Originally Posted By DAR Cars is at 77% Fresh over at Rotten Tomatoes <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10004076-cars/" target="_blank">http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ m/10004076-cars/</a> While that's lower than previous Pixar films, it's still one of the higher rated films so far this summer. And I'm talking mainly the blockbusters. I have faith in Pixar and can't wait to see the film.
Originally Posted By TheRedhead And if you want to read some good reviews of the film, just check out Rotten Tomatoes. Apparently still Fresh: <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10004076-cars/" target="_blank">http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ m/10004076-cars/</a>
Originally Posted By smeeeko there were lots of voices that WEREN'T racing actually.. I want to say most of them weren't.. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317219/fullcredits" target="_blank">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt03 17219/fullcredits</a> I want to say there was maybe 3 or 4 racing type people (including Paul Newman who's actually a IRL not Nascar) NPR fans will recognize Car Talk's "click & clack" which I think I bruised SeanYoda poking him during the film when the Rusteez Bros came on.. hee hee.. love those guys. =) Also many of our faves from other Pixar films are there too.. =)
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>But my favorite is the "pit stop" guy.<< That would be Luigi's assistant, Guido. Cameron, my eleven year old, adores Guido.
Originally Posted By TheRedhead Sure, not all of the voices in the film were racing "celebrities." But all it takes is one awkward line reading from someone who is obviously not an actor to yank me out of the film. I need Guido toys now.
Originally Posted By DlandDug Aside from Richard Petty as The King, NASCAR racers have only cameos in the film. Petty is well cast in his role. I made a point of reading the very few negative reviews this film has gotten. The general tenor is either "not as good as Pixar's other films," or "I don't like films for kids." I seriously wonder if the reviewer from the Arizona Republic even saw Cars. Criticizing any film on the basis of comparison to other films always struck me as odd. Unless it is a sequel, or the film maker purposely invites comparison, I think it's largely invalid.
Originally Posted By hopemax >I seriously wonder if the reviewer from the Arizona Republic even saw Cars. Did it show up as a negative? The print version said he gave it 4 stars.
Originally Posted By actingforanimators Something that isn't being talked about, and which I very strongly suspect has influenced CARS, is that John Lasseter (and Pixar in general) lost his story compass with the passing of Joe Ranft. Joe's influence is in the best parts of CARS - particularly with Mater and the kind of character specifics that make stand out in contrast to Doc, for example - two vastly different ways of underscoring the moral conscience of Radiator Springs. Mater's is much more moving, to me, and much less forced. I do not believe Joe Ranft's passing will have as negative an effect as...say Frank Wells's passing had on Michael Eisner, which I believe to have been the point from which everything was forever different at Disney. However, I do think it means that somewhere within Feature Animation John will have to find someone who has a similarly free-spirited sense of what matters and what doesn't in telling a great story through fascinating characters. Whether he carries on in the heart of Joe Ranft or ends up gilding it and making it impossible for anyone to measure up to...well, that will make the difference. Joe Ranft didn't take things too seriously, although he was very emotionally complex and something of a sentimental guy. The paradox of that is that he had a particular genius for cultivating the heart of the least likely heroes, and he also understood when to walk away from a character beat or a story beat before it became overtly sentimental. Joe Ranft passed that understanding on fairly well to a number of people up at Pixar as well as back at Disney. Mike Gabriel is one of those people, and his sensibilities in this way are truly superior. John Musker is another, and his association with John, while not as strong as Joe's was, is close enough to have potential impact. How Lasseter will respond to counsel from these people and a few others, once he starts providing real guidance to WDFA, will be the deciding factor. In the end, however, I sincerely think CARS suffered from the almost too precious hold and oddly reverent tinkering Lasseter applied in the last year of production, just after Joe Ranft's tragic death. The story is so careful at times that it actually feels "scrubbed" of anything quirky and cleansed of the kind of moments it otherwise could have earned quite nicely, and authentically without too many lingering shots or instrumental reminders. More like its end credits. If Lasseter had been willing to take it all a little less seriously at times - to walk away before the sentiment became overt - then I think the film would have been much more like the open road it seeks to celebrate and bring to life, but instead sadly ends up memorializing with a misty nostalgia that is simply too dull, too long, and too obvious.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I can't believe we have to wait another 8 weeks here in the UK. That totally sucks.
