, and emotion in ideas that seem poised to fail. However, Pixar's track record as of late has been very hit-and-miss, alternating between tear-inducing masterpieces like "Inside Out" and serviceable fair like "Brave". Every film studio has a few hiccups, but Pixar used to be the outlier, the company my generation could depend on for grade-A entertainment, and, if anything, allow us now 20-somethings to watch an animated movie and not have to lower our standards "because it's for kids."

"Cars 3" wants desperately to be one of the great Pixar movies: At points it delivers honest truths about the cruel nature of the racing industry and has a great number of laughs, but the film is less than the sum of its parts. For every emotional moment, witty line, or thrilling race sequence, there is a lazy joke or painful bit of writing. The film is caught between being a more realistic dramedy dealing with mature themes, or just settle with entertaining young children (which, in my theater, it completely failed to do). I've definitely seen worse children's films, but "Cars 3" hurt me more because it had promise.

We once again follow Lightening McQueen (Voiced by a bored-sounding Owen Wilson) at the top of his game, with pals Mater (Voiced by Larry the Cable Guy), Sally (Voiced by Bonnie Hunt), and all the other side "caracters" by his side. However, Lightening's racing career is threatened by rising hotshot Jackson Storm (Voiced by Armie Hammer), who causes him to wreck during a big race and take time out to change his game plan at a tech-heavy training center. Unfortunately, Lightening is paired with ultra fangirl Cruz, who is as good at training as I am at Calculus, forcing him to work harder than ever, and possibly realize that he's reached the end of the road.

I have never loved this franchise. "Cars" was fine if unremarkable, and "Cars 2" was total kiddishness. "Cars 3" falls somewhere in the middle, with unexpected drama and moments of poignancy, but also having the overly childish humor. I thoroughly enjoyed the racing sequences in this film, and there are several moments of witty banter that made me laugh out loud, but those elements failed to coalesce into an entertaining whole for me. The film wants to emulate "Toy Story 3", which was more of a dark prison drama than a family comedy, but the difference between the two franchises is that "Toy Story" entertained children AND adults, while "Cars" primarily entertains kids. Kids who loved the first two films in this series will love this one too, but those of us who never understood the appeal of this series will gain very little from this one.

"Cars 3" has occasional funny lines, good racing sequences, and unexpectedly poignant drama, but childish humor once again kills any dramatic weight that could have existed otherwise.

Rated G

Could've been great but the ending ruined it. Idk why they decided it would be a good idea to have that girl race at the end.

Cars 3 is a decent movie with a reasonably well developed plot and a great voice cast. It certainly has its moments, a pleasure as always to see these lovable characters once again, particularly Lightning McQueen and Mater, who have a terrific back and forth with one another as always. There is also a very sweet, hard hitting message as we see McQueen accepting his fate and realising it is his time to pass on the torch, the final fifteen minutes certainly serves as an effective finale to the series.

I am somewhat heartbroken to be rating a Pixar film below an eight, but the quality of this film is far less than what I have come to expect from this studio. It is a very slow moving ninety minutes that I would imagine would get quite tedious for kids. It tries too hard to remain grounded, but is not gritty enough for that to be effective, it is far too innocent.

It is also rarely funny, I am not saying this in a way that the jokes fall flat, but it actually does not try to be humorous for very long periods. It has a droll, bland tone throughout, an annoying new character and a very small amount of screen time from all the characters who made the original two harmless fun, bar Lightning.

Expected much more from my favourite animation studio. A disappointing conclusion to an enjoyable series, Cars 3 is nothing more than a movie made for merchandising, the kids may love it, but there is very little here for adults.

Lightning McQueen struggles to keep up with a new generation of racers and technology.

**I first wrote this review on 11/15/17 but it never got published. If something seems off or outdated, this is the reason why.**

This film universe is a little weird. I mean really, it is. We all have questions that we never really get many answers to regarding how much we can personify these cars as humans. Apparently they do consume and excrete, they require fuel, and that there aren't humans (I guess they are the humans); I still don't understand the idea of adolescent cars, what their limits are for speed when they're racing (sometimes it seems like Lightning just 'wills' himself to a higher position), how they build stuff, where they come from, why they need seats/doors or if they're even aware of what they are, etc. Perhaps it's best to not overthink it, but this is the first franchise for Pixar where the seemingly off-putting set of protagonists (toys, bugs, monsters, rats, robots) do not really serve a larger purpose for their message, and instead are kind of just... there. You can argue the Route 66 elements are important as well, so I'll give them that as much as anybody else will.

