Cars 3: A Comeback Story
Over the past couple of months the early trailers for Cars 3 have been released and it is clear to see that the third edition of the hit series of Disney Pixar films is going to be a massive hit. There has been worldwide coverage for the third film and it has created excitement throughout the film industry.
In mid November, the first teaser trailer for Cars 3 was released by Disney and it contained a rather surprisingly dark theme. The teaser trailer consists of the usual track racing, followed by what appears to be a punctured tyre and Lightning McQueen crashing into the wall. This is followed by a painful and prolonged cinematic shot of Lightning flying through the sky, with pieces of the car flying everywhere. The screen then blackens out and the sentence “From this moment, everything will change,” appeared. This teaser trailer sent shockwaves through the industry and many parents and guardians took to facebook and twitter to comment upon their children’s discomfort upon seeing the new trailer.
The second, longer trailer was released only a few weeks ago, and it is clear to see the film is not as dark as it once appeared. The general plot of the story appears to be that Lightning McQueen, (now in his 30s), is in the latter stages of his career and his racing generation is slowing being pushed out of the sport by faster, younger drivers, several of which are in electric cars. Although very much still competitive, Lightning is no longer winning like he used to and is having to work harder than ever before to keep up with the young drivers.
The main antagonist of the film appears to be a young, electric car called Jackson Storm. This rookie has come into the sport and has taken McQueen place as the quickest driver in the field and a rivalry has developed between Jackson and Lightning. Several Youtubers are suggesting that McQueen’s crash occurs at the end of a particular season, and the film consists of his training to get back to his best and the following season, concluding in the same race at the end of the next season where Jackson and Lightning will supposingly have their intense showdown.
The trailer itself begins with a quote, “You will never be the racer you once were, accept it.”, (someone talking to Lightning after his crash). A news broadcaster then states “Will Lightning McQueen retire?”, before the trailer cuts to a scene inside McQueen’s motor home where he says, “I decide when I’m done.” This trailer has brought interest from all age groups; in particular men aged 30 to 40, (i.e. men in McQueen’s scenario). Essentially, these men are no longer as fit and fast as they used to be, (like McQueen), but they are enticed by the underdog story of McQueen going out to prove he’s still got what it take to be the very best.
The two trailers released so far have been slightly out of the ordinary to other Disney and Pixar trailers of the past. This could be down to the audience that Pixar are pitching the film to. For example, it’s very possible that they are pitching this film towards the children that watched Cars 1 when it arrived in cinemas, (now teenagers), and are attempting to attract them to watch the third film by the way the trailers are showcasing the film. I remember watching Cars 1 when I was three years old and I can say with complete certainty that I am hooked by the trailers of the third film, probably more than any other Disney film I’ve ever watched.
Although originally the teaser trailer for Cars 3 received a fair amount of backlash from the public, the following trailer has attracted a wide range of people to the film. Whether this way of attracting the viewers of the original film will pay off or not is still in the balance, but as it stands, Cars 3 is looking like it could be one of the best Pixar films ever.