Rounding out a day of high profile Disney/Pixar Blu-ray releases (both Up and Monster’s Inc. also released on Blu-ray today) is the Cars Ultimate Gift Pack. Even if you haven’t seen Cars, chances are high that you’ve seen some of the merchandise inspired by it as just about every little boy seemingly has one pair of Lightning McQueen pajamas.
Set in a world where vehicles (primarily cars) represent humans, Cars tells the story of an arrogant race car, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), that has his eyes only on fame and fortune, nothing else. Before an important championship race, McQueen finds himself lost in a desolate town called Radiator Springs, just off the famous Route 66. From Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) to Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) to Sally (Bonnie Hunt), McQueen encounters many rich characters that he grows to love and the experience completely humbles him and changes his perspective.
Cars frequently finds itself close to the bottom of many people’s Top Pixar film lists (It’s not an easy job sitting between The Incredibles and Ratatouille if you’re looking at the studios feature film catalog chronologically). Many will argue that the anthropomorphic car gimmick just didn’t work or that the story was too just flat when compared to Pixar’s other more imaginative and brilliant films. But it’s all there, the great voice acting, the Pixar novelty and subtle humor, the amazing animation and the signature wholesome ending that leaves you feeling all warm and tingly inside.
And since Cars represents the top merchandise selling Pixar film to date, the release of The Ultimate Gift pack right before the holidays makes perfect sense. The Ultimate Gift pack distinguishes itself from the previous Cars Blu-ray release with the fact that it not only comes with a DVD version of the film, but it also comes with die-cast collectible models of Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater. The cars themselves are pretty sweet, though they are alternate colors than those for the characters in the film. And Mater, who was rust-ridden in the movie, has a very shiny finish in this die cast.
The Blu-ray itself is an impressive presentation and just the way the film was meant to be seen. The painstaking detail that Pixar went through to make the film eye-popping is evident as you see the cars’ vibrant colors down to the reflection in their chrome. That said, the Blu-ray is certainly worth the upgrade for videophiles that enjoyed the film. Equally important, the 5.1 audio track brings the movie to life even more; the revving of these cars will make you feel like you’re in the race with them.
On par with other Disney Home Video releases, Cars keeps you busy after you’re done watching the film. I found the director commentary to be pretty interesting, as John Lassetter takes you through each scene and his inspiration for many different parts of the movie. I’ve seen the movie a handful of times, but had a new found appreciation for the amount of research that went into emulating the NASCAR experience.
There’s also some stuff for the kids. The Carfinder game takes you through scenes of the movie and you have to use your remote control to pick cars out of the screen. It’s a bit drab and takes a really long time to load, but your kid may have more patience than I do. The disc is also littered with more behind-the-scenes featurettes and a high-def updates to the popular “One Man Band” and “Mater and the Ghostlight” shorts.
The price of entry is a little steep at $49.99 suggested retail price, but you can probably get a better deal, especially with holiday sales coming (currently, you can nab it at Amazon for $31.49). Either way, the gift pack is great for those that are big fans of the movie and have been looking for an excuse to upgrade from the DVD.
CARS Blu-ray Combo Pack Special Features:
• Carfinder Game - go deeper inside the world of Cars than ever before and discover hundreds of
cars in this immersive game
• Cine-Explore - the ultimate interactive, behind the scenes experience
• Radiator Springs Featurettes:
o Radiator Springs
o Character Design
o Animation And Acting
o Real-World Racing: Getting Geeky With The Details
o Hudson Hornet
o Graphics
o Darrell Waltrip Museum Tour
• Never Before Seen Deleted Scene: Traffic School!
CARS on DVD!
Includes the bonus features:
• Animated Short “Mater and the Ghostlight”
• Academy Award® Nominated Short “One Man Band”
• Inspiration for Cars
Title: Cars - Ultimate Cars Gift PackStarring: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, John Ratzenberger
Directed by: John Lasseter
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Pixar
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Rating: 8.5 / 10
My kid turned 2 a few weeks ago. Because of his love for cars (Or is it mine….) i decided to watch the Cars Movie with him - was that a problem????
Well , since then my wallet is lacking 100$ and his toy box has an additional 20 Disney Cars Toys .
This package would definitely be a great XMAS gift.
My Kids love Cars - I will wait for this one to drop a little in price though.
I’m definitely one of those people that finds Cars near the bottom of my Pixar pecking order, but it goes to show that even at their worst, Pixar is better than most. While it may not be the standout of the bunch, Cars was still entertaining. This seems like a fun gift package, too.