Cars
Recommended. Age: 6+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Lightning McQueen is a fast race car who only cares about winning. He gets stuck in a small, sleepy town and has to fix the road he wrecked. He makes real friends there and learns to think about others. In the big race he gives up first place to help a hurt car finish. A proud young star is humbled, learns to serve, and in the end gives up the prize to help a beaten rival finish with dignity. That last choice is the reason to show it. Expect a few jokes aimed over children's heads, some bathroom humor, a hippie bus played for drug laughs, and a great deal of brand and merchandise pull.
For parents
G, and Common Sense Media says five and up. Greydanus at Decent Films says Kids & Up. Plugged In thought some of the humor did not fit a G. Things to know: race crashes with cars flipping and crumpling, one of them career-ending. Farm machinery with glowing red eyes chases the cars. Tractor tipping is vandalism played for laughs. The jokes include a 'Nice Butte' bumper sticker and a line about being liked for one's body. The hippie bus is a drug joke. Plugged In counts two uses of 'hell' and an 'oh, lord.' The film is also a toy catalog, so talk about wanting things. Ask: what did Lightning give up at the end, and why? Why was Doc hiding his past? Who are the people in our town we drive past without seeing?