Cars

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Cars

G

Released Jun 9, 2006

1h 57m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

198 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

While traveling to California to race The King and Chick Hicks in the Piston Cup Championship, Lightning McQueen falls out of his trailer and winds up in a run-down town called Radiator Springs. He slowly befriends the town's odd residents, including Sally, Doc Hudson and Mater. When it comes time for him to leave, the championship is no longer his top priority.

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Critics Consensus

Cars offers visual treats that more than compensate for its somewhat thinly written story, adding up to a satisfying diversion for younger viewers.

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

Cars is Pixar's most improbable success to date, a film that could easily have misfired, but somehow does not.

Rated: B+

Oct 29, 2008

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Smooth, but bland and forgettable.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 29, 2006

Full Review

Olly Richards

Empire Magazine

Judged against previous form, this is not Pixar firing on all cylinders, lacking the sophisticated comedy we've come to expect. Judged against fare from other studios, however, it's a triumph.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 28, 2006

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

This is a very good piece of animation, but given the source, it’s not unreasonable to expect better.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 29, 2023

Full Review

Mat Brunet

AniMat's Review (YouTube)

No pun intended, but Cars is a prominent example of a middle-of-the-road animated feature.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 10, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The film's two-hour length is unbearable for an animated feature.

Rated: 3/10

Nov 15, 2020

Full Review

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Daniel Pimienta

Watched it with friends who also grew up with Cars. Great time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/22

Full Review

Amar Islahul I

Cars i think success delivers the message and it is to live with gentle soul.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

Full Review

Rohaan P

The story is great. It's funny, and there is really good animation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

Full Review

Peyton W

This is a childhood favorite of mine. Full of inventive visuals, fun acting, witty humor, an inventive score, great song choices, a story that develops the characters and a message that is important in life, this is a good movie. My only problem is that some of the worldbuilding doesn't make much sense. Other than that, it is an absolute must-see.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

Full Review

Audience Member

literally a masterpiece of art, especially for the time it was created, and for a kids movie the jokes are great

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

Full Review

Emerson H.

Cars’ dazzling animation, good humor, and unique story makes it a classic Pixar movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/28/25

Full Review

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John Lasseter

Director

Joe Ranft

Director

Owen Wilson

Lightning McQueen

Paul Newman

Doc Hudson

Bonnie Hunt

Sally Carrera

Larry the Cable Guy

Mater

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Cars: Trailer 2

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Cars: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

While traveling to California to race The King and Chick Hicks in the Piston Cup Championship, Lightning McQueen falls out of his trailer and winds up in a run-down town called Radiator Springs. He slowly befriends the town's odd residents, including Sally, Doc Hudson and Mater. When it comes time for him to leave, the championship is no longer his top priority.

Director: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft
Producer: Darla K. Anderson
Screenwriter: John Lasseter, Dan Fogelman, Daniel Gerson, Joe Ranft, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin, Jørgen Klubien
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Production Co: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 9, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 1h 57m

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