CARS 3 Blu-ray Review

Disney/Pixar; G; 103 mins; Amazon

Now available on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital combo pack is Disney & Pixar's CARS 3, which includes the Pixar short film "Lou," and the mini-movie "Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool."

Directed by Brian Fee, the computer-animated film features the voice-talents of Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Armie Hammer, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, Nathan Fillion, Lea DeLaria, and Kerry Washington.

CARS 3 opens up with the seven-time Piston Cup winner, Lightning McQueen, crashing on the race track, which leads to the rookie Jackson Storm to win the race. After mending his wounds in Radiator Springs, McQueen decides to enter the final race of the season in Florida.

Being sponsored by Sterling, the new owner of the Rust-eze racing team, McQueen is ready to train for the big race. Things don't exactly go as planned, as he has a new trainer, Cruz Ramirez, who prefers to use new technology to train him instead of the old-fashioned ways.

With determination, and encouragement from his friends, Lightning McQueen heads to Florida to prove to himself that he can still race.

Bonus Features on Blu-ray & Digital:

Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool (Exclusive new mini-movie) – Enjoy blindsided testimonials from the Crazy 8’s, touting the transformative impact Miss Fritter’s Racing School has had in reshaping the direction of their lives.
Theatrical Short: “Lou” – When a toy-stealing bully ruins recess for a playground full of kids, only one thing stands in his way: the “Lost and Found” box. (also on the DVD)
Let’s. Get. Crazy. – Get schooled in the world of demolition derby, the “rules” of figure 8 racing, and how Pixar puts the crazy in the Thunder Hollow Crazy 8 race. This piece is hosted by Lea DeLaria.
Legendary – a close, historical look at the racing legends Wendell Scott and Louise Smith, whose tenacity and perseverance got them into the race even when they weren’t invited.
Ready for the Race – Disney Channel’s Olivia Rodrigo and NASCAR Racer William Byron check out the Hendrick Motorsports campus to showcase how real-world race training influenced the filmmakers.
World’s Fastest Billboard – Blink and you will miss all of the graphics and “car-ified” advertisements created by Pixar’s Art team to make the ”Cars 3” world as believable as possible.
Cruz Ramirez: The Yellow Car That Could – Join Cristela Alonzo and the filmmakers on their journey to create a race-car trainer turned champion racer.
Generations: The Story of “Cars 3” – For the story team, creating Lightning McQueen’s next chapter didn’t involve just a tune-up, but a complete overhaul.
My First Car – A collection of illustrated first-car stories as narrated by members of the “Cars 3” cast and crew. “A Green Car on the Red Carpet with Kerry Washington,” “Old Blue,” and “Still in the Family.”
5 Deleted Scenes – Each deleted scene is set up with an introduction as to why it was removed from the film. Deleted scenes include “The Boogie Woogie,” “The Jars of Dirt,” “Lugnut,” “The Bolt,” and “More Than New Paint.”
Cars To Die(cast) For – Take a look at the phenomenon of die-cast toy collecting and the more than 1,000 unique designs that exist in the Cars universe.
Commentary – Brian Fee (Director), Kevin Reher (Producer), Andrea Warren (Co-Producer) and Jay Ward (Creative Director). (Also On the DVD)
And more…

Final Thoughts

After watching CARS 3 on Digital HD last month, I wanted to make sure to review the film when it arrived on Blu-ray. I wasn't a big fan of the first film and I didn't like the second film, so my expectations for the CARS 3 were very low. As I mentioned in my review for the Digital HD (read my review here), I was impressed with CARS 3. This time around Pixar got the story right and the computer-animation is excellent.

The picture and sound quality on the Blu-ray are topnotch, and is exactly what I expected from a Disney Home Entertainment release. There's an extra Blu-ray disc that contains all the special features and there are plenty of them on it. If you like extras, then you'll love the Blu-ray.

Overall, I enjoyed watching CARS 3 Blu-ray. It's a cute, well-made animated film that the whole family can enjoy watching together. With Christmas only a few weeks away, the Blu-ray would make a great stocking stuffer!