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I wouldn't have thought that even in animation a 1951 Hudson Hornet could look simultaneously like itself and like Paul Newman , but you will witness that feat, and others, in "Cars." This is the new animated feature by John Lasseter (" Toy Story ," " A Bug's Life "); it tells a bright and cheery story, and then has a little something profound lurking around the edges. In this case, it's a sense of loss.

What have we lost? Its hero, a racing car named Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson ), has just lost a big race, and then one day on the highway he goes astray, and rolls into the forgotten hamlet of Radiator Springs, in Carburetor County. This was a happenin' town, back when Route 66 was the way to get from Chicago to L.A., passing through Flagstaff, Arizona, and don't forget Winona. But now the interstates and time itself have passed it by, and the town slumbers on, a memory of an earlier America.

Lightning's dream is to win the Piston Cup, the grand prix of American racing. He's on his way to the race when he gets lost, and then, more humiliating, impounded. Once released, he meets the population of Radiator Springs, led by Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), who may be an old-timer but probably knows something about Hudsons that Lightning doesn't: Because of their "step-down design," they had a lower center of gravity than the Big 3 models of its time and won stock car races by making tighter turns.

Other citizens include Mater (rhymes with tow-mater) the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), Sally the sexy Porsche ( Bonnie Hunt ), Fillmore the hippie VW bug ( George Carlin ), and Sarge the veteran Jeep ( Paul Dooley ). Tractors serve as the cows of Radiator Springs, and even chew their cud, although what that cud consists of I'm not sure. Fan belts, maybe.

The message in "Cars" is simplicity itself: Life was better in the old days, when it revolved around small towns where everybody knew each other, and around small highways like Route 66, where you made new friends, sometimes even between Flagstaff and Winona. This older America has long been much-beloved by Hollywood, and apparently it survives in Radiator Springs as sort of a time capsule.

Doc Hudson, it turns out, was a famous race car in his day. That leads up to a race in which the vet and the kid face off, although how that race ends I would not dream of revealing. What I will reveal, with regret, is that the movie lacks a single Studebaker. The 1950s Studebakers are much beloved by all period movies, because they so clearly signal their period, from the classic Raymond Loewy-designed models to the Golden Hawk, which left Corvettes and T-Birds eating its dust. Maybe there's no Hawk in Radiator Springs because then Doc Hudson would lose his bragging rights.

The movie is great to look at and a lot of fun, but somehow lacks the extra push of the other Pixar films. Maybe that's because there's less at stake here, and no child-surrogate to identify with. I wonder if the movie's primary audience, which skews young, will much care about the 1950s and its cars. Maybe they will. Of all decades, the 1950s seems to have the most staying power; like Archie and Jughead, the decade stays forever young, perhaps because that's when modern teenagers were invented.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Cars (2006)

117 minutes

Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen (voice)

Paul Newman as Doc Hudson (voice)

Bonnie Hunt as Sally (voice)

Cheech Marin as Ramone (voice)

Tony Shalhoub as Luigi (voice)

Richard Petty as The King (voice)

Paul Dooley as Sarge (voice)

Jeremy Piven as Harv (voice)

George Carlin as Fillmore (voice)

Michael Keaton as Chick Hicks (voice)

Directed by

John Lasseter
Dan Fogelman
Kiel Murray
Jorgen Klubien

Based on the story by

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Movie Review

'Cars' Is a Drive Down a Lonely Highway

By Manohla Dargis

June 9, 2006

THE temptation to write about "Cars" using automotive metaphors may be unwise, but it's also irresistible. You could say, for instance, that the film — the first directed by the Pixar guru John Lasseter since the company's 1999 hit "Toy Story 2" — tools along at an easy clip, rather like a Volvo station wagon en route to another family vacation. At no point does it spin out of control, much less venture off-road. Instead, the film just putt, putt, putts along, a shining model of technological progress and consumer safety. But, as Ed (Big Daddy) Roth might say, chrome don't get you home and neither does 3D animation.

Mr. Roth was the creator of a delightfully unappetizing cartoon rodent called Rat Fink, a kind of anti-Mickey Mouse mascot for the hot-rod set. Given Pixar's carefully cultivated — and, for the most part, justified — reputation as a modestly maverick outfit, it would be nice to think that a decal of Rat Fink adorns the computers of at least a couple of the film's many, many animators. But both in its ingratiating vibe and bland execution, "Cars" is nothing if not totally, disappointingly new-age Disney, the story of a little cherry-red race car, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), who can win the race of life only after he learns the value of friendship and the curvy appeal of Porsche Carrera (Bonnie Hunt).

Right off we know we're not in Kansas anymore or, for that matter, Monstropolis, home to the critters from "Monsters, Inc." or suburban Metroville, where the superheroic family in "The Incredibles" lives. The film opens at an enormous speedway, where some dozen candy-colored race cars, including Lightning McQueen, are whooshing around a track as thousands upon thousands of similarly polychromic jalopies cheer, wave flags and do the wave.

Welcome to Weirdsville, Cartoonland, where automobiles race — and rule — in a world that, save for a thicket of tall pines and an occasional scrubby bush, is freakishly absent any organic matter. Here, even the bugs singeing their wings on the porch light look like itty-bitty Volkswagen beetles.

That sounds like a slap and a tickle, and for a while it's both. As written by Mr. Lasseter, who shares screenwriting credit with Dan Fogelman, Joe Ranft, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin and (whew) Jorgen Klubien, the film hinges on a premise older than the 1951 Hudson Hornet named Doc (Paul Newman), who gives the story its requisite geezer wisdom. After taking a wrong turn on his way to a race, McQueen lands in Radiator Springs, a town that time and the freeway forgot. There, on a derelict lick of asphalt, he meets a pileup of metal and ethnic clichés, including a tow truck with a deep-fried accent (Larry the Cable Guy as Mater) and a lowrider that apparently hopped in from East L.A. (Cheech Marin as Ramone).

This ethnic and cultural profiling is pretty much par for the animated film course, hence Jenifer Lewis, as a two-tone 1950's ride with big fins called Flo, provides the only identifiable "black" voice. Less wince-inducing are Luigi (Tony Shalhoub), a banana-yellow Italian-accented Fiat that runs the local tire store; Sarge (Paul Dooley), a World War II jeep as memorable and colorful as dung; and Fillmore (George Carlin), a VW bus who extols the virtues of organic fuel, mutters about conspiracies and raises the Stars and Stripes to the guitar squeals of Jimi Hendrix.

Given the film's regrettably retro attitude toward all things automotive (not a hybrid in sight!), it's no surprise that Fillmore, this desert outpost's most credible resident, is also its designated kook.

An animated fable about happy cars might have made sense before gas hit three bucks a gallon, but even an earlier sticker date couldn't shake the story's underlying creepiness, which comes down to the fact that there's nothing alive here: nada, zip. In this respect, the film can't help but bring to mind James Cameron's dystopic masterpiece, "The Terminator," which hinges on the violent war of the machine world on its human masters. To watch McQueen and the other cars motor along the film's highways and byways without running into or over a single creature is to realize that, in his cheerful way, Mr. Lasseter has done Mr. Cameron one better: instead of blowing the living world into smithereens, these machines have just gassed it with carbon monoxide.

Rendering plausible human forms remains one of 3D animation's biggest hurdles, something that Pixar directors like Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo") have readily admitted. As if realizing that they can't (yet) compete with nature, Pixar filmmakers tend to avoid the human form or create caricatures that, by virtue of their very exaggeration (think of the middle-age spread bedeviling Mr. Incredible's wife), are wonderfully lifelike.

With his machine world, however, Mr. Lasseter appears to have tried to do an end run around the vexing problem of the human body with cars that might as well have come out of a Chevron advertisement. Even stranger, the film turns Detroit's paving over of America into an occasion for some nostalgic historical revisionism. Surreal isn't the word.

Over the last two decades Pixar has invigorated American mainstream animation with charming stories and sterling technique, reaching a company best with the consecutively released "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles." The age of Pixar may not be as golden as that of 1930's and 40's Disney, but it's an estimable run, especially since each new Pixar feature has reached deeper and higher in thematic and aesthetic preoccupations.

Like classic Disney, Pixar films are invariably traditionalist, with stories of familial and social retrenchment, but they're also witty and playful, fresh in both graphic and written line. One clunker won't shut down or even threaten the factory line, but here's hoping that as this onetime scrapper becomes increasingly entrenched and establishment, it keeps its geeks-and-freaks flag flying.

"Cars" is rated G (General audiences). Everything is clean but the fossil fuel.

Opens today nationwide.

Directed by John Lasseter; written by Dan Fogelman, Mr. Lasseter, Joe Ranft, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin and Jorgen Klubien, based on a story by Mr. Lasseter, Mr. Ranft and Mr. Klubien; supervising technical director, Eben Ostby; edited by Ken Schretzmann; music by Randy Newman; production designers, William Cone and Bob Pauley; produced by Darla K. Anderson; released by Walt Disney Pictures. Running time: 114 minutes.

WITH THE VOICES OF: Owen Wilson (Lightning McQueen), Paul Newman (Doc Hudson), Bonnie Hunt (Sally Carrera), Larry the Cable Guy (Mater), Cheech Marin (Ramone), Tony Shalhoub (Luigi), Jenifer Lewis (Flo), Paul Dooley (Sarge) and George Carlin (Fillmore).

Cars Review

28 Jul 2006

121 minutes

It’s a testament to the ludicrously high standards Pixar has set itself that Cars can be considered in any way a disappointment. It leaves the CG output of every other studio choking in its spectacularly rendered dust, yet somehow, somewhere in this well-oiled, staggeringly beautiful machine somebody has omitted a small but crucial cog. It just doesn’t quite run with the smooth hum of fun we’ve come to expect of history’s greatest animation house.

There is no question that Cars is Pixar’s greatest visual achievement. Those geniuses chez Lightyear have long recognised that the best computer animation is not obsessed with realism but detail (just look at the sinister Polar Express to see how off-putting it can be when that balance is out of whack). Everything in Cars is clearly of a bulbous, shiny cartoon world, but is so exquisitely crafted that the reflection off the hood of a speeding racer or the neon miasma bathing a midnight town is almost enough to make you openly weep in the cinema. There is not a single flaw on the face of this film; it’s like Angelina Jolie with hubcaps.

Pretty visuals are only part of what we’ve come to expect of the Pixar experience, though. As a piece of storytelling, Cars sometimes has a sluggishness that is all the more surprising considering it’s directed by animation god John Lasseter, back behind the wheel for the first time since Toy Story 2. With a core message about getting out of the fast lane and enjoying the slow scenic route, it’s a story designed for a middle-aged man, not a sugar-fuelled pre-teen for whom the fast lane is never fast enough — and like any middle-aged man, it’s carrying a little excess flab.

It starts lean and energetic. The opening, featuring cocksure racer Lightning McQueen whizzing around the track, is a breakneck action sequence that could sit happily in any live-action film. In animation, editing and pacing it is near flawless, and one of the most exciting scenes of the summer. So when a later motorway mishap lands McQueen in the derelict town of Radiator Springs, where the most spectacular auto is an emotionally unstable fire engine and a day when holidaying people-carriers pop through is considered eventful, it’s hard not to yearn for the heady roar of the race track.

It’s not that McQueen’s cohorts in the town are dull; it’s just that they’re not especially funny. With the possible exception of rustbucket tow-truck Mater, it’s unlikely you’ll remember any of them after the closing credits in the same way you do such incidental characters as Toy Story’s Rex, mini-Incredible Jack-Jack or that stoned surfer turtle from Finding Nemo. Pixar without funny is like Disney without animal sidekicks or Miyazaki without that bit you didn’t really understand but still kinda liked — it’s recognisable, but it just feels off.

In contrast with the film’s message, Radiator Springs is a nice place to hang out for a while, but you wouldn’t want to live there. Which makes it a great relief when the movie’s ending turns out to be such a humdinger. Bringing the slow and fast lanes together in glorious fashion, it makes sense of the movie’s duller sections and uses them to invest the action with emotion. It’s a finale so full of joy, imagination and technical brilliance that you forgive Lasseter the previous storytelling flaws and, teamed with what might be the greatest Pixar credits gag to date, means you’ll leave the movie on a petrol-induced high.

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Cars 2, Blow Out, and the best things we watched this weekend

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Lightning McQueen and Mater race away from an explosion in Cars 2

This weekend marked the 78th Golden Globe Awards, an historic ceremony not only for it having been the first to take place in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but for those whose work was recognized . Chloé Zhao became the first Asian woman to win the Golden Globe for best director for the Frances McDormand-led drama Nomadland , Chadwick Boseman was posthumously rewarded Best Drama Performance for his role in George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom , and Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari was rewarded with the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language film following the controversial (and frankly bizarre) odyssey in the lead up to its nomination .

Aside from the Awards however, there were a ton of movies and films available via streaming for the Polygon team to choose from. Here are a few of the movies we enjoyed over the weekend, and what you might enjoy watching throughout the week as well.

Finn McMissile, Mater, and Lightning McQueen in Cars 2

I want to formally rescind every critical comment I’ve ever made on the behalf of Cars 2 .

This weekend, I enjoyed a double feature of Cars and Cars 2 . It’s been years since I’ve watched either of them, and I was pretty confident in my assessment that while the original Cars was Just Fine, Thank You Very Much, Cars 2 was just a bunch of dumb jokes that did not make canonical sense in the greater Cars mythos. But upon this rewatch, I learned that I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

The original Cars put me to sleep, but I found myself enthralled by Cars 2 . The first Cars doesn’t quite work for me is because it is too rooted in reality. I found myself questioning every little world-building detail: If you are born a truck, is your destiny just to ferry cars around inside your body till the end of time? Why do cars lock themselves if their insides are their organs? Why are there restaurants and cafes if all they consume is oil?

But with Cars 2 , there is so much chaos and unbelievable plot elements that I can safely just tuck all the aforementioned overarching world-building questions in the back of my mind and just relish in its absurdity. The setup of Cars 2 already lends itself to humor: after accompanying racer Lightning McQueen on an international racing tour, goofy Mater finds himself caught up in a James Bond-esque spy mission, where suave agent Finn McMissle believes Mater to be an American spy in deep, deep undercover. Cue the hijinks, cue the hilarity, cue the really cool action sequences.

It’s all the delight of a spy movie, but with the added fact of Oh right, they’re all cars! This means that Finn McMissile launches wires from his tires in order to suspend himself over a secret meeting on a far off oil rig! That the cars have giant guns built somewhere into their bodies! That the car chase sequences are honestly the best car chase sequences I’ve seen in action movies, because the stakes are so much higher! Yes, there is a Pope, which once again raises questions about the greater Cars universe, but Agent Holley Shiftwell just sprouted wings and a jet engine, so I’m more focused on how cool that is.