Originally Posted By smeeeko I don't really understand how animation works in that how storyboarding and character developement works.. but wouldn't all that be fleshed out well in the first couple years of creation?? Joe Ranft is my pixar hero.. (don't ask me why I just loved his work with Bugs Life and looked for him in the other films as well..) When he tragically died in August of last year, I was heartbroken, (as much as a fangirl who doesn't know anything can be) You have no idea how happy I was to see that he had a little bit of voicework on this film as well.. Somehow when cars came out I hadn't really thought about that it had been in production for 4 years! While I'm sure there's a lot of 'tweeking' going on up til the last minute, is it possible that maybe the film is just how Pixar wanted it.. and that it is what it is? If anything I am getting from the reactions of some folks is that it lacked editorial cropping (but I can sit through a 2hr animated feature) and that people expect certain things of Disney/Pixar films and when it goes out of the box of their expectations they don't get it. Lost its story compass?? what the?? I don't think so... *shakes head in disbelief* sorry I humbly disagree...
Originally Posted By idleHands "Lost its story compass?? what the?? I don't think so... *shakes head in disbelief* sorry I humbly disagree..." I agree, smeeeko. From what I've been told, Cars was essentially completed when Joe passed away on August 16. And I find it hard to believe that John would even want to mess around with the story, after the fact. What would be the point? John respected Joe's story wisdom, quite highly. Why dishonor Joe's memory that way? I will agree, however, that John does need to find another storyteller as strong as Joe was. Even though the creative bond between John and Joe was quite special, and will not be duplicated by someone else, John needs a partner to play off of, like he did with Joe. Having someone there, acting as a "story guide rail," if you will, would be a wise move on Lasseter's part. Whom could that person be? I don't know. But hopefully, John will find that person soon. If he hasn't already.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Some of you are just big blow hards. The movie is awesome, I loved it, my kids loved it, and (I am a huge Michael J Fox fan) I NEVER once thought about Doc Hollywood during the film until reading the original post. Not only that, all the talk about McQueen....hogwash, he turns into a GREAT person at the end, which (Hello ... McFly...) is the whole POINT OF THE FILM! 10 of 10.... give me more Lasseter... its a home run! And as for cutting teeth? Excuse me but I think kids still out number adluts in the Disney audience and in the parks.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad The take at the Box Office and DVD sales will tell us what the masses think. It'll outperform Nemo.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>I seriously wonder if the reviewer from the Arizona Republic even saw Cars.<< I misspoke. It was the Arizona Daily Star that had the dopey review.
Originally Posted By kennect What just kills me here in regards to "Car's" is the idea that it is thrown up against so many other things by comparision...Previous Pixar openings, the new Disney deal, the idea that John's sidekick died in an auto accident, the thought about the opening weeked has to be a certain BO or it is to be a failure, etc....This film is getting a lot of stuff thrown at it without being given the chance to perform at the BO to show what it might actually do....Of course that is the way things goes these days...Our local Atlanta critic gave it the worst review on the collective Yahoo critics bit...I myself just find it seems there has been so much attention to this film that whatever happens it will be anticlimatic in the end regarding the opening weekend regardless of the final figure....What is the big deal here...I know it is a major release...But what really is all this hype about? It is the Disney /Pixar deal or just the film itself??? Had not Disney aquired Pixar would that have made any views different about the film? Consider me just trying to understand all of the fuss about this film...Trust me, I want it to do well at the BO....
Originally Posted By HyperTyper >>> And as for cutting teeth? Excuse me but I think kids still out number adluts in the Disney audience and in the parks. I saw this film with a bunch of adults and kids, age 8-16. All were somewhat entertained, but not overly impressed. No one left saying anything like "that was SO cool" or anything close to it. The eight-year-old actually fell asleep. There were actually many in-jokes that got a few of the adults laughing. None of the kids or teens laughed ... even once ... except for the tractor-tipping bit, which was funny for everyone. That was hardly the case with "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and "Beauty and the Beast", where the enjoyment, wonder and laughter were universal. And let's be honest ... those are the films everyone really expects Disney to repeat someday. Yeah, this is Pixar, but since Disney's in-house animation department is essentially gone, and Pixar is IT, the classics of the 90s comprise the standard Pixar has to live-up to. "Cars" doesn't even come close.
