Cars

Cars is the first Pixar film I have disliked. Unlike the other films the studio has made, this one lacked the zest to make it appealing to adults. I'm not sure it appeals to children, either, as my five-year-old nephew fell asleep during it. I was checking my watch often.

The plot, which is is eerily reminiscent of Doc Hollywood, offers gentle bromides about teamwork and friendship, and also a jeremiad about how the Interstate ruined small-town America. That may be true, but in my view, the Interstate highway system was a major achievement, and if it put out of business some motels and knick-knack stores, oh well.

The film also suffers from not being all that funny. I found the tractor-tipping sequence amusing, but there were long dry spells with no laughs. It was nice to hear the familiar gruff voice of Paul Newman as an old race car, but it wasn't enough to give a thumbs up to this one.