Cars gets an awful lot of hate (which only increased after the sequel hit), yet most of the negativity seems a bit off point. The film skews less adult than Pixar's best offerings, sure, which robs it of thematic greatness, but the usual colourful characters and tear-jerking moments are here in droves. The problem for many appears to be less with the film itself and more what it represents. The anthramorphising of vehicles struck as a cynically commercial concept, something the choice to make the windshields into eyes (as opposed to the more conventional headlights) only exacerbated. Even with a studio that had such a strong run of form (at this point Pixar were six for six), some people just wanted a film whose heart was in small-town America and Nascar to fail. And it really doesn't. Car isn't Pixar running on all cylinders (badum-tish), but it's hardly a lemon (badum-tish again). The central theme of slowing down and appreciating the little things is right up the studio's alley and the attention to detail in both look and humour is impeccable as always. You can pick apart the mechanics of a world populated entirely by sentient machines, but that's hardly the point - besides, there's such creativity in adapting the real world (see the engine-inspired rocks) it shouldn't bother. The only element that doesn't ring true is Lightning's relationship with Mater - their bonding never goes beyond hijinks and the tow-truck is a wholly unlikeable supporting player - but it's not as central to McQueen's arc as Sally's romance or Doc's mentoring, meaning it doesn't sour the overall picture like with Cars 2.
