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Published on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 - 7:52am |
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AICN EXCLUSIVE IMAGES! A Sneak Peek At Disney’s New 3D CARSToons!!
Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.
Last week, Toshi and I finished lunch and hopped in my car for a quick drive over to Burbank. I didn’t tell him what we were going to do. I just knew that, as a huge fan of CARS, he might get a kick out of what I’d been invited to see.
I respect CARS more than I like it. I respect the film’s perspective on a vanishing American highway subculture, the way people used to enjoy the drive across America and stop to see what they were driving past. It’s got a romantic, sad undercurrent that I can tell was very personal to John Lasseter, and I certainly can understand why he told the story he told. But I’m not a car freak, and that romantic view of Route 66 isn’t something I personally feel, so I never felt a connection to the film.
As a parent, I also respect the fact that the film may not work for me, but it makes kids into rabid animals. It’s amazing how much power Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen have over kids. There’s a reason this continues to be one of the top-dollar merchandising draws for Disney year after year. It’s crack. The designs hit a home run for little kids, and watching Toshi absolutely lose his damn fool mind for all things related to CARS, I have to respect that the film exerts a powerful hold.
When I was invited to see the first of the theatrical CARS Toons that are coming out in 3D at the Disney Studios in Burbank, I immediately said yes because (A) it’s the first thing John Lasseter has directed since 2006, (B) it’s the first piece of animation that’s been designed in 3D by Pixar and (C) the Pixar shorts are often the fall-down funniest things they do.
We met a group of a few other online writers (and, yeah, I was the only one with a kid in tow, but I figured Toshi was going to be the ideal audience to see it with) and the guys from Disney, and we headed into the big Seven Dwarves building for a digital screening of the short. We ended up watching it twice back-to-back, just so we could soak up even more of the back-to-back-to-back visual gags and design details.

The CARS Toons are all basically tall tales told by Tow Mater, in which he fabricates elaborate stories from his past. In this one, “Tokyo Mater,” he talks about his days as a drift racer in Tokyo, and it’s just an excuse for a barrage of anime jokes, sight gag references to films like MONSTERS INC and WALL-E, insane visual puns about donuts, and ninjas. It’s a tsunami of eye candy, and the 3D is used to really pull you into the screen and make the race even more visceral. Toshi had to stand up because he was so engrossed in the race both times, and I noticed something... this is the first time he’s enjoyed something in 3D. When stuff comes flying out of the screen over and over, it’s too freaky for him. We had to leave the Muppetvision Theater at Disneyland because it weirded him out so much. But with this, he seemed really involved in the film. I thought it was as visually arresting as the first time I saw TRON... that sort of crazy neon beauty.

The short will start playing in theaters Dec. 12th in front of BOLT, and it’s a great reward for families who find themselves heading back to see that a second time during the holiday break. If you’re an animation fan in general, it’s worth the ticket price all by itself, and if you’ve got a CARS fanatic in your house like I do, you might even prepare yourself for a few trips to see it.
As always, click the images above if you want giant crazy high-res versions. And thanks to the folks at Disney for the invite.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
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Reader Talkback
Damn You Michael Bay by MCMLXXVI | Dec 9th, 2008 07:00:46 AM | Points for dedication by Shan | Dec 9th, 2008 07:01:58 AM | Yeah...3D is sure a wonderful
invention. by DerLanghaarige | Dec 9th, 2008 07:04:19 AM | ...because kids are so hard to
impress! by loserguy3000 | Dec 9th, 2008 07:04:44 AM | Chandni Chowk to China
Trailer!! CRAZY! by loserguy3000 | Dec 9th, 2008 07:05:50 AM | Who cares when AVATAR is
fucking our eyeballs in 2009? by Motoko Kusanagi | Dec 9th, 2008 07:08:49 AM | This series started on the UK
Disney channel on Saturday! by wildphantom07 | Dec 9th, 2008 07:17:32 AM | Better than the movie by MIYAGISAN | Dec 9th, 2008 07:19:23 AM | loserguy3000 by Boba Fat | Dec 9th, 2008 07:19:53 AM | Yes, fuck 3D! I feel
discriminated! by DerLanghaarige | Dec 9th, 2008 07:20:55 AM | OK, so i'm wondering
something... by cornponious | Dec 9th, 2008 07:23:34 AM | Sounds wonderful by Brendon | Dec 9th, 2008 07:26:21 AM | cornponious... by Brendon | Dec 9th, 2008 07:28:09 AM | Cars should have won the Oscar by GeorgieBoy | Dec 9th, 2008 07:32:53 AM | OLD 3D VS REAL D / IMAX 3D by BurgerTime | Dec 9th, 2008 08:04:46 AM | Motoko Kusanagi: by Mr. Lahey | Dec 9th, 2008 08:25:34 AM | Actually polarized 3D was the
method most often used in
theaters by geekzapoppin | Dec 9th, 2008 08:33:21 AM | I forgot. by geekzapoppin | Dec 9th, 2008 08:35:54 AM | anthropomophic CARS? not
funny. by FleshMachine | Dec 9th, 2008 09:07:12 AM | kids are kind of hard to
impress, actually by freydis | Dec 9th, 2008 09:20:05 AM | Thanks Burgertime by cornponious | Dec 9th, 2008 09:29:01 AM | To DerLanghaarige by sideshowrob | Dec 9th, 2008 09:48:12 AM | Dammit, I already saw
"Bolt"... by Anna Valerious | Dec 9th, 2008 09:48:49 AM | I like anime jokes too by The Amazing G | Dec 9th, 2008 10:03:04 AM | The best use of REAL 3D I've
seen was by The Reluctant Austinite | Dec 9th, 2008 10:41:28 AM | 3D alternative to red/blue by Stunt Vocalist 709 | Dec 9th, 2008 10:47:09 AM | The less kids are exposed to
Larry The Cable Guy the
better... by FilmCritic3000 | Dec 9th, 2008 10:52:32 AM | Anime jokes? I'm there! by Johnno | Dec 9th, 2008 11:07:22 AM | DerLanghaarige, many people
can't see 3D even with good
vision i by Mr. Moe | Dec 9th, 2008 11:41:54 AM | Saw this recently... by Andyrooskie | Dec 9th, 2008 11:48:41 AM | So my people are discriminated
by Hollywood... by DerLanghaarige | Dec 9th, 2008 12:45:41 PM | Let's go back to mono... by ChrisPC24 | Dec 9th, 2008 01:08:21 PM | I hate Cars just like I hate
Finding Nemo by disfigurehead | Dec 9th, 2008 01:24:01 PM | Andyrooskie, you have a great
job. by Orbots Commander | Dec 9th, 2008 01:48:49 PM | What's happened to your
BENJAMIN BUTTON review?? by unionJACKass.webs.com | Dec 9th, 2008 03:00:40 PM | Cars could have been cooler by Chuck_Chuckwalla | Dec 9th, 2008 03:04:20 PM | Cars may not be Pixars best
film by Amy Chasing | Dec 9th, 2008 05:15:21 PM | REAL D by BurgerTime | Dec 9th, 2008 05:29:28 PM | CARS is weak as hell. by thebearovingian | Dec 9th, 2008 05:36:14 PM | I'd choose Cars over... by Amy Chasing | Dec 9th, 2008 06:01:01 PM | I don't thin "Cars" is
overrated... by NC Blue | Dec 11th, 2008 02:02:15 AM |
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