Cars

Ahhh... it's got that new movie smell.

2006 • 117 min • Animation · Adventure · Comedy · Family

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Synopsis

Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters.

Our family guide

Best from age 4

Movie Knight Score

15331 reviews

100 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
70 Audience · 15327 · 40%

Hotshot race car Lightning McQueen gets stranded in a forgotten town on Route 66, learning valuable lessons about friendship, community, and what truly matters beyond winning. He discovers life is about the journey, not just the finish line.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 0/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 1/10

Heads up

A car crashes and is shown in a junkyard briefly
Some implied danger during races and a significant crash

What it models well

The importance of friendship and community
Learning humility and helping others
Finding value in unexpected places
Embracing life's journey over just the destination

Talk about it after

What does it mean to be a good friend?
Why is helping others important, even when it delays your own goals?
How do you define success?
What makes a place feel like home or family?

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Cars. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Top billed cast

Director: John Lasseter • Crew: Dan Fogelman, Joe Ranft, John Lasseter, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin, Jørgen Klubien

Trailers & clips

Pixar's First CARS Animator | 20th Anniversary

Radiator Springs - Sunset to Sunrise Ambiance

20th Anniversary

Tractor Tipping | Cars Booth to Screen

Lightning and Mater Go Tractor Tipping

Animation Progression

Trailer #1

Teaser #4

Reviewer notes

Recommended
So the shiny, red, "Lightning McQueen" is determined to make it to distant California to compete in the "Piston Cup". Along the way he stops off in the small town of "Radiator Springs" where he manages to tear up their road. His punishment? Well they have a giant tarmac laying machine, so he has to get it to resurface the road before he can be on his merry way. This isn't an easy task, and in order to finish that ...
Geronimo1967, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Had no intention to ever see this movie. Another one my daughter wanted to watch with me. I actually liked it and thought it was hilarious.
SoSmooth1982, TMDB Community

Recommended
**A commercial, critical and merchandising success... but with a cliché story.** When it came out, this movie was publicized and sold like hotcakes. It was a fever. A mania. I was already quite grown up, I didn't feel particularly within the target audience that the film wanted to reach, and I was really exhausted from seeing and hearing about the film everywhere, and on any object that could be sold. So, I sac...
FilipeManuelNeto, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
A fun one to watch. <em>'Cars'</em> is very good Disney, not quite in the upper echelons of their releases but certainly close. The voice cast do a lot of grand work, while the animation is super. I also like the tension building and set-up of the racing stuff, even if they don't take the overly realistic approach - which is fine. Owen Wilson is terrific as Lightning McQueen, while Bonnie Hunt and Larry the ...
r96sk, TMDB Community