CARS

In every Pixar movie, there’s a random supporting character who immediately becomes my favorite. In A Bug’s Life, it was Heimlich, the portly green caterpillar with the German accent. In Finding Nemo, it was Jacques, the little shrimp with the French accent, whose job it was to clean the tank. (Oddly, both were voiced by the late Joe Ranft.) And now, in Cars it’s Guido, an adorably petite, periwinkle-blue tri-wheeled dynamo, who doesn’t say much in his Italian accent but who is by far the most endearing little auto in this eclectic cast.

As with all its predecessors, this latest offering from the Oscar-winning animation studio is a breathtaking delight from start to finish, infusing its story with Pixar’s trademark clever humor, quiet but brilliant asides and heart-tugging moments. The story is a simple one: egomaniacal, self-absorbed racing-car champ Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) learns a lesson in humility and makes a ton of wacky new friends when an unexpected detour on Route 66 leaves him stranded in the remote, middle-of-nowhere dust-bowl of Radiator Springs. Eager to make it to a prestigious race in California, Lightning can’t wait to get outta Dodge (ha!), but is stuck in the  tiny town with its odd collection of inhabitants. There’s sexy Porsche Sally (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), gruff town mechanic Doc (voiced by Paul Newman), dopey tow-truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) and Luigi (voiced by Tony Shalhoub), who operates a tire business (with my little Guido!) and is obsessed with Ferraris. But will Lightning change his shallow ways? Will he make it to the Big Race in time to show off all he’s learned? Will he and Sally live happily ever after?

I think you already know the answers to all of those questions, and every other one the movie might raise, but that doesn’t make the experience any less enjoyable. The themes – friendship, adversity, perseverance, loyalty, love – are nothing new, but who cares when they’re wrapped in such a gorgeously stunning package? Thanks to its impressive cast of voice talents, Cars is as colorful to the ears as it to the eyes. Owen Wilson’s kind of meh, but the rest? Terrific! Bonnie Hunt’s Sally has the perfect blend of tireless optimism and disheartened realism. Larry the Cable Guy’s Mater is hilariously dim, and Newman’s Doc provides the gravitas that reminds us that, this being a Disney film and all, we’ll probably cry before the movie’s over.

The animators have truly outdone themselves with their work here – I thought Finding Nemo and The Incredibles would be impossible to surpass in terms of visual magic, but this one knocks it out of the ballpark and sets the bar insanely high for whatever animated films might follow. (I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Motion Picture Academy go ahead and start engraving “Cars” into the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for this year.) You don’t need me to tell** you that kids and adults alike will love this movie, because that’s pretty much guaranteed.

On behalf of Guido and his pint-sized chutzpah, enjoy. I know you will.

(**But you might need me to remind you to stay through all of the credits so that you can marvel at Pixar’s self-deprecating humor and re-imagining of some of their most-loved films. So don’t leave before the curtain closes!)