Heads up, spoilers in case you haven't seen the movie. ;)
The start of the movie brought me right back to the first one, absolutely loved it. Having Doc being mentioned practically first thing I could tell right away that he was going play a huge role in this movie. The intro really felt exciting and nostalgic at the same time, especially with the music. I felt like they rushed the beginning a little with Lightning having friends on the racetrack like Cal and Bobby, I feel like they could've been fleshed out a bit more. Also I feel like Jackson Storm's introduction was a bit unrealistic, like why would only at the end of the race would he notice that there was a new rookie racing with him? I get what the writers were trying to do, and I get why it would make for a good introduction to his character, Jackson is basically an unexpected character to appear in Lightning's life, taking the race by storm as you would say...XD But from a literal stand point, Lightning should've known about Jackson prior to the race...then again Lightning was always in the front...and Jackson didn't decide to be up the front till the very end so...make sense I guess.
When it comes towards the crash scene (and I really hate that I saw this part back in January...cuz as soon as I saw it on screen I knew what was coming), I could definitely tell that this was reality and not a dream as many had speculated in the trailers. The music here is just so emotional, especially after Jackson Storm takes back the lead and Lightning fights back and I could really feel his pain. And when I saw the reaction on Sally's face...I was practically in tears (though for some reason I just can't seem to cry in public so I actually didn't, but mentally I was breaking down). I just love how there is nothing but silence as the crash takes place, the movie really wants to hear every scrape, every smash and every hit that Lightning makes before he tumbles to a stop. It was truly a shocking scene, I really wanted to see some sort of hospital scene, but I was disappointed to see it skip 4 months, it would've been real nice to see Lightning in hospital, everyone around him and all. I feel like the writers would've included it if they had more time for it but I guess they didn't, oh well...
So they skipped 4 months, a bit of a bummer there. Nice to see Radiator Springs again...then we move to Lightning painted in nothing but primer and a 95 on his sides, this scene I could just tell how down and depressed Lightning was. I really like that about Pixar films, they make the emotions so realistic I just love it. Anyways, the flashback scene here from the first movie really got me, it just really makes you think how much time has passed from when Lightning crashed into town and then in that part of the movie he had just been in a crash and was now trying to mentally recover from it. When Sally came into the scene, I just knew I was going to love what was going to happen because I love these two together, and I loved already how much attention Sally is getting so far. Sally helping Lightning get his motivation back was a great idea, it just felt kinda rushed that with only two weeks left until the next racing season starts...and Lightning's spent 4 months doing nothing but stay in Doc's garage...that Sally could've encouraged him a lot sooner, unless she did behind the scenes but we'll never know I guess.
Also I just loved it when Sally called him Stinky instead of Stickers, and I'm really loving what a character Sally is becoming, more witty but still as confident and self motivated as she was in the first film. It is also in this scene where we're introduced to Mater outside of the races (the same went for Sally, but I'm talking about mainly from the viewpoint of the 2nd movie), it's nice to see that Mater is back as that comedy relief sort of character and not the front stage. Moving ahead a little, I loved how Pixar brought back Rusty and Dusty from the first film (though I am aware one of the brothers has passed...RIP). Things from here really started to speed up, I feel like that with a little more time this section of the movie could've been fleshed out more to provide more of that realistic feel of recovering both physically and mentally from a crash. So far this movie has had so many call backs to the first film it almost seems like a remake of it, especially after seeing a travel montage with Mack and "Kings Highway" playing, truly settling, but it'll never beat "Life is a Highway" for sure. Oh, and my number one scene in this movie so far is when Lightning and Sally say "love you" to each other, aww...^^
