By Gary Dretzka Dretzka@moviecitynews.com
Disney takes Pixar’s Cars out for a spin at ShoWest
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LAS VEGAS — Few potential summer blockbusters will arrive with as much baggage in its trunk as “Cars,” which will be the first animated feature released under the newly conjoined banner of Disney and Pixar. Wall Street analysts will put the picture under the same intense scrutiny as that employed by film critics approaching any new movie by Scorsese, Coppola and Spielberg. All of “Cars” nits will be picked, and critics will be asked by their editors to add foolish economic forecasts to their reviews.
Tuesday night, a mere 72 hours after the wrap party, writer-director John Lasseter introduced “Cars” to two S.R.O. crowds of exhibitors at ShoWest. As the son of an art teacher and purveyor of automotive products, he described the project as a labor of love. His obsession with cars from the grand era of fins, chrome and horsepower is palpable.
The story centers on Lightning McQueen, a cocky rookie in a NASCAR-like racing circuit – all of the characters are anthropomorphic automobiles – who, on his way to a match race in California, is sidetracked to a dusty little town on Route 66 that hasn’t recovered from the completion of the Interstate system. Finding himself among a community of vintage cars, he is forced to listen to, make friends with and learn from common folk. Naturally, Lightning falls for a sexy sports car, but not before he’s learned a few lessons in humility.
Intended to go out with a “G” rating, “Cars” must appeal to the full audience spectrum if it’s going to meet the expectations of Wall Street and Hollywood wags. While the story is consistently amusing and the animation is impeccable — often breathtaking in its clarity of detail — it feels long at nearly two hours. Half-way through, Lasseter applies the brakes on the fast-paced action long enough to elaborate on the story’s romantic and redemptive aspects. Whether kids will sit still during these interludes is a question that test audiences will be asked many times in the coming months.
The response from exhibitors was very positive, however, and may signal an opportunity for cross-demographic success. Lasseter wisely chose to populate the film with specimens from 100 years of automotive history, especially mid-20th Century models with distinct personalities built into their designs. Grandparents will enjoy sharing their memories of favorite cars with the young ’uns, most of whom have never seen a car that didn’t look exactly like 30 others just down the street.
Some of these same cars – borrowed from the collection at the Imperial Palace – were on display at the lavish after-party. Disney even convinced Texas Instruments to change the color scheme of the DLP HDTV racer it sponsors, to match that of Lightning McQueen for one major NASCAR contest. It’s appropriate, as “Cars” is a movie that should only be experienced on a large screen in an auditorium equipped with a digital projector.
