One of the things that worried me about “Cars” before it was released this summer was that it just didn’t seem to have the same appeal as previous Pixar films. Plus, it felt like it was time for the Pixar bubble to burst. And it did, in a strange way.

“Cars” was not as good as previous Pixar films like “The Incredibles,” “A Bug’s Life” or the “Toy Story” movies. But it wasn’t bad, either. It was still pretty good, and I gave it 3 1/2 stars in my initial review. However, considering so many Pixar films are five-star films, this is a significant step down.

You see, that’s the beauty of always doing quality work. Even your less-than-perfect pieces are still pretty good.

“Cars” tapped into America’s love of car racing. I don’t really fit into that demographic. I can name about two NASCAR drivers off the top of my head, and I recently embarrassed myself on radio because I wasn’t sure how to pronounce “Talladega” when I was previewing Will Ferrell’s film this summer.

“Cars” tells the story of an up-and-coming race car named Lightning McQueen. He’s one of the coolest rookies on the racing circuit this year. In fact, he’s set to win the coveted Piston Cup (which, in the Car world is like winning NASCAR).

However, on his road trip to California for the big race, Lightning takes an unexpected detour through the sleepy town of Radiator Springs. He accidentally tears up the town and is sentenced to help rebuild everything he’s damaged. While working in the small town, he falls in love with the residents and the little burg itself, learning that there’s more to life than the fast lane.

In watching the special features to the DVD, I discovered the focus that director John Lasseter has for the subject matter. And his passion goes beyond stock-car racing, extending to the fascination with Route 66. Having driven down some of Route 66 in my days, this is where I found the love for “Cars.” I may not be a car fan or a racing fan, but I love the open road, and there’s now a piece of me that wishes I could visit Radiator Springs on a future road trip.

In addition to tapping into America’s love for NASCAR and the open road, “Cars” also brought Larry the Cable Guy to the mainstream (which was sorely needed after his feature film “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector” tanked this spring). Larry really stole the show in this film as the redneck toe truck Mater. And considering the stellar voice cast, which includes Owen Wilson, Paul Newman and Tony Shalhoub, that’s a huge feat.

Mater continues to be the star of the DVD with his own new short film “Mater and the Ghostlight.” This is a tiny vignette in which Mater tries to scare the inhabitants of Radiator Springs with a ghost story but ends up being the one who is terrified. This short film, along with the “One Man Band” short that was released with the feature in theaters, is the highlight of the DVD.

In fact, the DVD itself is pretty slim by Pixar standards. With each of the other Pixar movies being released in double-disc format, loaded with bonus features, a mere couple short films, deleted scenes and some behind-the-scenes interviews seem sub-par. I’m hoping this is so Disney can release a loaded, “tricked-out” version of the film in a later release.

Still, even with less than you might expect on the DVD, “Cars” is a great product for the family. The kids love the cars and the characters, and there’s enough in the film for the adults to enjoy as well.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX. Dolby Digital 2.0. Theatrical widescreen (2.39:1) – Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. THX-certified, including optimizer. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.