Cars 3

What it's about:

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win—plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

What we thought:

Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is back with his trusty crew and this time he is passing on the legacy.

Let me start off by saying, I did not watch Cars 2 but having seen the first one I knew enough to follow what was going on in the movie, in fact I’ll go as far as saying the second instalment isn’t even needed.

What I loved about Cars 3 is that it is the perfect sequel, simply because just as time has passed in the real world, time has also passed in the cars’ world.

Lightning McQueen is no longer the young fast race car he used to be and finds himself struggling to compete with the new generation of race cars.

It’s old school vs new school in every aspect of this flick as McQueen fights to stay at the top of his game. Along the way he learns that he doesn’t always need to be on the track to do what he loves and in time honours the legacy of his great mentor Doc Hudson, voiced by late actor Paul Newman.

While Cars 3 doesn’t disappoint with the blazing-fast cars and racing aspect, it is clear to see that Pixar’s main purpose was to tap into the viewer’s deepest emotions. I was more touched by the story of McQueen relating to his mentor in a totally different way and seeing the parallels between Doc’s experience and what McQueen himself is going through.

The cocky new rival Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) is definitely entertaining and makes the young McQueen in the first film look tame but the favourite newcomer, rookie/trainer Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) is by far the star of the show as she helps McQueen on his journey and in turn reaches her own milestones.

I also found Cars 3 to be a lot more relatable to adults than the other films. The theme asks the inevitable question we all like to avoid but have to eventually face – what do we do when we get older and can no longer do some of the things we love?

It may take some time to get there but the outcome of that question should ultimately be to take the success you’ve gained and pass it on. Teach and guide others in your path so that they may reach their own success.

Parents treat yourself and your kids this long weekend by watching Cars 3. While the kids will fall in love with new characters the older ones may just learn something about themselves too.