Cars (2006) - floats like a Cadillac, stings like a Beemer

directed by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft / voices by Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonny Hunt

Cars is one of the few Pixar films I had somehow avoided watching, until today. I'm not sure why. Guess I always thought I wouldn't be that good anyway. Makes sense, right? Because Pixar films are always bad and I never like them. (For those who don't understand sarcasm: that was sarcasm.) Anyway, point was that I don't know why I never saw this before, but now I had to.

See, Cars has just recently become my one-and-a-half-year old nephew's first favourite movie. And if he likes it, I'll like it too, right? And most importantly, his FIRST favourite movie is a movie I haven't seen? How did that happen?? Eager to fix this terrible flaw, (and because I feel it's the responsibility of a godmother) I tried to brainwash him into watching Toy Story. Result: he was interested for about 10 seconds and then wandered off the room. I tried my best: "Look, there's a cool cowboy, see? He's name is Woody and he's superawesome. Oh look, a cool little potato!" Guess it was the lack of a cool red car, or a "brumbru". Anyway, I delegated the babysitting duties and kept watching myself. And the brainwashing continues... One day he'll join my Buzz Lightyear fanclub. Mark my words.

Ahem, back to the topic? Sure, why not. Cars wasn't Toy Story, of course, but it wasn't bad either. Of course. It's another imaginative, new world created by Pixar, full of funny characters, who are full of witty remarks that wouldn't work in any other environment ("You know, some automotive yoga could really lower your RPMs, man."). So they've done cars and toys and robots and fish and superheroes and monsters and bugs and grumpy pensioners... Can't wait for what's next!

Oh well, I still haven't said much about the movie, but you know. Pixar is always Pixar. Right now I wouldn't place Cars to my top 5 of Pixar, but it might start growing on me after a few rewatches. Because I guess there will be quite a few of those over the upcoming years, if my Toy Story brainwashing doesn't start to work. I might have to see the sequel too! (Oh yeah, soon I'll have a good and unembarrassing reason to go see kids' movies! ... Like I ever needed good reasons before.)

Finally, let me present you two of the funniest things about Cars, which were 1) the end credit Pixar spoof and 2) the old hippie van that apparently smoked too much pot in the '60s.

"I'm tellin' you, man, every third blink is slower."
"The '60s weren't good to you, were they?"

P.S. Change of plans! Won't see The Deathly Hallows till Sunday! Aaaaah, the anticipation! I'll be the last person in the universe to see it!

P.P.S. My neighbours are having an apparently wild - and loud - party upstairs. I bet this is a revenge for the other Saturday...