I am going on record to say that Cars 2 is the superior Cars movie. It might not make you think deeply like Pixar films often do, but it will help you embrace your inner child’s boundless imagination. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride (ha). — Petrana Radulovic

Cars 2 is streaming on Disney Plus .

And everything else we’re watching...

John Travolta as Jack in Brian De Palma and John G. Fox’s Blow Out

Writer-director Brian De Palma replaces the curious eye of a swingin’ ‘60s fashion photographer for the tuned ear of a B-movie sound designer in this loose remake of Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film, Blowup . The choice turns an average mystery it one of the essential thrillers of the 1980s.

With more in common with Klute and The Parallax View than the Hitchcockian riffs that De Palma became known for, Blow Out finds a young John Travolta in over his head when a night out with his microphone leads him to witness and record the assassination of a rumored presidential candidate. The police think the car wreck was an accident; proof on Travolta’s magnetic sound tape, which he plays and replays and reconstructs with meticulous strain, suggests a hidden gunman was behind the death. Teaming up with a prostitute who was in the car at the time, and while being hunted by the shadowy figure behind the murder, the sound engineer jumps through hoops to substantiate his sonic evidence. Through it all, De Palma uses long-360-degree camerawork, God’s eye views, split-diopter lenses, and eye-popping color to crank up the suspense. — Matt Patches

Blow Out is streaming on Showtime Anytime and available to rent on Amazon and Apple .

The Dark and the Wicked

The Dark and the Wicked is the latest release from Shudder and follows a family as an otherworldly evil takes over their farm and tries to take over their near-comatose father. It’s a pretty standard horror movie premise, but where The Dark and the Wicked really sets itself apart is in its relentless desire to scare you. This is a movie operating on a scares-per-minute quota that it always meets.

Unlike most normal possession movies, which would rely on careful set ups and long drawn out tension, The Dark and the Wicked starts its frights early and never slows down. There are haunting shapes lurking in dark shadows, loud sheep, glass bottle windchimes, a haunted diary, spiders, gore, and the actual devil. And that’s only the first half hour.

None of the movie’s scares are entirely unique, but that’s never really a problem. It feels more like director Bryan Bertino ( The Strangers ) is pulling them from a horror-movie thesaurus, but each one is perfect for its moment and is exceptionally well executed.

It’s hard to imagine a better pairing of streaming service and movie than this one too. Bertino is both mining the depths of horror-movie history, while actively working against the genre’s conventional pacing and rhythms, which makes it perfect for Shudder’s horror-movie paradise. The Dark and the Wicked isn’t the scariest movie I’ve ever seen, but it’s a great way to spend 90 minutes and exactly the kind of movie I come to Shudder for. —Austen Goslin

The Dark and the Wicked is currently streaming on Shudder and available to rent on Amazon .

Jürgen Prochnow as Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock in 1981’s Das Boot

My twice-a-month friend movie club decided to stick with movies that came out in 1982 for this next round of picks, hence Das Boot , which none of us had seen. (It originally released in Germany in ‘81, and arrived in the States in ‘82.) The Director’s Cut comes in at 3.5 hours, so I was bracing for a bit of a slog.

But, as it turns out, I found it massively compelling and not remotely indulgent. The characters are well fleshed out, and by the end I was fully enraptured by their intense journey. If you’re into Band of Brothers , this is tonally very similar, and the 3.5 hours can easily be broken into three separate viewings for a more episodic delivery mechanism. It’s easily one of the best war movies I’ve seen. — Russ Frushtick

Das Boot is available for rent on Amazon and Apple .

The Eisenhorn Trilogy

Gregor Eisenhorn, in art for the Black Library book trilogy starring him.

Back when they first came out in 2006, I gobbled up Dan Abnett’s Horus Heresy books with relish. They were my gateway into Games Workshop’s Black Library of Warhammer 40,000 novelizations, but I fell off of the series around Descent of Angels: Loyalty and Honour and began skipping around. That’s how I came to entirely miss the tremendous Eisenhorn trilogy.

Set during the 42nd millennium — effectively the current timeline of the 40K universe — there are three books in the series, titled Xenos , Malleus , and Hereticus . They tell the story of inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn and his colorful band of companions. Together, they show a completely different side of the 40K universe. Rather than focusing on tales of epic battles and planetary bombardments (although there are a few), Abnett focuses on a far more intimate storyline filled with intrigue, suspicion, and political machinations. It’s far from Shakespeare, but they’re excellent fun.

Rather than read them in paperback, for the last month or so I’ve been banging away at them via Audible , where they’re read by the excellent Toby Longworth. I’m not really accustomed to listening to audio books, but Longworth’s presentation made for some excellent long-distance drives and plenty of hobby time with the Warhammer 40,000 Indomitus boxed set.

It might be a good time to get caught up yourself, especially considering that Amazon has made it known they plan to produce a live-action television series based on these novels . Big Light Productions — the folks responsible for Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle — are signed on to the production. —Charlie Hall

The Man From Nowhere

A man in a black suit (Won Bin) with blood on his face and hands trains the sights of a pistol at an off-screen target.

Lee Jeong-beom’s 2010 action thriller The Man From Nowhere feels like a direct spiritual precursor to Derek Kolstad’s John Wick series, albeit more subdued and emotionally driven. Won Bin plays Cha Tae-sik, a mysterious widower-turned-pawnshop keeper who despite living in self-imposed seclusion forms an unlikely bond with So-mi (Sae-ron Kim), a young girl who lives in the same apartment complex. When So-mi mother’s steals a package of heroin from a ruthless gang of human traffickers and she and her daughter are abducted in an attempt to recover it, Cha Tae-sik embarks on a bloody campaign to exact revenge on them and rescue So-Mi, all while a team of South Korean DEA agents attempts to unravel the mystery of his elusive past and bring both him and the traffickers to justice.

The film is a methodical slow burn that explosively culminates in one of the most breathtaking knife fight showdowns I’ve ever seen in an action film. Won Bin’s raw and terse performance is magnetic, drawing the audience through the screen while propelling the action forward. The fact that he has yet to appear in a single film since only adds to the allure and mystique of his presence here. Sae-ron Kim is terrific here as well, delivering a speech here towards the tail end of the first act that’s beautiful and devastating in its emotional appeal. Considering recent reports that John Wick director Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad are currently attached to develop a forthcoming American adaptation , now is the perfect time to check out Lee’s original if you haven’t seen it already. From its stirring performances, don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it action sequences, and engrossing score courtesy of Oldboy composer Hyun-jung Shim, The Man From Nowhere is a tremendously gratifying action flick for anyone hungering for a more emotionally driven thrill ride. — Toussaint Egan

The Man From Nowhere is streaming on Amazon .

In the Mood for Love

When you see one Wong Kar-wai film, you immediately want to see all of them, but not at once: They’re movies best enjoyed as chance encounters, like beguiling strangers you spend two hours with at a bar or on a train before continuing on your way. I can’t tell you how long I’ve had In the Mood for Love unwatched on my shelf for, but last Saturday was the evening we finally crossed paths. The movie is about neighbors Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-shen who begin to suspect their spouses are having an affair with each other, and slowly start to develop a relationship of their own. It’s an achingly beautiful movie, full of deep reds and tight, lonely spaces, one of those stories where nothing and everything happens all at once. Which is kind of how it goes, when two people begin to understand what they want only when they realize what they lack. —Joshua Rivera

In the Mood for Love is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel .

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Cars Parent Guide

Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is a little, red race car with big, bright ambitions. When he is accidentally detoured in the dusty town of Radiator Springs, Lightening meets the eclectic locals (voiced by Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, and Larry the Cable Guy) who try to help the hyperactive hotrod understand there are more things worth revving one's engines over than just speed.

Release date June 8, 2006

Run Time: 117 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

If you were a car, what would you be? A sporty Ferrari, a powerful SUV, a practical minivan, or a rusty old antique? In Radiator Springs, there’s a vehicle nearly everyone can relate to.

Unfortunately, the town appears to be on its last oil change. Following the construction of a new Interstate, the once-thriving community on Route 66 has been bypassed and is now nearly abandoned. Only the stalwarts still live there. Among them is Sally Carrera, a 2002 Porsche 911 (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), Fillmore the 1960 hippie VW van (voiced by George Carlin), Luigi the 1959 Fiat 500 (voiced by Tony Shalhoub), and Mater the toothy tow truck (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy).

However, the sleepy little village gets an infusion of high-octane fumes when Lightening McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), barrels into town, unintentionally ripping up the road and destroying public property. It seems the cocky red racer became lost after falling out of his car carrier (voiced by Pixar regular John Ratzenberger) while heading for a track in California.

But despite the hot-rod’s pleas to let him get back on the road and off to the races, the local residents aren’t about to let Lightening leave without fixing things up. Under the gruff gaze of Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman), the rookie is sentenced to repair the road by pulling the lumbering paving machine down Main Street.

Celebrated as the youngest car ever to have a shot at the Piston Cup, Lightening is revved to beat his top competitors, The King (voiced by racing legend Richard Petty) and Chick Hicks (voiced by Michael Keaton) at the LA International Speedway. Yet after spending a few days in Carburetor County, the self-centered rookie begins to realize that life isn’t all about finish lines, accolades and clicking cameras. Sometimes even a race car needs to shift down and enjoy the journey.

Infusing the car lot with the same charm it brought to the toy box (in Toy Story I and II ), Pixar relies on a mix of comedy, drama and a little romance to tell the tale of these autos’ attempts to get their town back on the map, all while enjoying a night of tractor tipping or an afternoon drive up the canyon. In addition to being fully loaded with personality, many of these animated automobiles are further enlivened by the vocal talents of real racing legends such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Mario Andretti, and Michael Schumacher.

Like the company’s previous films, Cars manages to mix humor for adults and children, although the script contains some mildly suggestive sexual comments, a few sentences that stop just short of a profanity and Fillmore’s famous homemade organic fuel made from questionable ingredients. Rolling in at nearly two hours long, the movie could also be a bit lengthy for young audience members who may need a pit stop along the way.

Still the back roads and small towns of America have never been more entertaining than Radiator Springs, where having a great time is far more important than making great time.

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Kerry Bennett

Cars rating & content info.

Why is Cars rated G? Cars is rated G by the MPAA

All the attention of being a world-class racecar goes straight to Lightening McQueen’s head. As a result he is rude to his pit crew and obnoxious with the other competitors. During a race, one car bumps the others, causing a major accident on the track. On a long road trip, a tired truck starts to fall asleep and nearly causes an accident. A gang of hotrods harasses other cars on the highway. A car tries to outrun a train at the crossing. While fleeing from the police, a car causes massive property damage and later tries to avoid the consequences. During a road race, a car misses the turn and crashes on the side of the road. A hippy van sells homemade organic fuel (referred to as freak juice). For entertainment, two cars go “tractor tipping”. An angry combine later chases them. There are some veiled sexual references and comments, among them a car flashes his headlights at another, cars cuddle up and kiss, and a car exposes its undercarriage. A character comments on a car’s pin striping tattoo. The script also includes some name-calling, near profanities and jokes based on misunderstood words.

Page last updated October 28, 2013

Cars Parents' Guide

Despite his wild popularity, Lightening McQueen doesn’t have any real friends. How do his actions and attitudes toward others contribute to that? Who teaches him about being a “best friend”? Why is trust important in a good relationship?

After ripping up the town, Lightening is forced to pay the consequences for his destructive behavior. How does that community service change his attitude? What does it teach him about himself and others? Is it important to be held accountable for our actions?

For more information on the real Route 66 and its importance in American history, check out the following sites:

http://www.route66.com/66History.html

http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/route66.html

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Facts.html

The most recent home video release of Cars movie is October 29, 2013. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Cars 3D: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Release Date: 29 October 2013

Cars releases to home video (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) in a 3D version.

Home Video Notes: Cars Director’s Collection

Release Date: 1 November 2011

Cars1 & 2 are available in the Cars Director’s Collection (11-Disc Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy)

Eleven Discs:

- Cars (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

- Cars Toon: Mater’s Tall Tales (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

- Cars 2 (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + Bonus Disc)

- Theatrical Short - Toy Story Toon: Hawaiian Vacation

- Cars Toon: Air Mater

- Director Commentary

- Nuts and Bolts: A Sneak Peek of Cars Land

- World Tour Interactive Map

- Deleted Scenes

- Short Documentaries

- Set Explorations from the Different Cities in the Movie

- And More!

On April 12, 2011, Cars releases to Blu-ray in a Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo package. Bonus materials include:

Blu-ray Disc:

- Carfinder Game-Discover Hundreds Of “Car-acters”

- Mater And The Ghostlight Short - Now In Hi-Def

- Cine-Explore - For The Ultimate, Behind-The-Scenes Experience

- Deleted Scene - Traffic School

- Radiator Springs Featurettes

- One Man Band Short

- Inspiration For Cars

- Mater And The Ghostlight Short

-One Man Band Short

DVD Release Date: 7 November 2006

Gentlemen, start your DVDs. Cars is racing into the home entertainment market packed with a lot of flashy accessories. Whether you chose the wide or full screen presentations, the disc offers a new animated short: Mater and the Ghostlight as well as the Academy Award-nominated animated short: One Man Band. Director John Lasseter shares his inspiration for the production. Also tossed in are deleted scenes and a Ratatouille teaser trailer. Audio tracks are available in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), with subtitles in English.

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Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: Cars (2006)

General Disdain
Movie Reviews
5 responses
--> June 26, 2006

Ah, the child in me resurfaces just in time to watch the latest offering from Pixar and Disney. Usually, the inner child shines through after drinking like a NYC hobo, but this time it was in anticipation of Cars . I love being a kid!

This time around, the story revolves around a egotistical race car named Lightning McQueen — a rookie in the Piston Cup Stock Car Racing Series. Now of course the plot isn’t particularly original; guy is self-centered, he realizes as the movie progresses that he indeed needs others around him to make his dreams come true . . . What sets Cars apart is most obviously the animation. Here again we have a masterful demonstration of what CGI can do in the right hands. The colors are vibrant. The scenery is well thought out, most pleasing is the fact that there is action is the background — this shows the animators really thought out the project. No stationary shit here. It’s also funny to see how the world is setup to accommodate cars as humans — garages as hotels, oil and gas as beverages, etc.

Of course, an animated picture also relies heavily on the voice acting. The nasally, boy-eyed wonderment voice of Owen Wilson as McQueen was well cast. More surprising was Larry The Cable Guy as Mater. His stand-up is rather weak, but he was definitely a shoe-in for a redneck, good ‘ole boy. Even his “Git er done” moniker fit well!

Another surprise is Cars isn’t just a stupid animated NASCAR flick. I cringed at the thought this may be a mindless, drive around an oval kind of movie (if you know me, you’ll see the irony). But alas, relief came swiftly. Although Cars relies heavily on the race inspired theme (it is called Cars , afterall), there is plenty of side themes and distractions to make this movie more well rounded and enjoyable for the non race fans (sinners). You’ll definitely get a kick out of the tractor tipping scenes.

