Let's get right to the point. This Pixar animation film honks its horn for the rewards and satisfactions of community versus the emptiness of selfishness and the culture's focus on winning and fame. Just the kind of values we want to pass on to children in an era when commercialism is more rampant than ever and every media outlet seems to be telling them to look out for themselves and not worry about others.

The central creative force behind Cars is John Lasseter, who returns to directing for the first time since Toy Story 2 in 1999. The co-director is Joe Ranft, who also served as story supervisor and voiced several incidental characters. Here is a movie that builds on something many people do — giving names to their cars and caring for them as if they were another child. There are even some rules of car etiquette, such as never kick a car's exterior when you are angry. After experiencing Cars you will find yourself looking for the eyes and mouths of automobiles as they pass you in the street. A new fondness for these vehicles can only work wonders for us all!

Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is a hotshot rookie racing car who is obsessed with winning the Piston Cup Championship and all the financial and fame perks that come along with it. He can't get revved up about working with others, however. On route across the country to compete in the biggest race of his life against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets separated from Mack SuperLiner (John Ratzenberger) and winds up in the small town of Radiator Springs. This down-and-out place has no business since the interstate highway has bypassed it and left them high and dry in the desert.

While being chased for speeding by the Sheriff (Michael Wallis), a 1949 Mercury Police Cruiser, McQueen practically destroys the town and rips up its main street. He is then forced to use all his horsepower to pull the asphalt machine to repair the street. He can't believe that he might miss his race for this!

Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt), a 2002 Porsche 911, is the town's biggest booster and proprietor of the Cozy Cone Motel. She takes a shine to him after first dismissing him as a nothing more than a cocky outsider. Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), a tow truck and deft backwards driver, becomes McQueen's best friend; he takes him out in the fields one night to play some pranks on snoozing tractors. But perhaps the biggest surprise in the community is the presence of Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), a 1951 Hudson Hornet, who serves as the Judge in Radiator Springs. After Doc challenges McQueen to a race, the young racecar knows that there's something special about him but he only later learns what it is.

While he is doing time in this small community, this outsider learns to slow down and to let go of his quick disdain for others. These lessons come into play when he finally makes it to California for the big race against the King (Richard Petty) and Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton), a nasty road warrior. The colorful characters and the clever dialogue make this an ideal family film and another Pixar triumph.


Special DVD features include: an all-new animated short: Mater and the Ghostlight; Academy Award-nominated animated short: One Man Band; director John Lasseter's inspiration for Cars; Ratatouille teaser trailer; and deleted scenes.