.: Roberts' Reviews - Movie Reviews :.

The Bible states that you shouldn't bow down to false gods. But if there was a little leeway in this particular sin, bowing down to the jumping desk light that is part of the Pixar logo wouldn't be completely blasphemous.

These icons of computer animation have been teamed with Disney since Nemo was a fish egg and have produced one hit after another. Toy Story, A Bug's Life, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo. Forget the PGA tour, THESE GUYS ARE GOOD.

Their films are box office uranium and you can take to the bank that if Pixar is in the marquee above the movies title that $200 + million worth of our hard earned dollars are on their way back to the studio's vault.

After a tumultuous few years of back fighting with Disney which could have resulted in the dissolving of their relationship (the final result was a Disney buying Pixar for a $7.4 billion dollar song), the two are back in 2006 with the new fully animated release, Cars.

Cars stars Owen Wilson as Lightening McQueen, a racing car that is cockier than Jeff Gordon personified ten times over. Lightening has just had the rookie season of dreams and is perched to win the Piston's Cup and possibly be befriended by the largest sponsor in the sport. All he has to do is win a final race in California that will break a three-way tie with two other race cars voiced by Richard Petty and Michael Keaton.

However, on his way to fame and fortune, McQueen gets lost and bumps into legal trouble in the town of Radiator Springs - a town that time forgot thanks to a freeway that bypassed the area back in the 60's heyday. McQueen's actions of trying to flee the law leads to extreme road damage which is his penance to repair as part of his guilty verdict. This sentence, as handed out by Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman) stands between him and his appearance for the Piston Cup, so can be sure that there will be enough hijinks and hilarity as McQueen tries to get out of his legal duty and back on the asphalt track.

This is where three quarters of the movie stays parked and along for the joyride are cars voiced by George Carlin, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Bonnie Hunt and scene stealer Larry the Cable Guy (seriously, that is his credited name). These residents of Radiator Springs try and knock some reality and sense into the high-octane McQueen by showing him how to live life in the slow lane and enjoy the friends and community that surrounds him. Sure it sounds sappy, but this is a Disney film don't forget.

Cars is a visual treat that almost defies description, and the opening sequence which mimics a Daytona 500 type race was as vibrant, exciting and rocking with ground shaking sound than anything that I saw this year. But like Toy Story and the those Pixar animated films that succeeded it, Cars has a heart that revs like a fine tuned engine. The love story between the Owen Wilson and Bonnie Hunt voiced cars seemed more real than what I witnessed with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in The Lake House just the day before. And hats off to the writers at Pixar for continuing to walk the line of keeping our kids entertained while throwing in enough adult pop references to keep the grown-ups from drowning in their own sleep induced saliva. A running joke that substitutes the tipping of cows with tractors was enjoyable for all ages - even if the youngins had no idea why I was smiling ear to ear.

The two problems with Cars are hardly problems at all really. The running time was a small concern. At just short of two hours, it is a long sit through for the kiddies and I was constantly interrupted in my seat as parents were parading their young ones to the washroom one after another. Of course, this will be welcomed when the movie comes out on DVD and we want to sit the tyrants in front of the television and get some 'me-time' of our own.

But maybe the hardest thing for Cars to overcome are all the films that preceded it. Pixar has built up such a high reputation that we constantly put their titles on pedestals even before they are viewed by the public. And just when you think they are up for a fall, WHAMO, they pull Finding Nemo out of their magician's hat.

But even with all that stacked against it, Cars comes through the checkered flag with flying colors and being critic proof, you can be sure that $200 + million is as good as the postdated cheque your mom gives you for your birthday.