Cars is well worth your time and money. Not only will your inner child resurface but your kids will have a blast as well. Well done Pixar — after seven high exposure feature films, you haven’t missed a beat (wish other movie studios would think about this before dumping more shit our way).

Tagged: friendship , judge , racing

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

Movie Review: Ghosted (2023) Movie Review: Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) Movie Review: Fantasy Island (2020) Movie Review: Snatched (2017) Movie Review: Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) Movie Review: ABCs of Death 2 (2014) Movie Review: Life After Beth (2014)

'Movie Review: Cars (2006)' have 5 comments

June 28, 2006 @ 10:41 am Cannabis Corpus

Pixar in it’s tradition of making par excellence animation came out with yet another offering. The story is a tad bit cliched in the fact that it is the same ol’ formula that transformed a cocky guy/car finds himself in Radiator Springs and then becomes less cocky because he has found something he hasn’t had. Surprisingly enough that is the only problem I had with the film.

As per Mr.Catena’s previous statement, what’s so notable about this movie is, without a doubt, its technical achievementsâ€”this particular facet that perhaps blows all other Pixar movies out of the water. Showcasing crisp, vibrant and almost real-life animation, some scenes make you forget you’re watching just a 3D animation. Racing scenes appear so real you’ll experience the exhilaration of watching a real racing yourself (or even better). Owen Wilson as McQueen and Paul Newman as the doctor/judge, the voice talent is perfectly cast especially Larry the Cable guy as the hillbilly tow truck who is quick to christen himself as McQueen’s best friend. By the way Michael Schumacher, the Ace German Formula 1 racing legend, is also cast as himself this time as a Ferrari appearing in the late part including some of the greatest names in the racing world.

The only downside to this movie is that it tends to drag a little bit in the middle and you get disengaged from the movie for that bit.

As a piece of fast-speed and high-quality entertainment, Pixar’s Cars is the best fun you’ll have all year. As a last word to the wise, be sure to stick around during the credits. It’ll be worth your time just as much as the rest of the film was.

June 4, 2007 @ 12:21 pm Norcal

A pretty good movie. I think most parents will be able to comfortable sit through it and maybe even enjoy it.

Mostly a kid movie, but good enough for adults too. I especially liked the tow truck Ta-Mater (without the Ta-) :)

May 11, 2008 @ 9:09 pm Ojay

I love Pixar, but Cars bored the crackers out of me. However I was down with a bad case of the flu when the kids rented it from Blockbuster. Perhaps, if I had seen in under different circumstances, I would have thought differently. If it’s mostly a kid movie, as Norcal said, I won’t bother renting it again just for myself.

December 6, 2008 @ 8:18 pm Redding

Pretty good movie. Not one that I’ll want to sit through again though. As “Norcal” mentioned, mostly a kids movie. (well, it is a cartoon, what do you expect)

January 18, 2010 @ 6:37 am jenny

Myself and my kids love that movie! I think it really shows how hard work and good friendships are virtuous.

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"Remembering and Celebrating Small-Town American Values"

What You Need To Know:

(BBB, CC, PPP, CapCapCap, L, V) Very strong moral worldview with redemptive moments and important moments that have a very strong, nostalgic feel for good old-fashioned, small-town American values and some of the bygone things that helped make America a great place to live, including lovable cars own their own businesses and reference to angels and sacrificial love demonstrated; two light exclamatory profanities ("O, Lord" and "My God"), some derivatives of the word "dang," one "heck," play on the word "butte," the phrase "Hillbilly Hell" comes up twice, and vehicles backfire occasionally to sound like passing gas; light, but exciting car racing and slapstick violence such as cartoon race cars crash, villain cartoon car bumps other cars to cause crashes or get ahead, a couple cartoon cars flip end over end, cartoon car lands in cactus a couple times, cartoon car accidentally tears up road, and monster harvesting machine chases cartoon car and cartoon tow truck; no sex, but romance develops between male cartoon car and female cartoon car, and male cartoon tow truck jokes that female cartoon car wants him "for my body"; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, nothing else objectionable.

More Detail:

CARS, Pixar’s new movie in conjunction with Disney Studios, is a feast for the eyes and the heart. It is a great movie that will be beloved by young and old alike.

Fast-paced comedy isn’t such a primary goal as in previous Pixar movies like the TOY STORY movies or MONSTERS, INC. The movie more than makes up for it, however, in nostalgic drama, character depth, a salute to a bygone era of Americana, and racecar action.

In the story, which takes its time developing, hotshot rookie racecar, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), has his sights on winning the Piston Cup in a three-way race between rivals The King and Chick Hicks. A series of coincidences leaves Lightning stranded in an isolated, small desert town called Radiator Springs, off Route 66. There, Lightning gets into trouble with the law and the town judge for speeding and wrecking the main road. He is sentenced to re-build the road.

While Lightning works to rebuild the road so he can get to the champion race in California, he encounters all the quirky cars running the town and its various businesses. They teach Lightning the importance of integrity and caring for others instead of himself. They also teach him that winning isn’t everything, and that, sometimes, you have to lose yourself and slow down in order to find yourself and re-discover the values you lost. Or, the values you never knew you had.

As is the case with everything Pixar does, the computer animation in CARS is first-rate. New achievements in re-creating the real world in a fantasy setting are achieved. Not the least of these wonderful re-creations are the movie’s beautiful, colorful renderings of buildings, living cars, bugs made to look like tiny cars, roads, highways, scenery, and nighttime settings.

Despite the mixed pace of the story’s first part, the movie has a depth of feeling and the character arcs have a nostalgic depth that remind one of the most poignant moments in the great Pixar classic, TOY STORY II. This movie perfectly captures the old-fashioned values that made small-town America and the American family worth preserving and celebrating, as well as emulating.

American parents should start teaching their children some of these moral, American values before it’s too late. Prayerfully, it’s not too late. And, prayerfully, the international audience will see CARS so that they too can learn to appreciate, and even emulate, these values for themselves and their own children and grandchildren.

CARS is the best movie so far of 2006. I cried and laughed. It touched my heart and soul. Thank you so much, Pixar!

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Cars Reviews

It’s a deceptively simple film that plays with more profundity as you get older and appreciate its themes more.

Full Review | Mar 1, 2024

This is a very good piece of animation, but given the source, it’s not unreasonable to expect better.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 29, 2023

No pun intended, but Cars is a prominent example of a middle-of-the-road animated feature.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 10, 2023

The film's two-hour length is unbearable for an animated feature.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Nov 15, 2020

An absolute wonder that... gives us almost two hours of great cinema. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Feb 12, 2020

Children will love the Toy Story-like simplicity, but adults will appreciate the humor aimed right in their direction.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Nov 19, 2019

The movie's Route 66 mythology, coupled with the presence of Paul Newman in what would turn out to be his final theatrical feature, lends it a nostalgic, bittersweet tinge.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 20, 2019

Its simple elegy for a once-buzzing small town bypassed by an interstate and forgotten by time is a poignant tribute to small towns everywhere.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 5, 2019

Overall [I] enjoyed it.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Feb 21, 2019

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get a ticket for doing 70 in a 45-mile-an-hour zone. It's that kind of a movie, and the real feel of the racing footage is absolutely spectacular.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jan 5, 2018

'Cars' has energy and heart-two things that 'Robots' lacked.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Oct 23, 2013

Cars is a nice homily to small town life and remembering the past - which definitely has its charms - and call for remembering our roots, but it's been done better elsewhere.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Mar 10, 2011

Unlike other Pixar releases, Cars does not cross over to adults as well as Finding Nemo or The Incredibles. But kids will love it, and isn't that what this type of animation is all about?

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 7, 2010

Pixar's latest visual stunner with a heart of gold honors our obsession with the automobile. Although it will make many nostalgic for the open road, especially the historic Route 66, the kids might get a little bored with this one.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 8, 2009

Pixar's grown so metallic that having automobiles for animated characters becomes disturbingly apt

Full Review | Aug 30, 2009

Although the plot coasts along a predictable path, the verbal jokes and sight gags rev things up along the way, making the film enjoyable almost from start to finish.

Full Review | Jun 6, 2009

I've never seen a Pixar film so void of magic, and originality before...

Full Review | Apr 29, 2009

Owen Wilson's infectious good-natured energy permeates Pixar's light-hearted animated movie about "Lightning McQueen" a rookie competition race car that discovers there's more to life than winning races.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 23, 2009

This noisy animated paean to NASCAR and Route 66 gets mired in the middle laps on a grippy track.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Apr 23, 2009

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 20, 2008

Car Reviews

The 100 Greatest Movie and TV Cars of All Time

Our love of cars started right here. Movie and TV cars are literally the stuff of dreams. We're all let into theaters and plopped in front of the tube long before we're issued driver licenses.

Then we all dream of doing reverse 180s like Jim Rockford escaping thugs, or fleeing the po-po in a Shelby Mustang named Eleanor. We all want a best friend like KITT. And every orange Dodge Charger can fly, right?

These are the 100 movie and TV cars that built that passion.

100. The Monkees 1966 Pontiac GTO: Dean Jeffries turns a GTO into a massive T-Bucket with a blown engine. The TV show ran two seasons between 1966 and 1968.

99. Cannonball 1970 Pontiac Trans Am: Pure mayhem from the Death Race 2000 director. Based on the Cannonball race, it beat The Gumball Rally into theaters by a month in 1976.

98. Easy Rider Captain America Harley-Davidson: The ultimate biker road trip movie. Made in 1969. Made Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, and they're Harley's icons.

97. Get Smart's 1965 Sunbeam Tiger: The spy car for the spy who isn't James Bond. Driven for seasons one and two (1965-'67), then replaced by a VW Karmann Ghia.

96. Diamonds Are Forever 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1: James Bond rips Vegas apart in a great chase from 1971. Goes into an alley up on its right wheels, comes out on its left. So what.

95. The Saint 1962 Volvo P1800: From 1962-'69 Simon Templar (Roger Moore) showed up for no apparent reason in his white, British-built Volvo to help those in distress.

94. Days of Thunder 1990 #46 City Chevrolet Lumina: The movie that launched NASCAR's most successful decade. It was Cole Trickle's (Tom Cruise) Lumina that made good ol' boys cool.

93. Jurassic Park Ford Explorer: Self-driving, panorama glass roofs, high-tech information systems and the most iconic automotive paint job of the last 20 years.

92. Thelma and Louise 1966 Ford Thunderbird: Don't get too attached. The blue convertible meets its iconic end in this 1991 flick.

91. Stripes EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle: Built off of a 1970's GMC Motorhome, the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle is the heavily armed recreational vehicle you need to bash through the Czech border.

90. Scooby-Doo 1969 Mystery Machine Van: Without the Mystery Machine, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Scooby and Shaggy go nowhere. They've been going since 1969. That's 42 years.

89. Speed Racer 1966 Mach 5: The Mach 5 was the first truly awesome Japanese car. The 52 original episodes ran between 1966 and 1968. Over time, they've gotten no better.

88. Hooper 1978 Pontiac Trans Am: Unlike Burt's other Trans Am exploits, this Pontiac is red, rocket-propelled and drives under falling smokestacks. Car is cool, but the rocket car gorge jump is a joke.

87. Green Hornet 1966 Black Beauty Imperial: Dean Jeffries modified two Imperials as the Hornet's ride in this short-lived 1966 TV series. Perfect with Bruce Lee as the driver. Also the one thing the 2011 movie got right.

86. Dumb and Dumber Mutt Cutts Van: Another one for the kids. Harry and Lloyd's van is the birthplace of the most annoying sound in the world. You're making it now, aren't you?

85. Ghostbusters 1959 Cadillac Ecto-1: Who you gonna call in the 1984 film? The Ghostbusters showed up in this modified Miller-Meteor Futura ambulance.

84. The Munsters 1964 Munster Coach: George Barris' shop used three Model T bodies and a 289 Ford V8 to construct this for the TV series that ran from 1964-'66.

83. The Munsters 1965 Drag-U-La: Built at George Barris' shop by Korky Korkes, the coffin-based Drag-U-La first appeared in the 1965 episode "Hot Rod Herman."

82. Family Matters BMW Isetta: Known as the "Urkel Car" BMW's Isetta gets a spot on this list, as it is perfectly cast. The Isetta is also No. 3 on our list of the 100 Worst Cars of All Time .

81. Fireball 500 1966 Plymouth Barracuda: In this 1966 film, Frankie Avalon used this Barris custom to tow Richard Petty's stock car. It was a Popular AMT model kit.

80. Miami Vice 1986 Ferrari Testarossa: Ferrari didn't like the black Daytona replica the 1984-'89 NBC series was using, so it provided two white Testarossas for Season Three.

79. Against All Odds 1984 Porsche 911 SC: This car and a Ferrari 308 GTSi race on L.A.'s Sunset Boulevard in an underrated 1984 film. Stunt coordinator Gary Davis doubled Jeff Bridges.

78. Against All Odds 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi: In this great race action, the legendary stunt driver Carey Loftin drove the Ferrari. He was 68 years old at the time.

77. The Simpsons Canyonero: Sixty-five tons of American pride, the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown was ruled unsafe for city or highway driving.

76. Death Race 2000 1975 Shala-Vette: Dick Dean's VW-based kit twisted by Dean himself and Dean Jeffries for "Frankenstein." 1975's Death Race 2000 is the best Death Race .

75. Stingray 1965 Chevrolet Corvette: For two seasons (1985-'87) on NBC, if you needed help you called Nick Mancuso as "Ray" and he showed up in a black '65 Corvette Coupe.

74. Vega$ 1957 Ford Thunderbird: In this series Robert Urich played Dan Tanna, a Las Vegas detective who lived at the Desert Inn and drove a classic T-Bird from 1978-'81.

73. McQ 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD455: One of the few cars John Wayne drove in a film. This green beast tours Seattle and is ultimately crushed in an alley.

72. Bad Boys 1993 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6: Director Michael Bay used his own car as the lead vehicle in this 1995 movie. Wound up making Will Smith and Martin Lawrence movie stars.

71. Cars Lightning McQueen: Cars , released in 2006, isn't Pixar's best, but it has sold the most toys. Lightning McQueen is a cuddly version of a stock car.

70. Batman Begins 2005 Tumbler: The latest Batmobile is an amazing prop built for this 2005 film. Yes, it really drives even if it doesn't leap across buildings and rivers.

69. Two-Lane Blacktop 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge: This 1971 movie doesn't make much sense if you think about it. So don't think and appreciate the classic Pontiac muscle driven by Warren Oates.

68. Tucker: The Man and His Dream 1948 Tucker Torpedo: Great 1988 Francis Ford Coppola movie all about cars. Fully 21 of the 47 surviving Torpedoes were used in filming.

