It's even got that new car smell

Get ready for a ride in the fast lane, and be prepared, you might want to fasten your seat belt. Disney and Pixar have collaborated again and, once more, it's a success. Director John Lasseter (Toy Story) has come together with the writers from "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles" to create another classic, "Cars." The story, told from the point of view of cars as if they were people, centers on a rookie race car, Lightning McQueen (voiced by funny-man Owen Wilson). McQueen races for the first time in the Piston Cup, much like the Indy 500, and ends the race in a three-way tie. The officials come to the conclusion that there will be another race held in California.\nWhile being driven across country, Lightning accidentally dozes off and is ejected from the truck. Trying to catch up with his truck, Lightning ends up in the forgotten town of Radiator Springs. There, Lightning is punished for speeding (while he was trying to catch up with his truck) and tearing up the roads. He is required to repave the roads before he is allowed to leave for California. It is in Radiator Springs where Lightning meets a bunch of misfits who all have a heart of gold. He befriends Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) and begins to fall for Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt), a Porsche who is also a hotshot lawyer. \nDuring his time spent in Radiator Springs, McQueen's outlook on life begins to change. He is able to learn a lot from Doc Hudson (voiced by actor and race car driver Paul Newman), Doc is the man in charge of the town, and there seems to be something mysterious about him that makes him resent Lightning. Maybe it is that Doc secretly used to be one of the fastest racing cars, and champion of three Piston Cups until a bad accident. Doc tries to teach Lightning that it's not all about winning. As his work is finished, Lightning heads off to California. During the race of his dreams, he isn't so much focused on winning as he is remembering the people he left behind in Radiator Springs.\nThe movie was very cute, yet it was no "Finding Nemo". "Cars" biggest strength was its great cast of voices and its unique vantage point. Being a movie geared towards children, it seems to be less suitable for youngsters than I thought. At almost two hours, I thought it was too long for kids (a majority of the theatre was populated with kids that became very antsy). There were also a lot of jokes that mostly likely went way over the younger crowd's heads, and were only understood by adults. Still, "Cars" is still a good movie that will keep both children and adults entertained.