2  Cars

Cast: Voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Keaton, George Carlin

Directors: John Lasseter, Joe Ranfit

Running time: 121 minutes

Hanuman rating: hhhhh

 For students on their big break this week, local cinemas are releasing two animated features, "The Ant Bully" and "Cars" as special treats.

Critics are evenly split about "Ant Bully" despite a stunning all-star cast. Its weakness lies in the insipid plot, which has Lucas Nickle (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen), a 10-year-old boy, being magically transported to an ant colony that he tried to destroy. There he learns to mend his ways.

One critic complained that the only inspiration the film offered him was to go out and buy insecticide to spray on the screen.

Funded by Warner Brothers and created by newcomer John A Davis, "Bully" has impressed fans when viewed in 3-D, which is available in Bangkok at the Imax theatre on Rachayothin Road.

A better cartoon feature is "Cars".

Six months late opening here, "Cars" is nevertheless the year's most important animated movie, because it marks Pixar's triumphant return to Disney, which had to pay an extravagant amount of money to acquire it after their spectacular split three years ago. 

Pixar showed it could do without Disney, but not vice versa.

The film, which has earned raves for its stunning stock-car races, also offers a great cast headed by Owen Wilson, playing Lightning McQueen, a rookie racer in search of fame and fortune.

"Cars" is about his journey from rookie to champion. When he arrives in the town of Radiator Springs, McQueen is befriended by a good-natured truck named Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Sally, a Porsche (Bonnie Hunt).

"Cars" provides a first-class effort by director John Lasseter, who was raised in the world of stock-car rallies.

Other key players include George Carlin as Fillmore, the hippie VW bus, and Cheech Marin as Ramone, the custom-car maker.

Racing champions such as Richard Petty, Mario Andretti and Michael Schumacher are among the film's many cameo artists.

After "A Bug's Life", "Toy Story", "Monster Inc", "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles", Pixar has once more shown it is easily the world's best animation outfit today.

For animation aficionados, both movies are mandatory viewing.

By Hanuman