Cars 3

"It's not over until lightning strikes."

2017 1h 42m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 6,622

AnimationDramaFamilyAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen finds himself pushed to the brink—and suddenly, the champion who once ruled the track is fighting just to stay in the race. With his career hanging in the balance, McQueen must turn to an ambitious young race technician with a plan of her own, draw strength from the legacy of the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and risk everything on one last shot at glory.

“It's not over until lightning strikes.”

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Cast

Owen Wilson
Lightning McQueen (voice)
Cristela Alonzo
Cruz Ramirez (voice)
Chris Cooper
Smokey (voice)
Nathan Fillion
Sterling (voice)
Larry the Cable Guy
Mater (voice)
Armie Hammer
Jackson Storm (voice)
Ray Magliozzi
Dusty (voice)
Tony Shalhoub
Luigi (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brian Fee
Writers: Christian Roman, Jonathon E. Stewart, Kiel Murray
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

$175M budget — tentpole studio territory.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Cars Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CAST

Did you know

285+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brian Fee, shot by Jeremy Lasky. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Randy Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jason Hudak shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Owen Wilson and Cristela Alonzo and Chris Cooper carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brian Fee directs. Jeremy Lasky behind the camera. Randy Newman scores. Jason Hudak cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1$175M budget — tentpole studio territory.
2Released 9 years ago.
3Part of the "Cars Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4285+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
5Directed by Brian Fee, shot by Jeremy Lasky. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Randy Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jason Hudak shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Owen Wilson and Cristela Alonzo and Chris Cooper carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "It's not over until lightning strikes.".
10IMDB entry: tt3606752 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 13 themes, including "sports", "trainer", "villain", "sequel".
12Released under 13 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jeremy Lasky
Original score: Randy Newman
Editing: Jason Hudak
Production design: Jay Shuster
VFX supervisor: Jon Reisch
Sound: Nathan Nance
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $175,000,000
Box office: $383,925,276
Return: 219% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Cars 3 (2017)

Part of

Cars Collection

A computer-animated action-adventure comedy film series that follows the adventures of Lightning McQueen and Mater, set in a world populated entirely by anthropomorphic cars and other vehicles.

Also by

Brian Fee

Cars on the Road
2022 · ★ 7.4

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2018-02-04
★ 7/10
The new age begins! Having seen enough animated feature that possible eligible for the 2018 Oscars, I'm really disappointed with the result of some of the big titles. Yes, including this one, not big films, except 'Coco' are up to any impressive. The bright side is, after a long time, 2D animation might win. This was an okay film. Though I liked the story outline, but did not like how it all was narrated. I have seen the evolution of 'Harry Potter'. I meant the cast, particularly the main three. For a decade, the little kids grew into older teenagers. But for an animation character, there's no concept of ageing. They always remain same. This film just gave a new perspective. I mean it talked about being or growing old and how it impacts our lives. That we can't hold forever our safe position. Sooner or later, the youngsters will take over it. McQueen is enjoying his racing, competing with his friendly opponents. But it all changes when a young rookie rewrites the history. Without able to cope with the new generation and their aggression, how McQueen and Co like to counter the latest threat is the film's story. Liked such inspiring storyline. I mean it would inspire more the middle aged people than anybody else. But it is a fun film for all ages, particularly the kids. It is just like turning 'Rambo' into 'Creed', I just want a new beginning in the next sequel. 7/10
furious_iz2018-05-11
★ 7/10
A worthy follow up to the original film, miles better than Cars 2. They wisely focus the action back on Lightnin' McQueen and keep Mater to a bare minimum. It's not going to change lives, but a solid animated feature nonetheless. Even when Pixar is coasting they still deliver a very pretty looking film, albeit a little shallow. One thing bugs me though, why in a world of anthropomorphic vehicles, with no signs of humans, do they have door handles...?
r96sk2020-08-11
★ 7/10
I agree <em>'Cars 3'</em> improves upon <em>'Cars 2'</em>, not by much though. The story for this does feel more rounded than the preceding film, even if it ends rather lamely. The whole production builds up around Lightning McQueen, rightly, before strangely having a conclusion that focuses on newbie Cruz Ramirez. I like the idea of what they were going for, but the way the do it is actually quite poor - it feels too forced, as well as chucking most of the development for McQueen across acts one and two out the window. With that said, it isn't a massive hindrance. I still had a fun time with this. Owen Wilson remains good as McQueen, while Cristela Alonzo gives an accomplished performance as Ramirez. One thing I do rate about Alonzo is that Disney didn't go down the obvious, lovey-dovey route with her. None of the rest of the cast standout all that much, though it's cool to hear Kerry Washington as Natalie Certain. Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) is arguably underused, which is weird as he is overused in the 2011 sequel - they don't seem to know how to fit him in ideally. The overall premise itself is interesting, while the animation remains in top gear. The ending doesn't fit perfectly for me, but I can still recommend that you give this a viewing.