67. Cobra 1950 Mercury: Eddie Paul reportedly built four '50 Mercs for this 1986 Sylvester Stallone movie. The movie is lousy, but the car is outstanding.

66. American Graffiti 1958 Chevrolet Impala: It's Steve's car, but it's Terry the Toad who gets this ride in George Lucas' 1973 film about one summer night in 1962.

65. Rain Man 1949 Buick Roadmaster: The three stars of this 1988 drama are Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise and this big Buick convertible. Ten minutes to Wapner.

64. The Italian Job 2003 Mini Coopers: This movie introduced Americans to the concept of small cars being awesome. Charlize Theron behind the wheel didn't hurt, either. Thanks to an epic chase scene, more Minis have used the L,A. subway than residents.

63. The Italian Job 1968 Mini Coopers: Britain's greatest heist involves stealing gold through a traffic jam under and over Turin, Italy. Michael Caine was at his peak in 1969.

62. Casino Royale 2007 Aston Martin DBS: Few gadgets, but James Bond's DBS (a redressed DB9) performs a spectacular seven barrel rolls meeting its demise in the 2006 film.

61. The Living Daylights 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage: "Winterized" by Q into a hardtop, 007's Aston features missiles, skis and a rocket engine in the 1987 film.

60. Planes, Trains and Automobiles 1986 Chrysler Town & Country: The misery of travel exacerbated by renting a K-Car convertible in this 1987 film. It's eventually smashed between two semis and burns.

59. You Only Live Twice 1967 Toyota 2000GT Convertible: Not driven by Bond, but by Aki, a beautiful Japanese spy. Toyota never offered the 2000GT as a drop top. Two were made for the 1967 film.

58. Rebel Without a Cause 1949 Mercury: James Dean's ride in this 1955 drama of teen angst and delinquency. Released a month after Dean's death while driving a Porsche.

57. Miami Vice 1972 Ferrari Daytona Replica: It's a rebodied C3 Corvette. So what. This black car and Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" made the show a hit in 1984.

56. Transformers 1976 Chevrolet Camaro "Bumblebee": Sure, Bumblebee became a 2010 Camaro in this 2007 megahit. But really, he was better off as the clapped-out '76 on Cragars.

55. Christine 1958 Plymouth Fury: It's a Mopar, so of course it's evil. John Carpenter's 1983 film is rumored to have destroyed more than 20 '58 Plymouths depicting Christine.

54. Fast & Furious 6 : 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona: The movie is a monster hit and the Charger isn't bad either. What's not to love about this hugely modified Dodge Charger and its GM-sourced 430-horsepower 6.2-liter LS3. Read more on it here .

53. Fast Five 1969 Nissan Skyline GT-R: This gorgeous, worn-down car does nothing but drive through Rio and park. And with that alone, it steals the 2011 movie.

52. Iron Man 2008 Audi R8 : Product placement or not, it's the perfect car for genius Tony Stark (Robert Downey) to drive in this huge 2008 superhero hit.

51. Simon & Simon 1979 Dodge Power Wagon: From 1981-'89, this red pickup was detective Rick Simon's intimidating ride. All dull paint and big bumper.

50. 2 Fast 2 Furious 1998 Nissan Skyline GT-R: Forgive the neon lighting; it was 2003. The R34 is the best 2F2F car. The on-screen R34s ran with disconnected front differentials for drifting.

49. Better Off Dead 1967 Camaro: In this 1985 John Cusack film, it was the black Camaro that spoke the international language of love.

48. Le Mans 1970 Porsche 911S: In Steve McQueen's 1971 racing epic, the Porsche his character drives in the film's opening scenes is this 911S. It recently sold for $1.37 million.

47. The Fast and the Furious 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo: It beats a Ferrari on PCH. Then chases a motorcycle. And is given away to Vin Diesel at the end of this 2001 film.

46. Hollywood Knights 1957 Chevrolet: Popular Hot Rodding 's then supercharged "Project X" is driven by Tony Danza in this 1980 film. The always yellow '57 was recently rebuilt by GM Performance.

45. Thunder Road 1950 Ford: Robert Mitchum's 1958 moonshine drama features this hot-rodded '50. It runs from the Feds, who have a '57 Chevy that grabs bumpers.

44. Risky Business 1981 Porsche 928: Four 928s were used in filming and two more in post-production. The 1983 movie made Tom Cruise a star. Who's the U-boat commander?

43. The Blues Brothers 1974 Dodge Monaco: The 13 different Dodges that portrayed the "Bluesmobile" in this 1980 film were bought from the California Highway Patrol. Hit it!

42. Route 66 1961 Chevrolet Corvette: GM put Martin Milner and George Maharis (then Glenn Corbett) in a new 'Vette every year for this road adventure series between 1960 and 1964.

41. The Italian Job 1967 Lamborghini Miura: Reportedly, the Miura wrecked here was already destroyed before filming. That doesn't make its fate any less painful to watch.

40. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry 1969 Dodge Charger: Sometimes a '68 or a '69 in this 1974 movie, the Charger's explosive fame came in the explosive credits for TV's The Fall Guy.

39. 77 Sunset Strip T-Bucket: "Kookie" (Edd Byrnes) drove a wild T-Bucket actually built by Norm Grabowski on this 1959-'64 series. It defined '60s hot-rodding.

38. Bullitt 1968 Dodge Charger: This Dodge chased Steve McQueen's Mustang through San Francisco in this 1968 cop drama. Bad guys have been driving Chargers in movies ever since.

37. Corvette Summer 1973 Corvette: Converted to right-hand drive and drowned in overstyled fiberglass. Mark Hamill spends this 1978 movie getting it back after it's stolen.

36. Gone in 60 Seconds 1973 Mustang Mach 1: Toby Halicki wrote, directed, starred in and was the stunt driver for this 1974 chase film. What everyone remembers is Eleanor the Mustang.

35. The Gumball Rally 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder: "The first rule of Italian driving," says Raul Julia as he rips off the real Daytona Spyder's rearview mirror. "What's behind me is not important."

34. The Gumball Rally 1966 Shelby Cobra 427: Two genuine Cobras were used in this 1976 comedy that remains the best movie made about transcontinental street racing.

33. The Godfather 1941 Lincoln Continental: Sonny Corleone dies in a hail of machine gun fire outside his special Lincoln. It's the best car in this all-time-great 1972 movie.

32. Vanishing Point 1970 Dodge Challenger: 440 and a pistol-grip four-speed. The cops chasing Kowalski in this 1971 film don't know his first name. A '67 Camaro doubles the Dodge in the explosive climax.

31. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1910 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Musical about a miraculous car based on an old Grand Prix racer. Has made car guys out of millions of kids since 1968.

30. Back to the Future 1981 DeLorean DMC-12: Doc Brown: "The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?" It is 1985's best movie.

29. Back to the Future 1985 Toyota 4x4 Xtra Cab Pickup Truck: The DeLorean may have been the star, but that black Toyota Pickup stole the show. Screw time travel; we want to take that truck up to the lake with Jennifer.

28. American Graffiti 1955 Chevy 210: Bob Falfa's '55 challenges John Milner's self worth. It's the same '55 from Two-Lane Blacktop, painted black and with Harrison Ford driving.

27. Two-Lane Blacktop 1955 Chevy 210: Solid front axle, 454 with tunnel ram, glass nose and deck lid, Plexiglas side windows; it was nasty in 1971 and it's nasty now.

26. The A-Team 1983 GMC Van: Fugitive mercenaries hide in a van with a big red stripe. But on NBC between 1983 and 1987 it made perfect sense. At least it did if you were 12.

25. The Fall Guy 1982 GMC Sierra: Stuntman/bounty hunter Colt Seavers (Lee Majors) always had to jump his big GMC pickup. The ABC TV series destroyed dozens between 1981 and 1986.

24. Batman Tim Burton's Batmobile: Consider this one a generational thing, but Tim Burton's Batmobile, piloted by Michael Keaton, is the armored, jet-turbine-powered stuff of dreams.

23. Take This Job and Shove It 1974 Ford F-250 Bigfoot: The 1981 movie, starring Robert Hays, is forgotten. But Bigfoot's appearance made monster trucks a big deal.

22. The California Kid 1934 Ford Coupe: This 1974 TV movie made the '34 Three-Window built by Pete Chapouris one of the most famous hot rods of all time. It's still beautiful.

21. Magnum, P.I. 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS: Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) drove three different red 308 GTSs through eight seasons on this Hawaii-based detective show from 1980-'88. ROBIN1.

20. National Lampoon's Vacation 1983 Wagon Queen Family Truckster: Clark Griswold's indignities start when he doesn't get the Sport Wagon he ordered in this 1983 film. Wally World, here we come.

19. Le Mans 1970 Ferrari 512S: By Ferrari standards, it wasn't a successful racer. But it looked spectacular running alongside Porsche 917s in Steve McQueen's 1971 racing film.

18. Le Mans 1970 Porsche 917K: The greatest Porsche of them all, running full speed down the Mulsanne Straight with McQueen at the wheel. Then he destroys it in a spectacular wreck.

17. The Cannonball Run 1980 Lamborghini LP400S: A black Lambo with Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman aboard? Wicked. The great Brock Yates wrote this 1981 movie.

16. The Fast and the Furious 1970 Dodge Charger: The iconic car from this movie series is so intimidating that Vin Diesel is scared to drive it in the original film.

15. Ronin 1998 Audi S8: In John Frankenheimer's 1998 chase film, it's this big green sedan that does most of the pushing in its best chase.

14. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California: Yeah, the Ferrari in the 1986 movie was just a replica. But it's the first Ferrari many of us ever lusted after. You fellas have nothing to worry about. I'm a professional.

13. The Love Bug 1962 Volkswagen Beetle: A very good Disney movie that opened in 1968 and became the highest-grossing film of 1969. Herbie was a star from the start.

12. The Rockford Files 1974 Pontiac Firebird Esprit: P.I. Jim Rockford drove his tan coupe brilliantly between 1974 and 1980. He got a new one every year between 1974 and 1978. Made the reverse spin famous.

11. Starsky & Hutch 1975 Ford Gran Torino: The "striped tomato" may be the world's worst undercover cop car. But for four seasons on ABC from 1975-'79, it was awesome.

10. Batman 1955 Lincoln Futura Batmobile: George Barris' crew reworked and restyled an old Ford concept car into the great Batmobile for the campy 1966-'68 TV series. Turbines to speed.

9. Mad Max 1973 Ford XB Falcon: Australia's greatest export is George Miller's 1979 vision of a dystopian future, which includes the last of the V8 interceptors. Everyone wants a blower that can be turned on and off.

8. Gone in Sixty Seconds 1967 Shelby GT500: Steve Stanford designed this exaggerated GT500 "Eleanor" and it's been copied and copied ever since the 2000 movie hit.

7. Knight Rider 1982 Pontiac Trans Am: The Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT) was a supercar that talked to David Hasselhoff for four seasons between 1982 and 1986. At least KITT didn't have to listen.

6. Bullitt 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390: Even before the legendary chase begins, it was dented and tough-looking. This Mustang has defined cool for more than 40 years.

5. American Graffiti 1932 Ford Coupe: When this movie appeared in 1973, street-rodding was almost dead. John Milner's yellow '32 five-window made it relevant again.

4. Smokey and the Bandit 1977 Pontiac Trans Am: 1977's second most popular film. But you couldn't buy a Millennium Falcon, and Pontiac dealers had plenty of T/As. Speedy car.

3. The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 Lotus Esprit: In this 1977 film, it's a Lotus that turns into a submarine. That's enough to make it the third greatest movie/TV car of all time.

2. Goldfinger 1963 Aston Martin DB5: The greatest James Bond car is fitted by Q with "modifications" for this 1964 movie. The standard against which all spy, movie and TV cars are judged. Last year it sold at auction for $4.6 million.

1. The Dukes of Hazzard 1969 Dodge Charger: More than 300 Chargers portrayed the General Lee during the series 145 episodes (1979-'86). Today it's the ultimate Hollywood star car. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaw.

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DVD & Streaming
Action/Adventure , Animation , Comedy , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

June 24, 2011
Voices of Larry the Cable Guy as Mater; Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen; Michael Caine as Finn McMissile; Emily Mortimer as Holley Shiftwell; John Turturro as Francesco Bernoulli

Home Release Date

November 1, 2011
John Lasseter, Brad Lewis

Distributor

Walt Disney

Movie Review

The name’s McMissile. Finn McMissile.

In a world populated by living, breathing cars, this suave British Aston Martin is grill and fenders above the rest. He’s on one of the biggest cases of his top secret spy career. And it’s kept him busy zigging, zagging and outgunning the minions of the mysterious, monocled Professor Z. (Of course, they were only Gremlins and Pacers, so what chance did they have?) Next stop: Tokyo.

Meanwhile, an old friend of ours is headed to the Far East as well. Four-time Piston Cup winner Lightning McQueen has been invited to compete in the World Grand Prix against the arrogant Italian Formula Racer champion Francesco Bernoulli. It’s a special three-country touring race starting in Tokyo and sponsored by an alternate-fuel mogul. And being the friendly guy he is, Lightning invites his best buddy, Mater, the buck-toothed tow truck from Radiator Springs, to tag along.

The big Japanese city, however, is really no place for a small-town rustbucket like Mater. Besides embarrassing Lightning to no end with his silly antics, the goofy tow truck is mistaken by McMissile as his American spy contact. The British roadster thinks Mater’s down-home persona is nothing more than a well-oiled front. And a brilliant one, no less.

So while Lightning is busy with the race, Mater finds himself towed into the middle of an international conspiracy to sabotage the big event. He cluelessly putters along, dishing out his drawling, homespun wisdom here and there.

But as the nefarious plot to destroy every racer on the track (including Lighting) begins to play out, it turns out that only one character can possibly save the day: Mater. Tow Mater.

Positive Elements

Although McQueen defends his pal against a rival’s insults early on, Lightning and Mater have something of a falling out during the first race because of Mater’s seemingly brainless actions. Mater feels useless, and Lightning soon realizes that he was wrong for yelling, that he shouldn’t try to change his friend. He apologizes and says that the things that made them friends in the first place are the things that make Mater such a sincere and likable guy. Later, Lightning trusts another friend’s judgment because he doesn’t want to repeat his mistake with Mater.

An older Italian man reinforces that sentiment, saying, “Fighting is OK. But you gotta make up fast. No fight is more important than friendship.” Someone else chimes in, “Whoever finds a friend, finds a treasure.”

Rather than have his dents smoothed out, Mater elects to keep the imperfections because each reminds him of an event from his past, many of which he shared with Lightning. Later in the film, another dented car is inspired to follow his lead. The message is clear: The bumps and bruises of life make us who we are, and it’s better to embrace them than wish them away.

