Cars

Cars    

            Cinematographer Jeremy Lasky with Director John Lasseter captured the love of cars in an animated setting along route 66. The filmed appears to be a method to pull audiences across generations, youth from its animation the elder generation for the love of automobiles.

            Lasseter seemed to brilliantly use various film techniques in this film, opening scene Lightning McQueen Owen Wilson voice was moving from black screen to full color with no sound to full race volume. The film’s chorography held my attention through the entire span often drawing from everyday sports hero’s with various mannerisms, Darrel Waltrip’s voice for starting the race along with Bob Costas for commentary. Another parallel was Lightning McQueen leaping through the smoke with his tongue hanging out just as Michael Jordan did when dunking the basketball.

            Alfred Hitchcock had a signature in his films, usually it was his silhouette shadowed or he appeared in the back ground doing some mundane task. Lasseter in one of the early scenes in Radiator Spring used a fluorescent light; as it flickered it drew attention from the bugs in the area Volkswagen Bugs that is. Often times these little nuances are missed inside of films, this film captured my imagination as to what were the days like during the early boom of automobiles.

            Inside the movie, the writers were able to capture humor within the setting of the movie. One can picture what Tow Mater played by Larry the Cable Guy really looked like, even to the point where he and Lightning McQueen are going tractor tipping. The cone motel is referenced by Lightning McQueen as don’t cars usually avoid cones, simple humor. I wondered how the director came up with the title of “Cars.”

            I found an un-authored blog; it seems that Lasseter took a trip across the U.S. in a motor home with his wife and sons. The original thought to the title was Route 66, yet he felt it might draw the wrong attention. So deciding upon the title Cars seemed appropriate, his choice on actors to lend their voices seemed to me exact ally correct.

            A film like this didn’t have a sequel which doesn’t make sense, until I researched how long it took to make it 4 long years. Stands to reason the “why” it did have a sequel. I watched this film on two different viewing platforms, my laptop and then my I-pad with the granddaughter in on my lap. Madison and I give it Two Thumbs up.