Cars

Beautifully animated, but the script is a little thin. Pixar always prides itself on appealing to the adults as well as kids. There's no better example of this than the voice casting, and the indie cred vibe they bring to all their movies. In Cars, however, there's a concerted effort to appeal to a different demographic of adult; a less sophisticated one. So, without trying to sound snobby, (too late, right?) there's a slight tinge of pandering here, and it sucks a little magic out of the proceedings. Also, the moral/theme/parable aspect to the story, another point of pride for Pixar, feels a little foggy. It's not absolutely clear what Lighting McQueen learns by the end, except maybe to pay more attention to his guru. Despite all of this, the scenery and the reflection of neon on the hoods of the small town cars is joyous to behold. And, as usual, the end credits are the best part.