When called into action by the British spies, Mater repeatedly tells them, “But I’m just a tow truck.” Still, Mater rises to the occasion, demonstrating that courage, honesty and availability are more important than formal training or a fancy title. In fact, it’s Mater’s intellect and experience with the inner workings of automobiles that ultimately saves the day—not bad for a rustbucket others considered simple and naive. In fact, McMissile eventually says that Mater is one of the “smartest and most honest chaps we’ve ever met.”

As Mater tows a clunker who has a habit of breaking down, the needy vehicle tells his rescuer, “You’re the only one who’s nice to lemons like me.” Later, Mater gets a chance to tell other “lemons” to be proud of who they are. Indeed, not everyone can be a fancy race car or a tricked-out spy vehicle, and those made for different purposes should simply be themselves.

Finally, Mater puts his life on the line to save Lightning and foil the plot’s dastardly architect. Near the end of the film, many of Mater’s friends from Radiator Springs come to his aid.

Spiritual Elements

In Italy, we see the papal-hatted Popemobile riding inside his … Popemobile.

Sexual Content

Mater gets stars in his eyes and butterflies in his carburetor when he mistakes the spy-motivated conversation of Finn McMissile’s swoopy sidekick, Holly Shiftwell, as romantic interest. Indeed, he’s quite taken with her “purty” sheet metal. There are references to a female car needing coolant after she gets an eyeful of the fenderless Francesco, who, we come to realize, has enjoyed the company of quite a few female cars along the road. Two vehicles roll grill to grill for a metallic smooch.

Violent Content

Cars are outfitted with machine guns, rockets and other spy-weapon paraphernalia, resulting in numerous bullet-riddled and explosion-peppered chase scenes. Cars frequently crash and smash into the scenery and often crumble on impact. One spy, for instance, gets killed, and his body shows up as a cube of crushed metal.

In what’s easily the film’s most suggestively disturbing scene, a vehicle is tortured as his engine is revved and his internal fluids are slowly set to boiling. The victim begins smoking and reacting in pain and eventually blows up (offscreen). Elsewhere, some racers get nailed by an electromagnetic pulse that causes them to crash and their engines to erupt in flames, resulting in a multicar pileup.

When Mater gets cornered and captured by the bad guys, they use knock-out gas to subdue him. Mater, McMissile and Holly are bound to a giant mechanism set to crush them. Later, Mater realizes he has a ticking time bomb strapped to his engine. Holly shocks a car with an electrode gun.

Crude or Profane Language

Mater is quite fond of saying “dadgum” and “gee.” He also repeatedly mentions his propensity to “screw things up.” Put downs include “idiot” and “jerk!”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Cars in a club are served cocktail glasses full of iced oil. Mater chugs someone else’s drink, then balks at the taste and spits it back in the glass.

Other Negative Elements

Mater has several exaggerated and unpleasant water-spraying encounters with a Japanese toilet. An embarrassing public oil leak stands in for leaking bodily fluid. A speeding car splash-lands in the brown goop of an airport Lavatory Services tanker truck. Mater gobbles a plate of wasabi, which leads to a series of obnoxious outbursts as he overreacts to the famously fiery food. Mater backfires in flatulent fashion, then pardons himself and blames his recent diet.

Cars gamble at a Riviera hotel casino.

When Cars drove onscreen in 2006, it captured the nostalgic, small-town essence of a bygone America along Route 66. It was a sweet reminder—from its sentimental soundtrack to its charmingly humanized clunkers—that we shouldn’t speed too quickly past the precious things of life. It proved that even with anthropomorphized hunks of steel and rubber, Pixar could still hammer out an emotionally involving tale.

Those themes aren’t much in evidence this time around. Instead, Cars 2 shifts gears and amps up the action in a decidedly more cosmopolitan, world-hopping homage to classic spy movie motifs. And some of those new twists and turns force families to bounce over a few potholes.

For one thing, the secret-agent, fender-crumpling, crash-boom additions to the Cars universe import some violent imagery that goes too far for this reviewer, most notably the torture scene that ends in an unfortunate car’s pain … and death. Now, given the film’s animated nature, some might suggest I’m making too much of that scene. But when you give an inanimate object a face and then make its innards painfully boil and smoke, that’s pretty problematic stuff in a film intentionally aimed at very young audiences.

Speaking of kids, I’m sure plenty of them will cotton to Tow Mater’s nonstop, over-the-top, slapstick antics. But do you want them to? Beyond his hillbilly bumpkin shtick starting to feel gratingly one-dimensional in this sequel, he opens the door for more toilet humor than your typical Pixar pic—or even this film’s predecessor, for that matter. It’s a lowbrow streak that makes it a little difficult to warm up to the movie’s overarching “love your friends for who they are” message. (And some adults might be put off by the filmmakers’ obvious attempt to vilify “big oil” and stump for alternative energy sources.)

There’s still a lot to appreciate here, of course. The animation sparkles with typical Pixar pride and precision. Car-lingo one-liners once again cater to the racing crowd, while gentle world-culture lampooning is cute and plentiful. Solid examples of honesty, sincerity and committed friendship are on frequent display.

That said, I can’t help lamenting that much of the original’s emotional oomph feels like it was left on the hydraulic lift back in Radiator Springs.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Movie Review: Cars

Cars is Pixar’s most improbable success to date, a film that could easily have misfired, but somehow does not.

Elevated Art and Entertainment

Directed by Pixar honcho John Lasseter, who helmed Pixar’s first three films (the brilliant Toy Story films and the lackluster A Bug’s Life ) but hasn’t directed since, Cars ominously recalls some of the elements that made A Bug’s Life the most pedestrian and uninspired project in Pixar’s filmography. The total absence of human beings, for one thing. And a formulaic story of a threatened community pulling together to overcome adversity.

Happily, Cars is no A Bug’s Life . Offbeat and counter-intuitive, Cars finds a quirky creative groove and an emotional center that eluded the earlier Lasseter effort. The story of a callow young rookie racecar named Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) whose rise to the top is sidetracked by an unplanned stopover in a sleepy time-forgotten town may be formulaic, and on first viewing the first forty minutes or so — especially to an automotive non-enthusiast like me — seems a bit shaky. But the film’s sense of time and place, its 1950s small-town nostalgia, its jaw-dropping visual beauty, and its love of cars, the open road and the American Southwest ultimately elevate Cars to a level of art and entertainment that continues to defy even the best efforts of Pixar’s competitors.

Perhaps the film’s biggest risk is creating a automotive parallel universe without drivers — a world in which fixtures of 20th-century Americana, from NASCAR racing to the forgotten towns and mom-and-pop shops of Route 66, exist independently of human beings or indeed any animal life forms. In this world, if you squint at the flies buzzing around light fixtures, they turn out to be little VW Bugs, and tractors stampede like cows — and are subject to nocturnal tipping by rural pranksters. Even buttes and cloud formations in the background reflect the film’s autocentric milieu, with fin-tail and hood-ornament shapes cropping up everywhere.

The absence of drivers is reflected, almost literally, in the character design of the cars themselves, specifically in the placement of the eyes. Animated anthropomorphic autos (e.g., Speed Buggy) often “see” with their headlights, but in a driverless world it would be odd to see through the windshield into the empty driver’s seat, and so the windshields in Cars are transformed into the whites of enormous conjoined eyes.

Why does the absence of humans matter? The non-human worlds of the Toy Story films and Monsters, Inc. provided an emotional point of entry for viewers precisely by imagining how toys and monsters would feel about us , thereby holding up a mirror to our feelings about them . Had Cars developed the automotive side of the driver–car relationship, that might have been an intriguing way of tapping into the great American love affair with the automobile; but the filmmakers haven’t gone that route.

Without a Driver, What Motivates a Vehicle?

Without drivers to care about, what motivates a vehicle? As you might expect, it’s the same things — or rather, the same range of things — that motivate their human counterparts.

Take Lightning McQueen, who has come out of nowhere to be a spoiler for the Piston Cup. Like any brash, callow up-and-coming young athlete feeling his oats, McQueen is hungry to topple the big guys at the top — and to enjoy the rewards of celebrity, notably a lucrative new endorsement deal with Dinoco Oil. (Dinoco, the name of the gas station where Woody and Buzz fell out of Andy’s mom’s car in Toy Story , is one of numerous Pixar in-jokes.) Arrogant and self-centered, McQueen isn’t exactly a team player, and has little loyalty either toward his pit crew or his slightly stodgy current sponsor, Rust-eze, with its unglamorous clientele.

There’s also McQueen’s competition: classy reigning champ The King (voiced by racing icon Richard Petty), a 1970 Plymouth Superbird who’d like to retire in a (hopefully metaphorical) blaze of glory; and The King’s longtime rival, perennial runner-up Hick Chicks (Michael Keaton), who’s even more obnoxious than McQueen. Off the track, McQueen’s easygoing transport bigrig Mack (Pixar veteran John Ratzenberger) is content to haul the sporty racecar from race to race, and may be the closest thing McQueen has to a friend.

However, contrary to McQueen’s expectations, the most significant chapter in his life — and the heart of the film — takes place not on the racetrack or in the spotlight, but far from the beaten path of the Interstate, in the one-light town of Radiator Springs in Carburetor County. Once a prosperous rural community on the Route 66 thoroughfare from Illinois to California, Radiator Springs shared the decline of many similar towns that were bypassed by the new Interstate system.

For McQueen, Radiator Springs is the capital of nowheresville. He wants nothing to do with it or locals like gruff, no-nonsense Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), Mater the tow truck (comedian Larry the Cable Guy), and the businesslike Sheriff (Route 66 historian Michael Wallis), although he may make an exception for a sweet little Porche named Sally (Bonnie Hunt). Of course circumstances contrive to keep him in town, and of course McQueen slowly learns that he’s misjudged the town and its inhabitants, not least Doc Hudson, as in Hudson Hornet, of 1950s stock-car fame.

The plot elements are familiar and somewhat corny, most overtly resembling the 1991 Michael J. Fox comedy Doc Hollywood . But Cars has a specificity that goes beyond the lip service to small-town values typical to such films. It’s a heartfelt elegy to a lost culture, an almost mythic part of America’s past.

The Eisenhower-era nostalgia may be heartfelt, but it’s not entirely convincing. After all, it was Eisenhower who signed the Interstate Highway Act that doomed Route 66 and its small-town culture. Cars romanticizes the local feeling of a road that turned and wound “with the land” rather than cutting across it — conveniently overlooking the fact that those turns and bends cost lives, earning sections of the highway the moniker “Bloody 66.”

By contrast, the Interstate is disparagingly said to save drivers only “ten minutes of driving time,” but multiply the number of drivers per year by the time and fuel saved, and the benefit seems appreciable. Painful as it may be to watch communities decline, the answer, if there is one, isn’t not building better roads.

This Movie is Firing on All Cylinders

If Cars is heavy on hooey, it’s also genuinely endearing. The story is polished to a fare-thee-well, and the filmmakers have a few surprises up their sleeves. Refreshingly, neither of the big races that bookend the film ends the way formula would dictate. Cars doesn’t just mouth the platitude that winning isn’t everything; respect, dignity and loyalty are really honored above finishing first.

Mater the tow truck (Tow Mater, get it?) is funny and sweetly personable, and Newman’s Doc Hudson has real dignity and quiet authority. And, while praising the visuals in CG cartoons has become commonplace, Pixar’s work here goes beyond eye-popping realism into stunning beauty. This isn’t just technique, it’s art. The sprawling landscapes in Cars are even more gorgeous than the colorful coral-reef vistas of Finding Nemo , and that’s saying something.

Is Cars a disappointment? Only Pixar’s enviable track record could make it seem so. Compared to even the better efforts of their competition (e.g., Over the Hedge Robots ), Cars is firing on all cylinders, and then some.

For what it’s worth, no matter how consistently brilliant Pixar has been, I find that I never come to expect the next Pixar film to meet the same standard. Going into Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and The Incredibles , I rather doubted each time that the film I was about to see would live up to their predecessors, and I was pleasantly dumbfounded each time to find my expectations exceeded. Cars doesn’t exceed expectations, but it continues the winningest streak in Hollywood history with a film that any other creative team in Hollywood would kill to have be the weakest of their last five films.

P.S. Whatever you do, don’t miss the end-credit outtakes, which include the funniest end-reel gag in Pixar history, as the cars go to a drive-in and watch excerpts from a number of films that seem awfully familiar.

Steven D. Greydanus is a film critic for the National Catholic Register and appears weekly on Ave Maria radio. His website offers in-depth reviews of both contemporary and older films, evaluating them for moral and spiritual worth as well as artistic and entertainment value.

For complete ratings for this film and hundreds more visit the Decent Films Guide website.

By Steven D. Greydanus

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Do You Remember These Iconic Cars From Famous Movies?

Posted: October 30, 2023 | Last updated: October 30, 2023

<p>Director Hal Needham made the right choice by going with the Trans Am for <i>Smokey and The Bandit</i>. The model looked more or less the same after more than half a decade before the film was released in 1977. This iconic car captured the imagination of the movie's fans as the classic Trans Am slid around corners, leaped over broken bridges, and constantly evaded Sheriff Buford T. Justice. </p> <p>Sales increased by 30,000 cars from 1977 to 1978 and another 24,000 in 1979. Americans went nuts for the Straight light Black Special Edition paint job, the T-Top roof, and the car was better-handling than the Corvette of the same generation.</p>

Anytime a vehicle takes the spotlight away from a movies actors and becomes a superstar in its own right, that's when a great movie car is born. For example, It's nearly impossible to think about the original James Bond movies without thinking about the Astin Martin that helped 007 with his globe-trotting adventures. Honestly, without Q's heavily armed but sleek looking vehicle, the moving would be missing an important part of its allure.

And let's be honest, Caped Crusader would be less impressive if he ran around Gotham City on foot. From the Mirthmobile to cruising around in a Ford Explorer, these famous cars from the silver screen will bring back some fond memories — even if a few of them are clunkers in the real world.

<p>The car was never referred to as a Volkswagen in the first film as all branding had to be removed in<i> Herbie: The Love Bug</i>. However, the company would be on board for the sequel, <i>Herbie Rides Again</i>. Normally, the interior of the beetle would have been white, but the film's production team painted it gray so it wouldn't reflect off the studio lights.</p> <p>In all five films, Herbie appeared slightly different as over 100 cars were used in each production. Walt Disney Studios built 11 cars for the first movie, and only three of them are known to still exist today.</p>

1963 Volkswagen Beetle Model 117 Deluxe Sunroof Sedan from Herbie: The Love Bug

The car was never referred to as a Volkswagen in the first film as all branding had to be removed in Herbie: The Love Bug . However, the company would be on board for the sequel, Herbie Rides Again . Normally, the interior of the beetle would have been white, but the film's production team painted it gray so it wouldn't reflect off the studio lights.

