PLOT - When Lightening McQueen (Owen Wilson) suffers a devestating crash during a race, he realizes that rehabilitation might not be enough, he might need to upgrade his training process to compete with a new generation of race cars.
LIKE- I like the Cars franchise; like the other Pixar films it's filled with creativity and heart. We were extra excited to see Cars 3, because we were able to see it with my step-kids during their summer visit. My step-son, Felix, is a HUGE fan of the Cars films and this was a big deal for him.
One of the major themes of Cars 3 is change. When Lightening McQueen has his injury, he has to face that he is not the racer that he used to be. He also has to realize that the racing game has changed and that it's time to pass the torch to a new generation. There is a wonderful scene where Lightening connects with old-time racers, friends of his deceased mentor, Doc Hudson (Paul Newman). Through their stories, he realizes that life progresses and it is his turn to shift from racer to mentor.
Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) has been tasked to train racers, but she has the dream to be a racer herself. Although she is full of confidence in her role as a trainer, she lacks the confidence she needs to actually race. Cruz's story plays into the other theme of Cars 3, one of believing in yourself and your dreams. My favorite scene involves Lightening and Cruz finding themselves in the middle of a demolition derby, where they must fight, or face being demolished. Miss Fritter (Lea DeLaria) is a bull-esque school bus bent on taking them down. This scene was by far the most entertaining and unexpected of the film. Miss Fritter is the most memorable character in Cars 3. She's hilarious.
DISLIKE- Well, Cars 3 isn't the best of the franchise. It felt more like a direct-to-video Disney release, rather than a theatrical release. The kids were even a bit bored. The references to civil rights and the women's movement, were a tad heavy handed, where subtle would have played better. Visually the film is stunning, but the script is clunky.
RECOMMEND -If you love Disney, Pixar, and the Cars franchise, you've probably already seen the film. I wouldn't have missed it either. However, if you haven't already taken the plunge, this is not a film that needs to be seen in the cinema and unless you're a fan of the franchise, you can skip Cars 3. It was good, but not great.