And we get to the training sight, man when I first saw it...it was just huge, I didn't even think Rusty and Dusty could make that sort of thing, I knew there was someone behind it other than those two, obviously the silver car from the trailers known as Sterling. At first glance I felt like something would be up with him, and later in the film I was right. But first, when Cruz and Lightning first met, I totally fell for Cruz saying Lightning was a fake, insulting him but I just love how she turned back around, telling him to use that for motivation. The next several scenes I felt like Cruz shouldn't have treated him like he was old and brittle, she had seen him race before, and most definitely in the more recent times leading up to the crash, so shouldn't she understand that he can go a lot faster than that? At the same time this was all after the crash so it was a little understandable that she wanted to take the training slow with him. When I got around to seeing him on the simulator, I just knew this wasn't going to work out, with the confidence Cruz was lacking in him and with Sterling watching I just knew things were going to go wrong...and they did. But I do find it funny when Lightning said. "I have crashed." Lol so funny XD
Things get intense after this, I knew Sterling was up for retiring Lightning, just like what happened to Cal and some of the other racers last racing season. All he could see was dollar signs, not a racecar who could keep going, he wanted Lightning to retire so he could start making Lightning a brand. But I love the turnaround Lightning makes here, and I knew within an instant that Cruz was coming with Lightning to train the moment Sterling said he would be taking someone with him. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard the good old Mac start up sound with the treadmill, hilarious. I still think Cruz isn't treating Lightning right here, she should know he trained on this sort of terrain before, but I understood why she wanted him on the treadmill, since she wasn't experienced like Lightning was. And then begins the montage of Lightning beginning to train Cruz, I can just see Lightning acting a little like his old self here where all he wants is for his speed to be measured and be on with it, but he had to train Cruz how to drive on sand. And I just love the "crabbies have gone night night" part, so cute! ^^
The Thunder Hollow scene was spectacular, I made sure to look into how realistic the mud look because I knew that the animators had a hard time working with that. When I saw Miss Fritter, I could just see that she was super awesome right away, you could see she's a badass character... XD Anyways, with Lightning and Cruz having no choice but to race, I could see that I was going to be in for one heck of a ride. I was surprised at the end that Cruz actually won the race, and how Lightning and she barely got damaged...other than Lightning losing a wheel (it always seems to be the back ones with this guy huh? XD). But I kinda hate how perfectly timed the next scene was...with Lightning being revealed, the water tank coming to Miss Fritter's aid...passing Lightning at that very moment, with Cruz just narrowly passing the water tank truck at that same time felt all too perfectly timed for me. Anyways, skipping ahead a little, I just loved Lightning's annoyed or "So Done with you" look while Cruz gloated a little about her victory.
Then this is where emotions start to kick in, I can really connect with Cruz over this part. Feeling like you didn't belong and decided to back out instead of taking that chance...I could just imagine myself in her spot, there had been so many opportunities I could've taken that could've changed my life but I didn't take them because I was worried I didn't belong there. I could really see how hurt both Lightning and Cruz was in this scene, I could connect with Lightning too, not having realised how much of an impact you have on others until they tell you at their lowest point. It was truly an emotional scene that I'll never forget. With Lightning calling Mater instead of Sally afterwards I felt like it was just a scene the writers put in so Mater would have a bit more screen time, although he had his own movie they needed to acknowledge Lightning's best friend still. And I could see even more of why the writers made Lightning call Mater instead of Sally, I can't totally picture Sally telling him to find Doc's teacher...don't know why I just can't.
So the next scene is hilarious with Lightning trying to make it up to Cruz, I felt like I was just laughing in embarrassment and feeling sorry that Cruz had to see that. But seeing Lightning dance to that same training music from earlier was simply priceless...XD Nice to see that Cruz came around and decided to go with Lightning (just so he would stop dancing...XD), I still find it a little rude of how Cruz assumes all old cars (especially for someone like Smokey) to have passed away, man I can't wait for her to meet Lizzie then! XD So anyways, I was surprised at how soon Cruz managed to "turn right to go left", it took Lightning a few days to do, this was literally the day after Cruz was being taught how to do that (sort of), it kinda feels a bit rushed, and it feels a little too coincidental that Lightning and Cruz just happen to find Smokey there at the abandoned race track when they were actually looking for him in the first place, but I love that Smokey's first assumption of why they were there wasn't the actual reason.