In all five films, Herbie appeared slightly different as over 100 cars were used in each production. Walt Disney Studios built 11 cars for the first movie, and only three of them are known to still exist today.

<p>The classic Dodge Charger is both a star of TV and movies. The most famous of all was the '69 Charger "General Lee" as you will recall was used in the classic TV series, <i>The Dukes of Hazzard</i> and then in <i>Dirty Mary Crazy Larry</i>. In 2000, the car took to the screen once again, this time as a street-racing machine for Vin Diesel in <i>Fast and the Furious</i>.</p> <p>It was equipped with giant rear tires, a massive engine, and a supercharger sticking out of the hood, The car was in the climactic action scene with Dom Toretto lining up against Brian. Then, he floors the throttle and the Charger does a wheelstand and a burnout at the same time.</p>

The 1970 Dodge Charger from The Fast and the Furious

The classic Dodge Charger is both a star of TV and movies. The most famous of all was the '69 Charger "General Lee" as you will recall was used in the classic TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard and then in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry . In 2000, the car took to the screen once again, this time as a street-racing machine for Vin Diesel in Fast and the Furious .

It was equipped with giant rear tires, a massive engine, and a supercharger sticking out of the hood, The car was in the climactic action scene with Dom Toretto lining up against Brian. Then, he floors the throttle and the Charger does a wheelstand and a burnout at the same time.

<p>The Ectomobile, or ECTO-1 and ECTO-1A, from the Bill Murray era, is as famous as the actors riding inside it from the<i> Ghostbuster</i> films. Made from a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, it's an end-loader combination of an ambulance and a hearse with a 6.3-liter V8 engine, equipped with 320 horsepower.</p> <p>The original idea for the cruiser was much more sinister as it would have been painted black with purple and white strobe lights. Two cars were initially purchased, but the final converted version was used during filming. Car accidents occurred on several occasions in New York City when drivers failed to pay attention to the road while staring down the ECTO-1 during its promotional tour. </p>

The Ectomobile From The Ghostbuster's Franchise Is A 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor

The Ectomobile, or ECTO-1 and ECTO-1A, from the Bill Murray era, is as famous as the actors riding inside it from the Ghostbuster films. Made from a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, it's an end-loader combination of an ambulance and a hearse with a 6.3-liter V8 engine, equipped with 320 horsepower.

The original idea for the cruiser was much more sinister as it would have been painted black with purple and white strobe lights. Two cars were initially purchased, but the final converted version was used during filming. Car accidents occurred on several occasions in New York City when drivers failed to pay attention to the road while staring down the ECTO-1 during its promotional tour.

<p>Cars in the seventies were pretty radical in design. Pointy cars such as the Lancia Stratos and Lamborghini Countach changed the automotive landscape. However, neither car was driven by James Bond. </p> <p>In <i>The Spy Who Loved Me</i>, the iconic secret agent drove the white Series I Lotus Espirit and fans loved it. The moment that comes to mind is when the car transforms into a submarine after Bonds jumps the car into the water. Later on, it drives up to the beach, morphing back into a car. </p>

1976 Lotus Espirit Series I from The Spy Who Loved Me

Cars in the seventies were pretty radical in design. Pointy cars such as the Lancia Stratos and Lamborghini Countach changed the automotive landscape. However, neither car was driven by James Bond.

In The Spy Who Loved Me , the iconic secret agent drove the white Series I Lotus Espirit and fans loved it. The moment that comes to mind is when the car transforms into a submarine after Bonds jumps the car into the water. Later on, it drives up to the beach, morphing back into a car.

<p>While there are many classic cars used throughout <i>Grease</i>, the 1948 Ford De Luxe is the car that caught everyone's eye. It's also the same car Danny Zuko daydreams about and the same one he and Sandy fly away in after the carnival. </p> <p>From the scrapheap that's first seen in the shop to the souped-up Saran-wrapped car, it's got many cool features, with chopped front fenders, a Plexiglass hood, and tail fins. It's clear that the "four-speed on the floor" transmission Travolta sings about is nowhere to be seen in the race scene as he uses a column shifter. </p>

The 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible Was 'Greased Lightning,' in Grease

While there are many classic cars used throughout Grease , the 1948 Ford De Luxe is the car that caught everyone's eye. It's also the same car Danny Zuko daydreams about and the same one he and Sandy fly away in after the carnival.

From the scrapheap that's first seen in the shop to the souped-up Saran-wrapped car, it's got many cool features, with chopped front fenders, a Plexiglass hood, and tail fins. It's clear that the "four-speed on the floor" transmission Travolta sings about is nowhere to be seen in the race scene as he uses a column shifter.

<p>The Minis in the 2003 remake are great, but they don't compare close to the models from the 1969 film. The British Motor Corporation refused to donate any cars to the film, selling the production crew six Minis at trade price. </p> <p>Since the company was uncooperative, screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin refused to trade out vehicles for one of the world's most-famous chase scenes. The head of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, was excited about the film, as he offered to donate all the cars they need in place of the Minis. The red, white, and blue getaway cars feature a four-cylinder, 75-hp engine, with a top speed of 97 mph.</p>

1967 Austin Mini Cooper S 1275 From The Italian Job

The Minis in the 2003 remake are great, but they don't compare close to the models from the 1969 film. The British Motor Corporation refused to donate any cars to the film, selling the production crew six Minis at trade price.

Since the company was uncooperative, screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin refused to trade out vehicles for one of the world's most-famous chase scenes. The head of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, was excited about the film, as he offered to donate all the cars they need in place of the Minis. The red, white, and blue getaway cars feature a four-cylinder, 75-hp engine, with a top speed of 97 mph.

<p>While Chevy Chase is the star of the Griswold's misadventures, he wasn't always the main attraction. Instead, it's the "Wagon Queen Family Truckster" or the modified Ford LTD County Squire that played a big role in <i>National Lampoon's Vacation</i>.</p> <p>Shooting for the film allowed the cast and crew to take a road trip in real-life as they shot scenes in 15 locations across four states. There were five stations wagons made for filming, allowing for each one to be altered in the way the script had intended. The cars managed to survive vandalism, an amazing jump, and a breakdown in the desert, along with shifty mechanics.</p>

The 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire Is A Staple Of National Lampoon's Vacation

While Chevy Chase is the star of the Griswold's misadventures, he wasn't always the main attraction. Instead, it's the "Wagon Queen Family Truckster" or the modified Ford LTD County Squire that played a big role in National Lampoon's Vacation .

Shooting for the film allowed the cast and crew to take a road trip in real-life as they shot scenes in 15 locations across four states. There were five stations wagons made for filming, allowing for each one to be altered in the way the script had intended. The cars managed to survive vandalism, an amazing jump, and a breakdown in the desert, along with shifty mechanics.

<p>Movie magic with the limited budget of <i>Ferris Buller's Day Off</i> are the culprits of this Ferrari imposter. A replica was built to resemble a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California. Its combined parts include a steel-tube subframe, a Ford-sourced small-block V-8, and Ferrari-inspired fiberglass bodywork and emblems.</p> <p>Thankfully, a real Ferrari wasn't killed in the infamous car scene. Instead, the car was a 1985 Modena GT Spyder California. Three replicas were made for filming, with one being used for most of the movie, a second for stunts, and a third for other shots. </p>

1985 Modena GT Spyder California Is A Crucial "Character" In Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Movie magic with the limited budget of Ferris Buller's Day Off are the culprits of this Ferrari imposter. A replica was built to resemble a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California. Its combined parts include a steel-tube subframe, a Ford-sourced small-block V-8, and Ferrari-inspired fiberglass bodywork and emblems.

Thankfully, a real Ferrari wasn't killed in the infamous car scene. Instead, the car was a 1985 Modena GT Spyder California. Three replicas were made for filming, with one being used for most of the movie, a second for stunts, and a third for other shots.

<p>Kurt Russell was ideal for being in <i>Death Proof</i>, the story of a stuntman who liked to take unsuspecting women for rides. In the movie, the driver's seat is a proper racing seat with padding and a reinforced roof panel.</p> <p>As for the passenger side, the seat is a tractor with Plexiglass surrounding it. There were only four of these famous cars built for the movie, and the single fully caged vehicle that ran good enough to do the driving scenes was named "The Jesus." The other, called "The Prius," was destroyed while filming, which left "The Jesus" up for grabs.</p>

1971 Chevrolet Nova SS From Death Proof

Kurt Russell was ideal for being in Death Proof , the story of a stuntman who liked to take unsuspecting women for rides. In the movie, the driver's seat is a proper racing seat with padding and a reinforced roof panel.

As for the passenger side, the seat is a tractor with Plexiglass surrounding it. There were only four of these famous cars built for the movie, and the single fully caged vehicle that ran good enough to do the driving scenes was named "The Jesus." The other, called "The Prius," was destroyed while filming, which left "The Jesus" up for grabs.

<p>Even though the cars in <i>Jurassic Park</i> appear to be Jeeps, they're actually Ford Explorers. While the Touring Vehicles didn't see much off-roading, they're an integral part of the movie's experience. The cars were modified for the illusion of having fully-automated driving. The actual driver hid in the vehicle's trunk, where they watched a small TV that was fed outside images through two cameras.</p> <p>Only six cars were used in the film as they were charged at, stomped on, flipped over, and buffeted around by prehistoric dinosaurs. Three dumpsters full of car parts were hauled away at the end of filming.</p>

The 1992 Ford Explorer XLT UN46 From Jurassic Park

Even though the cars in Jurassic Park appear to be Jeeps, they're actually Ford Explorers. While the Touring Vehicles didn't see much off-roading, they're an integral part of the movie's experience. The cars were modified for the illusion of having fully-automated driving. The actual driver hid in the vehicle's trunk, where they watched a small TV that was fed outside images through two cameras.

Only six cars were used in the film as they were charged at, stomped on, flipped over, and buffeted around by prehistoric dinosaurs. Three dumpsters full of car parts were hauled away at the end of filming.

<p>The Mirthmobile in<i> Waynes World </i>resurrected both the Pacer and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." But, the car was intended to break ground in the compact-car category at the time. Its main selling point was its unusual width that was as wide as many midsize cars on the market at the time. It's typical for movies to have multiple versions of the same car.</p> <p>However, it's believed that only one Pacer was used for the casts' trip to Stan Mikita's Donuts. This Pacer has a larger 4.2-liter I-6 motor that was paired up with a three-speed auto transmission. The hatchback was modified for the film inside and out while being equipped with a hole in the roof allowing for the addition of the red-vines licorice dispenser.</p>

The Mirthmobile From Wayne's World Is A 1976 AMC Pacer

The Mirthmobile in Waynes World resurrected both the Pacer and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." But, the car was intended to break ground in the compact-car category at the time. Its main selling point was its unusual width that was as wide as many midsize cars on the market at the time. It's typical for movies to have multiple versions of the same car.

However, it's believed that only one Pacer was used for the casts' trip to Stan Mikita's Donuts. This Pacer has a larger 4.2-liter I-6 motor that was paired up with a three-speed auto transmission. The hatchback was modified for the film inside and out while being equipped with a hole in the roof allowing for the addition of the red-vines licorice dispenser.

<p>The Bluesmobile may not be the Batmobile, but the decommissioned police cruiser is recognizable as Jake and Elwood Blue's vehicle of choice or perhaps convenience. Born from the beloved<i> Saturday Night Live</i> sketch, there were 13 different cars used in filming, all of which were former California Highway Department patrol cars that were made up to look like Mount Prospect patrol cars.</p> <p>Between both movies, <i>The Blues Brothers</i> even managed to go through a combined 200-plus cars while filming. However, the Dodge Monaco version was only used in the first Blues Brothers film as the sequel featured a 1990 Ford LTD Crown Victoria.</p>

The Bluesmobile From Blues Brothers is a 1974 Dodge Monaco

The Bluesmobile may not be the Batmobile, but the decommissioned police cruiser is recognizable as Jake and Elwood Blue's vehicle of choice or perhaps convenience. Born from the beloved Saturday Night Live sketch, there were 13 different cars used in filming, all of which were former California Highway Department patrol cars that were made up to look like Mount Prospect patrol cars.

Between both movies, The Blues Brothers even managed to go through a combined 200-plus cars while filming. However, the Dodge Monaco version was only used in the first Blues Brothers film as the sequel featured a 1990 Ford LTD Crown Victoria.

<p>Anytime a vehicle takes the spotlight away from a movies actors and becomes a superstar in its own right, that's when a great movie car is born. For example, It's nearly impossible to think about the original James Bond movies without thinking about the Astin Martin that helped 007 with his globe-trotting adventures. Honestly, without Q's heavily armed but sleek looking vehicle, the moving would be missing an important part of its allure.</p> <p>And let's be honest, Caped Crusader would be less impressive if he ran around Gotham City on foot. From the Mirthmobile to cruising around in a Ford Explorer, these famous cars from the silver screen will bring back some fond memories — even if a few of them are clunkers in the real world.</p>

The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Appeared in Goldfinger

James Bond has a history of driving famous cars installed with some pretty crazy gadgets and that history can be traced back to its star with one very specific car. The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 was the same car driven in both Goldfinger and Thunderball. However, the special effects of the model have made the car one of the most beloved movie cars of all-time.

The extensive list of cool tricks included the ram bumper, machine guns, an ejector seat, and much more. If you look back on the history of the Aston from those famous films the most interesting feature may be the map screen in Bond's car, a feature that foreshadowed today's navigation systems.

<p>Like the Bond cars, Batmobiles have transcended for many generations. But the militaristic Batmobile Tumbler first appeared in Christopher Nolan's <i>Batman Begins</i> and <i>The Dark Knight</i>. The beefy 350-cid Chevy V8-cylinder powers the tank-like Tumbler to reach a speed of 60 mph in five seconds.</p> <p>The front tires on this custom Batmobile are mounted to an independent suspension with 30 inches of suspension travel. What makes the Tumbler stand out compared to many movie props these days is that it's a real thing. In no way or form is the car a computer-animated fantasy.</p>

Batmobile/Tumbler, Batman Begins

Like the Bond cars, Batmobiles have transcended for many generations. But the militaristic Batmobile Tumbler first appeared in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight . The beefy 350-cid Chevy V8-cylinder powers the tank-like Tumbler to reach a speed of 60 mph in five seconds.

The front tires on this custom Batmobile are mounted to an independent suspension with 30 inches of suspension travel. What makes the Tumbler stand out compared to many movie props these days is that it's a real thing. In no way or form is the car a computer-animated fantasy.

