Cars 3 (2017)

Film: Cars 3 (2017)
Stars: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion, Larry the Cable Guy, Armie Hammer, Tony Shalhoub, Bonnie Hunt, Kerry Washington
Director: Brian Fee
Oscar History: Only the fifth Pixar film to not be nominated for an Academy Award, and the third to not be nominated for a Golden Globe.
Snap Judgment Ranking: 2/5 stars

As you might have expected after yesterday's review of Cars 2, as we continue animation week, we're going to conclude with the final Pixar film (to date) that I had never seen, Cars 3.  The Cars franchise is actually (if you count the two spinoff Planes films, which I haven't seen, but who knows what will happen if quarantine continues at its current pace) the most plentiful of the Pixar franchises with five installments, but to-date this is the final one in the series, and might stay that way considering the diminishing returns on the franchise (and the fact that Planes and its planned spinoff into space both were sunk when DisneyToon was shuttered).  So let's take a look at what is probably the final chapter in this franchise, one that takes a decided detour from the direction the series took in Cars 2.

(Spoilers Ahead) While the second film was a spin on caper films, and shifted Lightning McQueen (Wilson) to the background in favor of Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), this movie reverses that decision, with Lightning front-and-center and Mater off-to-the-sidelines.  Lightning is fighting against a new generation of cars, led by Jackson Storm (Hammer), all of whom are younger, sleeker, and better at what he does, and he just can't compete.  Soon all of his fellow car rivals (but the friendly kind), retire, and Lightning is left to face-off against a crew of cars that can match his speed. The film focuses on how Lightning, along with a young racing trainer who idolizes him (but wants to try new methods) Cruz (Alonzo), learns that his experience and tricks are enough to beat Jackson Storm and regain his crown, albeit in a way that acknowledges that he's getting older.

The movie has a really fascinating angle for a Disney film, as it's obviously focused on a younger generation being the de facto "villains," and as a result the film initially demonizes youth (the target audience), which is what our protagonist Lightning doesn't have.  It's also a movie that has a message that's reassuring for older viewers, similar to Toy Story 4 and Up, that even though you won't ever be who you once were, you still can have new adventures & extraordinary memories.  The film is really lovely when it pines this message,  even if because Lightning was absent from the last film and hasn't really established the same level of nostalgia (in this viewer, but I suspect in most viewers minds) as Woody & Buzz, it feels unearned.

That said, the movie itself drags through the middle.  The obvious implication that Cruz will be Lightning's successor is so apparent from her introduction that much of the film's center feels unnecessary, and none of the sight gags work, including a monster truck rodeo in which the two sleek racers find themselves competing.  The animation is also a bit uninspired-the opening scenes with the racing are kind of metal grey and glorious, but the rest of the movie lacks this move toward a distinct palette.  Overall, it's an improvement on Cars 2, but not by enough to warrant existing.