Many audience members are somewhat turned off by the models though, as it's just too weird to think about. I'll say one thing: everybody and their mother suggested Pixar should have used the headlights as the eyes, and their response in Cars 2 was about as punctually adequate as can be. I didn't see a big visual leap in the models from Cars 1 - 3 after a decade of work, but there were some nice little touches that a Blu-ray can help pick up which I have enjoyed the progression in. I did expect a bit more of a graphical upgrade on that front, since the surrounding environments all looked so beautiful and that crash teaser trailer even looked fantastic. But I digress, these animated films are definitely about more than just their animation.

Although the majority do not speak very highly of the Cars franchise in comparison to Pixar's other stellar efforts, people still look back at the first film in higher regard given the simpler message of taking the road less traveled and appreciating the journey every bit as much as the destination, including the people you meet along the way. It was humble and innocent. Though I think people give Pixar too much credit for just that. Other films have done this exact same thing; in fact, there is a film I saw called Finding Normal which I likened to Cars by all of the character connections, though it was made after it so I guess I have to give Cars some credit here. Cars 2 messed this up tremendously for the majority of moviegoers, throwing a Mater spin-off in our faces as we had pretty much a spy flick, with new characters for Pixar to merchandise off-and they would probably admit as much as well. As unfortunate as this was, I was thoroughly entertained by Cars 2. It is not good, but it's also not unenjoyable either. Definitely not up to Pixar's standards, though it still had its own message: accept your friends for who they are and not what you want them to be (I think that's what it was?).

So now Cars 3 comes along, yet here we are still all clamoring for an Incredibles sequel, which thankfully is coming. However, I think John Lasseter wanted to right the ship a little bit. For one, he downright ignored Cars 2 completely. If you didn't see it, you didn't miss a thing. Not a single new character from that film appeared here, no references to what happened as they went world-traveling, nothing. Skipping out on it becomes no loss whatsoever. Secondly, he gave Mater and non-car operated machinery (boats, planes, cranes... you name it) their chance in the limelight in the second film, and stuck to cars only this time around, tossing Mater to the side thank goodness. Lastly, they focused again on Lightning McQueen and the evolution of his character through the time that has gone by, back to true-and-blue circuit racing roots. It was appreciable that they did this, and for the most part I will say it worked very well.

Cars 3 is a sign of the times, both old and new. With the way sports are changing today, this was the perfect time for it to release. The new kinds of technology put in place in this film-from the cars to the training regimens to the statistical analysis-were all thrown in showing what modernists can offer to the traditionalists, possibly even aging them out to retirement. However, for Cars 3 to instill its motto in having some heart to compete, its moral stances on racing didn't get too lost in the dust. It stuck to several roots that Cars established (training in dirt roads, drifting, being one with the road) and clearly paid homage to Rocky III and Rocky Balboa (comeback story of a washed-up veteran, racing on the beach, training montage, calling a car Cal Weathers... seriously?). Not to mention there were a lot of callbacks to how Doc Hudson mentored Lightning, which paid off by the time the credits rolled. I like how both sets of times clashed on this one (and not in a James Bond way like Cars 2), because I think that was the next step up for this franchise to evolve properly. In essence, this was a faithful sequel to the first film. You can argue all you want as to whether it should exist, but since it does I think most can admit they did it properly.

Literally speaking of which, at about the 75-minute mark of this film I literally said out loud, "This film is doing no wrong." I liked what I was watching. There were a couple of strong heartfelt moments, not as strong as Cars but not too bad either. There were some scenes that I could have done without, but at the same time if I ever do buy a 3D version of this they are also the scenes I would want to replay most in that setting. Then with maybe fifteen minutes left to go in the film, they take a left turn. I'll admit it was a bit of a surprise and even somewhat more of a letdown (let me just say that the sign of the times really showed here, and if you saw my little mini-rant in the Family Guy thread then you may be able to guess what I'm talking about) because Pixar just had to be different, or rather just had to be modern. I won't fault them for feeling they needed to do what they did, but let me just say that I have the easiest rewrite in the books that gets us to the exact same place when the credits roll without needing to detour a little bit. I have a slight feeling that if they didn't pull this stunt, the several folks (including critics visible on Rotten Tomatoes) who decided to undersell this film would have evened it out in the end. I don't hate what they did, but they honestly could have done without it. Nevertheless, I'll go with as I said in my previous paragraph: since they did it, I can go ahead and say they also executed it pretty well in the process, because they really could have butchered it.