<p>Any vehicle driven, ridden, or stood next to by Steve McQueen was considered cool. But, the Highland Green 68 Ford Mustang GT 390 in <i>Bullitt </i>didn't need much help. The chase scenes on the public streets of San Francisco are some of the best ever recorded on film. Plus, the stripped-down look of the movie's Mustangs made them meaner-looking in the film.</p> <p>The original magnesium American Racing Torque Thrust wheels help to give McQueen's car its aggressive stance. The GT 390 was transcended into a cult movie status, becoming an icon when the company makes a limited edition version twice.</p>

The 1968 Mustang GT 390 From Bullitt

Any vehicle driven, ridden, or stood next to by Steve McQueen was considered cool. But, the Highland Green 68 Ford Mustang GT 390 in Bullitt didn't need much help. The chase scenes on the public streets of San Francisco are some of the best ever recorded on film. Plus, the stripped-down look of the movie's Mustangs made them meaner-looking in the film.

The original magnesium American Racing Torque Thrust wheels help to give McQueen's car its aggressive stance. The GT 390 was transcended into a cult movie status, becoming an icon when the company makes a limited edition version twice.

The 1977 Pontiac Trans Am Is The Iconic Car From Smokey and the Bandit

Director Hal Needham made the right choice by going with the Trans Am for Smokey and The Bandit . The model looked more or less the same after more than half a decade before the film was released in 1977. This iconic car captured the imagination of the movie's fans as the classic Trans Am slid around corners, leaped over broken bridges, and constantly evaded Sheriff Buford T. Justice.

Sales increased by 30,000 cars from 1977 to 1978 and another 24,000 in 1979. Americans went nuts for the Straight light Black Special Edition paint job, the T-Top roof, and the car was better-handling than the Corvette of the same generation.

<p>Every fan of the <i>Mad Max</i> film series has the right to make the argument that those films possess the most exceptional vehicles. If you've seen the latest installment, <i>Mad Max: Fury Road</i>, then you might feel compelled to become a fan as well.</p> <p>It took three decades between sequels when <i>Fury Road</i> was released, but there was little disappointment. The Gigahorse was a centerpiece vehicle that stole the show. With a double '59 Cadillac body powered by twin Chevy V-8s, this thing was spectacular.</p>

The Gigahorse From Mad Max: Fury Road

Every fan of the Mad Max film series has the right to make the argument that those films possess the most exceptional vehicles. If you've seen the latest installment, Mad Max: Fury Road , then you might feel compelled to become a fan as well.

It took three decades between sequels when Fury Road was released, but there was little disappointment. The Gigahorse was a centerpiece vehicle that stole the show. With a double '59 Cadillac body powered by twin Chevy V-8s, this thing was spectacular.

<p>Martin Lawrence and Will Smith star in the film series<i> Bad Boys</i> playing two Miami cops. Naturally, Smith is the smooth-talking, body-building cool cop, while Lawrence is the more serious partner. You can't be "cool" in Miami without having the wheels to match.</p> <p>Featured in <i>Bad Boys II</i> was one of the wildest chase scenes in movie history. Not only that, but they drove one of the greatest front-engined Ferraris, the 550 Maranello.</p>

Ferrari 550 Maranello From Bad Boys II

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith star in the film series Bad Boys playing two Miami cops. Naturally, Smith is the smooth-talking, body-building cool cop, while Lawrence is the more serious partner. You can't be "cool" in Miami without having the wheels to match.

Featured in Bad Boys II was one of the wildest chase scenes in movie history. Not only that, but they drove one of the greatest front-engined Ferraris, the 550 Maranello.

<p>It's hard to get any more classic than this right here. The John Carpenter directed horror film <i>Christine </i>featured a sleek 1958 Plymouth Fury. Sources say film producers used around 25 cars for this movie, but not all of them were Furys.</p> <p>In <i>Christine</i>, the illusion of the car regenerating herself came from using hydraulic pumps found in the car attached to the sides of a plastic-paneled body double. All the tricks came out of the bag to make this movie and car even more special.</p>

1958 Plymouth Fury From Christine

It's hard to get any more classic than this right here. The John Carpenter directed horror film Christine featured a sleek 1958 Plymouth Fury. Sources say film producers used around 25 cars for this movie, but not all of them were Furys.

In Christine , the illusion of the car regenerating herself came from using hydraulic pumps found in the car attached to the sides of a plastic-paneled body double. All the tricks came out of the bag to make this movie and car even more special.

<p>Yes, Baby Driver didn't release too long ago, but that won't stop us from including one of their main marketing ploys of the film. Baby from the film drove many cars you can get excited about, but the smoothness of this one takes the cake.</p> <p>A Subaru WRX with black rims and red body paint was an excellent way to start the movie. They also used this vehicle heavily as an advertising trick leading up to the release. People love Subarus.</p>

The Subaru WRX From Baby Driver

Yes, Baby Driver didn't release too long ago, but that won't stop us from including one of their main marketing ploys of the film. Baby from the film drove many cars you can get excited about, but the smoothness of this one takes the cake.

A Subaru WRX with black rims and red body paint was an excellent way to start the movie. They also used this vehicle heavily as an advertising trick leading up to the release. People love Subarus.

<p>There was only one car that could compete with Vin Deisel's classic muscle car, and it was this 1995 Toyota Supra Turbo MKIV. The two stars of the movie squared off in an emotional race, then Paul Walker's character offers him the keys so he can flee the scene after Dom crashes.</p> <p>Not only did this Supra have slick pieces of vinyl and a clean orange coat, but it was also incredibly fast. With a few performance mods, it was able to keep up with the Deisel's Dodge.</p>

Toyota Supra Turbo MKIV From The Fast And The Furious

There was only one car that could compete with Vin Deisel's classic muscle car, and it was this 1995 Toyota Supra Turbo MKIV. The two stars of the movie squared off in an emotional race, then Paul Walker's character offers him the keys so he can flee the scene after Dom crashes.

Not only did this Supra have slick pieces of vinyl and a clean orange coat, but it was also incredibly fast. With a few performance mods, it was able to keep up with the Deisel's Dodge.

<p>Transformers might be nothing more than giant machines that can replicate vehicles but in the 2007 <i>Transformers </i>film, excitement filled the Camaro community thanks to the birth of the Camaro Bumblebee.</p> <p>This was a Camaro Concept model built for General Motors with a Pontiac GTO chassis as a base. Did you suddenly start to notice more of these type of cars on the street after the release of this movie like we did?</p>

The Camaro Bumblebee From Transformers

Transformers might be nothing more than giant machines that can replicate vehicles but in the 2007 Transformers film, excitement filled the Camaro community thanks to the birth of the Camaro Bumblebee.

This was a Camaro Concept model built for General Motors with a Pontiac GTO chassis as a base. Did you suddenly start to notice more of these type of cars on the street after the release of this movie like we did?

<p>There's no way the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 wasn't making this list. This car raised the bar when it hit the big screen in 1985. The legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro designed this stainless-steel beast, which only adds to the legend of it. The prop staff, however, did help by replacing the V-6 with a V-8 from the Porsche 928.</p> <p>Despite how popular the movie became, the DeLorean didn't do so well on the market in the '80s. Still, the car gained a significant following by fans, so there's that.</p>

1981 DeLorean DMC-12 From Back To The Future

There's no way the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 wasn't making this list. This car raised the bar when it hit the big screen in 1985. The legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro designed this stainless-steel beast, which only adds to the legend of it. The prop staff, however, did help by replacing the V-6 with a V-8 from the Porsche 928.

Despite how popular the movie became, the DeLorean didn't do so well on the market in the '80s. Still, the car gained a significant following by fans, so there's that.

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Screen Rant

10 most iconic movie cars, ranked.

Cars have been appearing in movies since their invention, and throughout film history, there are some truly iconic cars audiences can't forget.

The right car is pivotal for a movie: it must be visually stunning, provide insight into the characters, and evolve with film history.
Cars in movies signify a character's role and humanity's relationship with cars. Car chases demonstrate speed, story, and setting development.
Iconic movie cars like Ford Anglia, Gran Torino, Thunderbird, and Mustang enhance the story, characters, and cultural significance of films.

Most movies today involve cars in one way or another, but for a movie car to become iconic, it must be visually appealing, technically incredible, and provide valuable insight into the world of the film. The kind of car a character drives says a lot about them. Today, cars have come to be used as a signifier for the role a character plays within a narrative. Additionally, humanity's relationship with cars can be tracked and understood when following how they've evolved and been part of film history.

Though movies that center on cars are sometimes written off as unserious or unimportant, their hold on the cultural mindset proves how pivotal the right car can be for a movie.

A classic use of the car in cinema occurs in the best car chases in movies , which demonstrate the speed and agility of the car, as well as the stunt capabilities of the performers. Car chases might be a common trope now, but when they were beginning, they not only showed off the cars but developed the story and gave the viewer an understanding of the setting. Though movies that center on cars are sometimes written off as unserious or unimportant, their hold on the cultural mindset proves how pivotal the right car can be for a movie.

10 Best Car Stunts In Movies, Ranked

10 960 ford anglia - harry potter and the chamber of secrets (2002), an early childhood example of how cars can impact a story and be memorable, harry potter and the chamber of secrets.

*Availability in US

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second film in Warner Bros. Wizarding World franchise. The sequel follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint), who try to uncover why students are being petrified at Hogwarts while also attempting to find the Chamber of Secrets.

The second film in the Harry Potter film franchise, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets had the difficult job of cementing the movie series as just as successful as the books. To do this, it starts differently than the first film and involves a fantastic addition to the flying car oeuvre of film. Ron (Rupert Grint) and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) miss the train to Hogwarts, and unsure of what to do, they borrow Ron's father's enchanted car and fly to Hogwarts. Though this adventure starts smoothly, it quickly ends with the kids crashing into a violent magical tree.

For many viewers, the first time they saw the Ford Anglia or saw a flying car in a movie was in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets .

The reason the unassuming Ford Anglia rose to prominence from just one movie is because of the juxtaposition of an older and less known car becoming an incredible flying machine. Additionally, for many viewers, the first time they saw the Ford Anglia or saw a flying car in a movie was in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets . This first impression, combined with the fact that the Harry Potter film franchise is extremely prominent and popular, made the flying Ford's impact significant enough for it to become part of the lore of the series.

9 1973 Ford Gran Torino - The Big Lebowski (1998)

The beat-up clunker that the dude loves more than anything, the big lebowski.

One of Joel and Ethan Coen's most successful crime comedies, The Big Lebowski follows Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) after he is assaulted in a case of mistaken identity. After becoming tangled with the millionaire who shares his name, the Dude is tasked with delivering a ransom in order to save Lebowski's wife from a group of hardened criminals. The Dude is joined by his bowling buddies Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi), who complicate Lebowski's plans.

One of the Coen Brothers' best movies , The Big Lebowski , stars Jeff Bridges as The Dude, an unlikely hero who gets caught in the scheme of a rich man who shares his real name, Jeffery Lebowski. Much like everything else about The Dude, his car is falling apart, and it takes a keen eye to see its value. By all accounts, the car is a mess, but this enhances its role in the film. It wouldn't make sense for The Dude to be driving a sleek, well-cared-for vehicle, and he's much more at home in the bedraggled Gran Torino.

Part of why this works so well is because the Gran Torino is an iconic car already, and seeing it in this context goes along with the satirical themes of the film. The Coen Brothers are famous for poking fun at Hollywood tropes and giving their stories plenty of edge, and taking a classic car and making it dilapidated is in line with the tone of The Big Lebowski . Whenever a Gran Torino is now onscreen, it's difficult not to think of The Dude.

8 1966 Ford Thunderbird - Thelma & Louise (1991)

The car that takes the titular characters on their unforgettable road trip, thelma & louise.

Thelma & Louise is a highlight movie in the history of film because it redefined and revitalized the road movie by giving it elements of friendship and feminism.

Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis are impossible not to fall in love with while watching Thelma & Louise . They have incredible chemistry, and when a young Brad Pitt joins them in his breakout role, it elevates the already incredible cast of characters. Thelma & Louise is a highlight movie in the history of film because it redefined and revitalized the road movie by giving it elements of friendship and feminism. However, that doesn't mean Thelma and Louise are the perfect heroes, but even with their moral ambiguity, they're impossible not to root for.

The story kicks off with Thelma and Louise setting off on a road trip vacation together, and the car they take is none other than the 1966 Ford Thunderbird. Driving an older but fantastic car like that immediately communicates to the audience that the film will pay tribute to its influences and be a modern twist on a classic story. When the Thunderbird quickly changes from a casual car to the means of their escape from the police, Thelma & Louise proves that the story wouldn't be half as compelling if they weren't driving the perfect car.

10 Movies Like Thelma & Louise Fans Will Enjoy

7 1974 dodge monaco - the blues brothers (1980), a pair of brothers carve a line through the midwest with their car, the blues brothers.

After being released from prison, Jake Blues (John Belushi) reunites with his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) to save a catholic home where they were raised together. To raise money, they put bring their old band back together and put on a show as "The Blues Brothers." Set in Chicago and based on Saturday Night Live characters, The Blues Brothers features several musical celebrity cameos such as Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown.

Many parts of The Blues Brothers have become iconic. From its tribute to the setting of Chicago to the instantly recognizable soundtrack, the cult classic comedy was always going to be known for the car the main characters drive. Starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as Elwood and Jake Blues, the actors turn out to be the perfect pair. Although both have strong personalities and comedic styles, they blend them seamlessly, making The Blues Brothers rewatchable today. The Bluesmobile, as they call their car, is a Dodge Monaco and decommissioned police car, making it quite recognizable.

There's a hilarious sequence in the film when they drive through Chicago and cause a massive car crash that wrecks a mountain of police cars that are chasing them. The Blues Brothers is a great example of how a car can reach cult status of interest even within a comedic plot. The movie isn't supposed to be taken seriously, and the Bluesmobile is played for laughs, but that doesn't make it any less important to the story.

6 1968 Ford Mustang - Bullitt (1968)

Steve mcqueen traverses san francisco in the best chase scene on film.

Not only one of Steve McQueen's best movies , Bullitt also includes the most definitive car chase scene in cinema. The movie takes place in San Francisco, and since the film was shot on location, the chase traverses the entire city, not only providing fantastic action but also gorgeous views of the beautiful American city. McQueen's character, Frank Bullitt, is a tough cop caught up in a conspiracy, but that's not the only reason McQueen was perfect for the role. He also had a long history of interest in cars and racing.

. Additionally, for audiences watching McQueen drive the car, it instantly made it an aspirational vehicle that would make the drivers feel as cool and confident as McQueen in the movie.

McQueen was known for doing his own stunts, and this included the incredible chase in Bullitt . Ford Mustangs have had a hold on the cultural consciousness before and after Bullitt , but the film does an excellent job of demonstrating the power and versatility of the car. Additionally, for audiences watching McQueen drive the car, it instantly made it an aspirational vehicle that would make the drivers feel as cool and confident as McQueen in the movie. Though not McQueen’s only car film, it had the biggest impact on cinema.

