That's how Pixar rolls it.

This weekend found the release of Pixar's latest film, Cars. Just as Pixar creative head John Lasseter loves toys and made great movies with toy characters, it's very apparent after watching this movie that he's a huge fans of automobiles and the culture that surrounds them. After the movie I was thinking, "What kind of car would I be if I were in Cars?"

First off, every single movie preview before the movie itself was for some crappy, 3-D animated movie from another studio. None of them looked any good. The execption, of course, was next year's Pixar film directed by The Incredibles' Brad Bird - check the preview of Ratatouille to see fun and original upcoming movie about a rat.

Of course, the short film before the show was fun. The short, entitled One-Man Band, involved two one-man bands dueling for the single coin of a tiny peasant girl. It was very funny and enjoyable musically, as usual.

As with every Pixar release, the animation in Cars is amazing. Although I wouldn't say any certain aspect of the rendering was amazing, everything looked almost perfect. It wasn't photo-real; it was still a bit more clean than that, but, of course, they are talking cars, so ultra-real would be a bit scary. It was amazing to see a NASCAR-style stadium full of 10,000 watching cars, the cheering trailers in the middle of the track, and equally the amazing western desert scenery of Route 66.

So what about the story? As a local review said, "There are no human characters in Cars, but few movies this year will have more humanity." The story finds star racecar Lightning McQeen getting stuck in Radiator Springs, a happening place in the '50s that got passed up by the freeway. Through it, the hot-shot realizes that there's more to life than just him, his fame, and fortune. Plus, there is more beauty and friendship off the beaten path than on the race track. Plus, if you like classic cars and the '50s neon light decor that brought those little towns to life, you can't miss it. It's priceless.

Pixar fans will love the credits for their funny jokes about past Pixar movies as well as other Pixar references. See if you can spot a blimp that looks like Buzz Lightyear as well as the cast of the For The Birds short. Sports fans will find car-styled versions of favorite sports announcers and a clip of "Jay Limo" cracking a couple jokes on late-night. It's a blast.

Just for your information: if you get me a copy of the cool poster with every character on it, I'll be your friend forever. It's just so cool, I need to have it!