There are just two days left for Cars 3. If you haven’t watched the previous two Cars movies, go watch them before you watch the third. Why do we say so?
The Cars series is all about experience (which begins where entertainment ends). It traces the journey of one race car, McQueen, from a rookie to a legend. And when does one become a legend? When it is not one’s time anymore. But he decides when he’s done. And he feels that he still has a lot more to do.
Cars introduced us to the young, handsome, fast, ambitious and a cocky McQueen for whom winning, fame and luxury mattered. But fate had other plans. After a Piston Cup race, McQueen suddenly found himself in a humble town, Radiator Springs where he learnt that life was more than just victory and prosperity. When he returned to the racing world, he brought back those values with him and won all hearts.
Cars 2 was more of a spy story (no spoilers) and less about racing but it was entertaining nonetheless, considering that it revolved around automobiles. Here, McQueen’s friend Mater took the center stage, cracking a mystery of racing cars that were getting burnt on account of alternative fuel.
Now, Cars 3 will complete the circle (and you’ll know why if you’ve watched both these movies).
In the first movie, Lightning McQueen is observed as a young, ferocious racer who regarded himself as speed. However, he lacked experience which then came from the retired and three-time Piston Cup winner Hudson Hornet, also known by folks as Doc Hudson.
After that there was no stopping to McQueen. He sprinted at a lightning pace winning Piston Cup year after year and became a big name in racing and commercial industry. With the passage of time, his place is taken over by a high-tech race car Jackson Storm and then begins Queen’s journey to hoist his flag in which might be his last race.
Pixar is known to create wonderful moments in its movies which resonate for long even after the movie has ended. This has been done in Cars and Cars 2. The concept, plot, dialogues, humour and of course animation all knit together to create a perfect story. Through these two movies they have shown the development of McQueen’s character and his interaction with everyone else as he passes through these stages of growth.
This also includes the bond of friendship and love which McQueen develops with Mater and Sally respectively. Small messages of humility and trust were also given along the way. But the biggest lesson of life is yet to come because from now on everything will change.
What McQueen has to learn now is acceptance. Accepting that it is not “the one” anymore and it’s time for a new star to rise. All skills and morals acquired over the years will be put to test in this race of Cars 3 to imbibe the greatest virtue that is acceptance. There is a thin line between giving up and accepting. The legend will show us the difference as it gears up for its last battle for the last time. And mind it, this is not just the story of a car. It is the story of life narrated through a car.
Cars 3 looks like a heavy (and promising) ride but we look forward for Pixar to make it light with its line-up of beautiful song compositions. And how can we forget the waggish Mater with all his slapstick-humour charm. Then there is the cool Sally calming everyone down in times of distress and giving McQueen several doses of motivation.
We have Doc Hudson getting McQueen familiar with the harsh realities of life and the exuberant Ferrari-drools Luigi and Guido in their Italian accent. The eager race technician Cruz Ramirez and the latest rookie Jackson Storm are also characters to look out for. And wait till the end…something of the likes of Find Yourself may play.
Will Cars 3 conclude McQueen’s journey or will we get to see him being a guide to another rookie? Well, we don’t know. But what we know is that the movie awaits us with a trunk of emotions, surprises and lessons of life narrated in the Pixar-way. Ka-chow!
Disney-Pixar’s race car will ignite the theatres this Friday, 16 June, 2017.