5 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder - Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

The universal symbol of youthful rebellion and 1980s teen movies, ferris bueller's day off.

John Hughes' comedy classic Ferris Bueler's Day off follows the titular high schooler, a self-assured, charming young man who wants a day off. Going to unheard-of lengths to secure that day for himself, his girlfriend, and his best friend, he conjures up the ultimate scheme to get them out of school. However, his sister and principal are confident he's up to no good, and his principal will embark on an equally overblown quest to expose Ferris' truancy.

John Hughes and his movies define the 1980s and teen cinema in many ways, and few have stood the test of time, as well as Ferris Bueller's Day Off . A young Matthew Broderick plays the titular Ferris Bueller, a conniving kid with a penchant for causing trouble but always manages to wiggle his way out of it. On the fateful day, the movie takes place, he blows off school and convinces his friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) to join him and have an epic day out in Chicago.

Of course, no perfect day in a teenage fantasy would be complete without a car the characters aren’t supposed to drive. Cameron's father owns the beautiful 1961 Ferrari, and from what the audience gathers, he cares about this car more than anything in the world. Though Cameron is hesitant to let them take it out, it adds to the lore of Ferris and his exploits. Since Ferrari cars have such high name recognition, even viewers who don't know much about cars understand that it's incredibly valuable and driving it is an opportunity no teen would pass up.

4 The Batmobile - Batman (1989)

Batman's means of transportation that is almost as well known as his suit, batman (1989).

Batman is a 1989 superhero movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson's chilling portrayal as Jack Napier, who turns into the Joker and reigns terror on Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce's trusty butler named Alfred.

His version of the Batmobile borrows enough from the comics that it's familiar to DC fans but is still a work of art all its own that stands apart from other Batman iterations, as Burton intended.

Like any Tim Burton adaptation, his 1989 version of Batman is highly stylized, dark, and foreboding, creating a vivid world for the audience to sink into. Part of this is thanks to the expert work of Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson in what was the definitive portrayal of The Joker at the time. The actors and their costars inhabit the off-kilter world with ease and make their huge character choices believable and understandable within the story. Of course, Burton could not stop with the sets and characters and had to ensure every aspect of the world was perfect.

This eye for detail comes through in the Batmobile that Keaton's Batman drives in the movie. His version of the Batmobile borrows enough from the comics that it's familiar to DC fans but is still a work of art all its own that stands apart from other Batman iterations, as Burton intended. Part of what makes Batman an interesting character is his endless supply of gadgets and technology, so creating a Batmobile that was in line with the film's style but was an enviable vehicle was a challenge, but Burton rose to the occasion.

3 Aston Martin DB5 - James Bond (1962 - )

No spy's arsenal is complete without a car that looks as good as it drives.

Every actor who plays James Bond puts his own spin on the role, but there are some parts of the franchise that have carried through since the first film adaptation in 1962. One of these is the inclusion of the Aston Martin DB5 as Bond's car of choice. While the Aston Martin DB5 has evolved over the years almost as much as Bond has, it's still just as big a cultural touchstone and provides a sense of security to the audience every time a new actor slips into the well-known role.

The pressure to live up to the expectations of being Bond fades a little once a performer gets behind the wheel and proves that he belongs in the same category as the greats who came before him. Many of the tropes and tricks of espionage movies originated from James Bond . The fast-paced car chases across the world and weapons in Bond's repertoire help maintain the legend of Bond just as much as the actors do. Maintaining loyalty to the Aston Martin DB5 is a symbol for the parts of James Bond that will always remain the same.

2 Dom’s 1970 Dodge Charger R/T - The Fast & Furious Franchise (2001 - )

Though many cars have made their name in the fast saga, dom's charger is the most enduring, the fast and the furious.

The first film in the Fast & Furious franchise, The Fast and the Furious introduces Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), an undercover cop tasked with infiltrating Dominic Toretto's (Vin Diesel) gang of street racers in order to investigate a string of vehicular heists. Falling in love with both Toretto's sister and the world of street racing, O'Conner finds his sense of duty strained to the limit by loyalty to his newfound friends.

The Fast and Furious franchise made its name through car racing and chases, unbelievable stunts, and Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel), who is the heart and soul of the movies. The first movie, The Fast and the Furious started it all when Dom met Brain (Paul Walker), an undercover police officer who was trying to take down his illegal street racing operation and crime family from the inside. It might not have been the Dodge Charger that changed his mind, but Brian soon realizes he loves Dom and the family and dedicates his life to racing alongside his friend.

Though Walker sadly passed away, Dom has been a constant throughout the franchise, as have the many cars he's driven. However, the most enduring and memorable of these vehicles is his original 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. Dom is shown to be the best racer and driver throughout the series, and when he gets behind the wheel of his Charger, all bets are off. Though the Fast and Furious franchise might not be the most critically lauded film series, its success and popularity elevate its elements to the point of legend.

Every Car Dom Has Driven In The Fast & Furious Movies

1 the deloren - back to the future franchise (1985 - 1990), the classic time machine that has become synonymous with the genre, back to the future.

Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown. In 1955, he meets his parents when they were his age, and must step in to make sure they wind up together before he gets back to 1985.

Not only is Back To The Future one of the best time travel movies , but it also made history by taking the otherworldly DeLorean and making it an extremely desirable vehicle. The DeLorean was the perfect choice for the film because it already looks like a futuristic spaceship combined, so it didn't take much suspension of disbelief for the audience to accept that it was a time machine. Additionally, Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) choice to build his time machine in a DeLorean is an easy bit of characterization that helps the audience understand him.

In every movie, the DeLorean gets a new look and plays an instrumental part because it's the all-important time machine that moves the characters through time.

Though Back To The Future had all the elements of a smash, few could have expected that the franchise would take off and become so synonymous with cars and time travel in pop culture. In every movie, the DeLorean gets a new look and plays an instrumental part because it's the all-important time machine that moves the characters through time. Additionally, the DeLorean became so iconic because of all the scenes that take place inside the car throughout the movies. It's Marty's (Michael J. Fox) constant companion on his adventures outside Doc.

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The 12 Coolest Cars at the 2024 New York Auto Show

Along with a host of major debuts, we spotted plenty of other breathtaking machines, from the 1813-hp Rimac Nevera to a Lamborghini LM002.

Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Concept

Genesis declared its intention to create a new performance-focused lineup with the near-production GV60 Magma concept on Monday. Alongside the sporty crossover, the Korean luxury brand brought its X Gran Berlinetta concept to New York. It was created for the Gran Turismo video games, but this was our first time seeing the supercar in the flesh, and it wowed with its vibrant orange paint and incredibly low-slung bodywork. Other cool details include the exposed front wheels poking through the hood and the fighter-jet-style cockpit.

Lamborghini LM002

Traveling back in time, the hulking presence of this Lamborghini LM002 dominated the exotic-car display. Only 301 examples of the "Rambo Lambo," as it came to be nicknamed, were built between 1986 and 1993, and this is one of 60 LM/American editions sold exclusively in the U.S. to finish out the production run. These were differentiated by chrome bumpers, a unique interior, and OZ alloy wheels, and the LM002 derived its 444 horsepower from the 5.2-liter V-12 engine originally found in the Countach.

Karma Kaveya

Next we fast-forward into the future with the Karma Kaveya . This slippery coupe from boutique California-based Karma Automotive is an electric statement due in late 2025. Karma is planning two versions—one with rear-wheel drive and 536 horsepower and one with all-wheel drive and 1000 ponies. The svelte bodywork is fashioned from carbon fiber and is shrink-wrapped around an aluminum space frame.

Genesis Neolun concept

Along with its bright-orange sports-car concepts, Genesis showed off its vision for electric luxury with the Neolun . This smoothly styled concept certainly has a hint of Mercedes-Maybach GLS, but it goes for a subtler look featuring lighting that sits flush with the body and relatively restrained chrome ornamentation. The cabin is where the Neolun really shines, with lush purple upholstery complemented by a classy wooden floor. This concept should heavily influence the brand's upcoming large EV SUV, expected to be called the GV90.

Jaguar XJ220-N

Tucked away in the convention center's basement we found one of the coolest supercars of the 1990s, the Jaguar XJ220 . As evidenced by the build plate on the inside door, this XJ220-N is the third of three racing chassis built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, which had a hand in developing all XJ220s. Prepped for Group N racing, the car rides on gold BBS wheels, has a stripped-out cabin, and is significantly lighter and more powerful than the standard XJ220. The non-N versions of the sleek supercar packed a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 churning out 542 horsepower. The XJ220 even briefly held the title of fastest production car before being eclipsed by the McLaren F1, and only 272 were built.

Rimac Nevera

The Rimac Nevera represents a new age of supercars, with its quartet of electric motors sending a walloping 1813 horsepower to all four wheels. This allows the Croatian-built rocket to zip to 60 mph in a claimed 1.74 seconds and through the quarter-mile in just 8.25 ticks . Rimac also claimed to have set a 258-mph top speed in 2022, and the small automaker proved its legitimacy by securing investment from Porsche and absorbing Bugatti as part of a joint venture in 2021.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7

The RS 2.7 , considered one of the greatest classic Porsche 911s of all time, was a surprise showing among a display of old-school Porsches at the show. The RS was created to homologate the Group 4 GT race cars for competition, and it wore wider wheel arches and the now-iconic ducktail spoiler. It also packed a fuel-injected flat-six that was enlarged to 2.7 liters, producing 210 horsepower and becoming one of the quickest sports cars of its era. In total, Porsche made just 1580 examples.

1997 Toyota Supra Turbo 15th Anniversary Edition

The Javits Center's basement featured a large display of classic Japanese sports cars, and this 1997 Toyota Supra Turbo 15th Anniversary Edition caught our eye. This example appears to be entirely stock, from the curved rear wing to the chrome five-spoke wheels. The 15th Anniversary model was essentially only differentiated by gold fender badges, but seeing a unmodified Supra among a sea of customized Mk IVs was special enough.

Porsche Macan EV

While the Macan EV may not be quite as exciting as the rest of the cars on this list, it was our first chance to check out the Macan EV in the flesh since its reveal in January. The electric take on Porsche's popular SUV looked sharp and featured Porsche's typically excellent interior fit and finish. The screens looked crisp and the studded toggle switches on the center console were satisfying to the touch. We look forward to driving the Macan EV soon, in both 402-hp base spec and 630-hp Turbo trim.

1971 Stutz Blackhawk

And now for something completely different. This Stutz Blackhawk was the product of a late-'60s revival of the Stutz Motor Company, which had built impressive sports cars from 1911 to 1935. Styled by the legendary Virgil Exner, the reborn Blackhawk was built from 1971 to 1987 with a wide array of American V-8 engines, originally using Pontiac Grand Prix underpinnings. The Blackhawk cost $22,500 in 1971, equivalent to roughly $175,000 today, and attracted a slew of celebrity owners. The first Stutz built in 1971 was purchased by none other than Elvis Presley.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS "Tribute to Carrera RS"

We know, this is the third Porsche on the list, but we just had to include it, especially after experiencing the visceral wail of its 518-hp 4.0-liter flat-six engine at Lightning Lap . This is the special "Tribute to Carrera RS" edition , which sports a white paint job with Python Green accents, including the lightweight magnesium wheels that are part of the Weissach package. That package also adds carbon-fiber anti-roll bars, plenty of exposed carbon fiber, and magnesium shift paddles.

Honda S2000

To mix things up, we'll finish with this Honda S2000 . Widely considered one of the most enjoyable sports cars of the 2000s, the rear-wheel-drive S2000 weighed less than 2800 pounds and had a 240-hp inline-four that revved all the way to 8300 rpm and was hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission. This example was one of the most attractive modified cars in the aforementioned Japanese-car display, with an aggressive-but-not-overdone body kit and lovely white wheels. There's something for enthusiasts of all persuasions at the New York auto show.

Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.

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'Monkey Man' review: Underestimate Dev Patel at your own peril after this action movie

In his directorial debut “Monkey Man,” Dev Patel gifts action-movie fans with a multilayered, hyperviolent narrative. Sure, he pulls off a deep dive into Indian mythology, yet he's pretty darn good at attacking goons with fireworks, platform shoes and all manner of sharp objects too.

More “Rocky” than “John Wick,” the gritty and gory revenge thriller (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Friday) is a love letter to his two-fisted influences, from Bruce Lee movies to Asian cult flicks like “Oldboy” and “The Raid.” But the underdog story, produced by Jordan Peele, also shows a bunch of new sides to Patel, who knuckles up as a legit action star and a guy who can make a movie that’s totally cool, occasionally amusing and impressively thoughtful.

'Monkey Man': Dev Patel got physical for his new movie, and he has the broken bones to prove it

Patel also co-wrote the screenplay, a modern take on the mythos of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Kid (Patel) competes in an underground Indian fight club, though his job is mainly to take a bloody beating while wearing a monkey mask and hope his colorful boss Tiger (Sharlto Copley) doesn’t stiff him on pay.

At the same time, our hero is also haunted by the murder of his mom and a traumatic childhood, which fuels Kid’s mission of vengeance to take down those responsible. He gets a chance to infiltrate a repressive political system by working in a high-end brothel and starts causing problems for power players including a narcissistic, no-good celebrity guru (Makarand Deshpande) and a corrupt police chief (Sikander Kher).

With the holiday of Diwali on the way, as well as an important election, they don’t need someone like Kid messing things up. He becomes a wanted man and ends up left for dead in the street, where he’s found by a tribe of trans women who like Kid have been marginalized. Their leader Alpha (Vipin Sharma) nurses him back to health yet also imparts a key lesson: Instead of enduring pain and suffering as his primary existence, Kid needs a purpose in life.

While the piecemeal rollout of Kid’s backstory and bits of the Hanuman tale muddy the plot at first, “Monkey Man” swings into a groove when the main character is at his lowest point. Kid gets himself (and the movie) into gear in a lively montage where he uses a bag of wheat for punching practice as Alpha offers up a nifty percussion accompaniment. (It’s the next best thing to Survivor songs psyching up Rocky Balboa back in the day.)

Thusly inspired and trained, Kid goes on a righteous rampage and literally fights his way to the top floor of the villainous big boss. Patel can craft a mean action sequence, whether between ring ropes as masked men duke it out for crowds, a speedy car chase involving a tuk-tuk named after Nicki Minaj, or Kid kicking, stabbing and brawling his way through hordes of bad guys. As the guy at the center of these battles, the Oscar-nominated Patel ("Lion") never seems or looks out of place, even borrowing Keanu Reeves’ fashionable panache when it comes to gnarly combat couture.

The fact that “Monkey Man” includes social-cultural context, as something meaty to chew on rather than a throwaway thematic thread, is the cherry on top of Patel’s bloody sundae. He’s managed to craft a rare action movie that makes you think and also will joyfully plunge a metal rod into a dude’s brain.

Cast & crew

Back to Black

The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.