It was really interesting seeing the other legendary racers like River Scott, Louise "Barnstormer" Nash and Junior "Midnight" Moon and how they reminisce about the good old days when Doc was racing alongside them, and seeing that signature move Doc made was amazing. It was sad for Lightning to assume that racing was the only time Doc was truly happy, but after Smokey showed him the letters from Doc, and seeing him on the wall with Doc...I could truly see just how much Lightning realised how important he was to Doc's life. The flashbacks made it even more memorable, and seeing Doc speaking was even more amazing. Then moving onto the training scene, I just loved Cruz's character here, putting her motivational skills to the test with Lightning, and seeing Lightning going through the struggles of realising he's a slower car now and needs to learn new moves. And when the camera panned to Cruz, I just knew that all these valuable tips were going to be useful to her real soon. With the last bit of training before Lightning leaves to Florida, I could really tell just how torn Lightning felt about himself, this was where he was beginning to process that Cruz could really be a better racer than he is, and how he had to really accept that he couldn't beat everyone anymore.
Then we're taken to the Florida 500...damn that race track dome structure looks stunning! It was nice to see Sally come back into the picture, and I just loved her witty talk to him about moving on from him no matter what happened during that race. So cute and hilarious. And then we see Jackson talking like his usual self again, putting others down and bragging about himself, truly a jerk like Sally put it. SO we commence the race, I could just tell something big was going to happen, seeing Smokey coaching Lightning on was a true callback to the first film with Doc, only it didn't have the same amount of excitement as the first one unfortunately. Then this is where things begin to take an unexpected turn, seeing Sterling just labeling Cruz as a trainer and not a racer, it really hits Lightning then and there that Cruz is truly meant to be a racer. I could just see it in his eyes, and when Lightning came to pit, I was not expecting Cruz to be fitted with racing gear so she could race, I was just as shocked as she was. This part was so intense, the music, the arguing just made it feel like that split second decision, and I loved it.
So now Cruz is racing, and I felt like from this point on Cruz was going to win, not that I had seen it in spoilers but because it wouldn't seem right if she didn't win...then again now that I really think about it...no, moving on! It didn't feel right with Smokey telling Cruz what to do, I could definitely tell that Lightning was going to be coaching her, and when he did I couldn't be happier, I was truly amazed at how much of a great crew chief Lightning would make. And all in the end this causes Cruz to do the unbelievable move Doc made on his encounter with a rude rookie, in a way I could see it coming, but when the music kicked up as Cruz crossed the finish line first and just how nostalgic it all was from the first film truly made it feel more memorable. ^^ Also it came no surprise to me that Cruz quit Rusteze and raced for Dinoco (if only they could hold out the merchandising...XD), but I was more surprised to see that Lightning did technically win the race too, part of me should've realised that sooner. It was great to see that Lightning wasn't retired, and I was more surprised when Tex actually bought Rusteze.
The ending scene was on point, ending where the last two movies ended, with a race around Willy's Butte. Seeing Lightning painted pretty much like Doc was priceless, and that ending music is now my favourite song ever, it is just so awesome! I loved the photograph of Lightning looking a Cruz the same way Doc looked at him when he was younger, it truly shows what you can teach the new generation and what fun you can make out of it.
Overall it was a truly amazing movie, however it doesn't top the first movie unfortunately, I don't think any amount of Cars sequels would ever par with the first film, but I will say I enjoyed it far more than I enjoyed Cars 2 (which was barely at all...lol). It taught me that life long lesson that the best part of anyone's life is not when they're in their prime, but when they're watching someone else be in their prime because of their influence, and in the future I hope to do that to the next generation. I hope I make a great impact on the next generation just like Lightning has done with Cruz. Truly a spectacular film. :love:
Overall Ratings for each film
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