Cars 3

Surprisingly, this was actually pretty good. Though, parts of it were a little rehashed from the first one. (It even has the same opening. I thought the projectionist had started the first movie by mistake.) And some of it does feel like "We're doing what more-or-less the first one was, except Lightning is Doc and the new character is Lightning." But thank goodness they learned from Cars 2 that people don't like Mater. He's barely in this one! There were some jokes that were pretty funny, and I didn't see the ending coming to be honest. And having it appeal to both genders by adding strong characters of both genders is a good bonus. (Yes, girls can like race cars. Before you ask: No I am not a girl.) This one was a little less kid friendly than the other 2, though. Not because it's inappropraite, but it does deal with themes of getting older and making way for the next generation, and how you're going to be remembered after you die. For the target audience of 5 year olds, that's pretty heavy! But I feel it was done well, and in a way kids could understand. Is it Pixar's best? Not even close, but it's certainly better than "Brave" and "The Good Dinosaur."
Grade: B    8/10   3.5/5 stars