Call me less a fan of the first Cars film than other people seem to somewhat appreciate it for, a completist for being mildly amused at the second film enough to own it on Blu-ray, and a happy-go-lucky fan of this third Cars film that capped off the trilogy in such a way that, although with a little bump at the very end, was indeed a redeeming chapter of this franchise for what it started with. Pixar easily could have allocated its resources in other films, and it looks like we're getting the payoff now with an Incredibles 2, a Toy Story 4, and four originals (including Coco, where if you blink you might miss the small Easter egg Cars 3 had for it). Sue them for wanting to eek out a little profit here and there, but in a world where the Cars films exist I think it's better off with 3 in the books than if the trilogy-closer did not come to light, even if it means we have to wait a little longer for Pixar to sprinkle out hopefully some more magic in the coming years.

I had to say that since so many people were kept away and buy this one fear. The movie is what I hoped it would be. And yet, ended in such a way that I did not expect and was thankful for at the same time. It is a slow movie, so know that going in. Loved all of it.

Forget Cars 2 ever happened. This is a fitful sequel to end the franchise. The story of a hot shot at the end of his career and the future that awaits him. This is all about Lightening McQueen. It's a much better story. His trainer and protégée, Cruise, made for a pretty nice touch, and pleasantly voiced by Cristina Alonzo. It's still Cars, but it's no disaster.

#Cars3 is speed with heart. It's fun, exciting and emotionally endearing. The first film was about a lost small town USA and the humbling of a cocky racer. The second movie didn't quite know what it wanted to be, part espionage, part mistaken identity, part global tournament, all wrapped up in a poor attempt to address friendship. But this third installment is about the racer becoming the mentor while at the same time honoring the legacy of a very important person in McQueen's life, Hudson Hornet, who's voiced by the the late great actor whom we cinema deeply miss seeing on screen, Paul Newman.

In "Cars 3," Lightning McQueen suddenly finds himself blindsided by a new generation of blazing fast racers. He's seeing himself and his fellow race mates forced to retirement. Refusing to be told when he should call it quit, McQueen is determined to get back in the game, acquiring the help of a new sponsor and a young trainer who's secretly wanting to be a racer. But all that only brings McQueen to the doorstep of his own inspiration, the late fabulous Hudson Hornet. This enlightenment will prove once again whether or not Lightning McQueen still has what it takes to be a champion.

It's obvious from "Cars 3" that Pixar had learned the lessons of their mistake or blunder that was "Cars 2." The story in "Cars 3" is more coherent, clear and straightforward and it goes back to Pixar's strongest strategy which is to appeal to our deepest emotions. It doesn't necessarily rehash the first film, but more of presenting our hero deciding for himself to take on the next chapter of life that is just as fully rewarding as beating his opponents on the race track, which I think is a well put progression in McQueen's evolution as a character.

I think you'll be wowed at the film's excellent effort in pulling parallels between Hudson Hornet's experience and what McQueen is going through. It's like every piece fits into its place naturally, like it's meant to be. The new rival, Jackson Storm makes the cocky McQueen in the first film look tame. You don't see much of Mater this time around, but that's actually not a bad thing. You'll love some of the new racing tricks that "Cars 3" has up its sleeves, I'm entertained by them and I'm not even a Nascar fan. And the rookie/trainer who secretly wants to race, Cruz Ramirez will surprise you at every corner, that one is like a an eager young prodigy whose skills are just waiting to be discovered given the right opportunity. The themes basically ask the inevitable questions of what we all should do when we get older and are no longer able to do some of the things we love, what would be the the options then. And so I think "Cars 3" does an excellent job of letting you know that if you've reached the point of success, we should then do our part to now guide, train, teach others to reach their point of success too. Don't burn the bridge behind you.

-- Rama's Screen --

I was not expecting this to be this mature, one of Pixar's best opening 15 minutes that sets up the surprisingly compelling comeback story for Lightning. The Cars movies were not really my cup of tea and I'm of the belief that the second one is actually better than the first because of it's utterly ludicrous nature. But, to this movies credit, the racing scenes are gorgeous especially the training sequences. I think the design of the cars has always been pretty ugly, specifically the mouths, but here everything that doesn't have to do with the design of the cars is really fantastic stuff that Pixar should be proud of. I was also surprised about the emotional angle of this movie and how it really snuck up on me, with an emphasis on Doc and how he influenced McQueen, more offscreen of course, the movie is able to balance it's main arc much better. Having not seen a Pixar movie in a while, the brisk pacing was certainly welcome and the writers really did a great job mixing old footage from the first Cars in with "vintage" footage we'd never seen of Doc Hudson and such. It didn't bog down the story and actually added to the weight of it, I felt myself getting a bit emotional at a few points despite not having an emotional connection to the first movie. Finally, it was nice to see Doc and Lightning have a better relationship portrayed than the one they had in the first film, one of the reasons I never really connected to it was because I never felt that Doc actually liked Lightning.