‘Cars 2’ through the Eyes of a 2011 KIDS FIRST! Youth Film Critic – and the Contest is Open Now for 2012
As a KIDS FIRST! youth film critic, nine-year-old Anthony Aranda has had a heady year. Recently returned from a trip to Pixar Studios in the Bay Area of California – where he interviewed Cars 2 writer/director John Lasseter – Anthony shares his review of the animated film that is now available from Disney on DVD and Blu-ray. In one word, he says it’s “amazing” – but he gives a lot more than one word to describe the story, the humor, the special effects … And his views are published online for a global audience and he even appears on a Web-streamed radio show as a regular contributor!
All that is part of the experience of being a KIDS FIRST! youth film critic, and the KF Film Critics Search is on now to give eight lucky kids ges six to 14 a chance to spend a year as a film critic, reviewing films before they’re released, attending red carpet events and interacting with film talent. The program is based on educationally sound principles that foster an ever-more-critical visual literacy, and it’s also an amazingly fun and exciting opportunity of a lifetime. Entering is easy, and we’ve got a lot of tips and guidelines to help you out. Check it out here. And remember – finalists are chosen by popular vote, so get your entry in early to build up those votes!
Cars 2
Reviewed by Anthony Aranda
Hello, everyone. My name is Anthony Aranda from KIDS FIRST! I just got finished watching an amazing movie called Cars 2! Race car Lightning McQueen and his best friend Mater travel to compete in the World Grand Prix. Cars 2 brings back our favorite car friends in this excellent adventure movie!
My favorite characters are Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Finn McMissile (Michael Caine). I like Lightning McQueen because he is really fast and he is really friendly. I like Mater because he is a really funny character and he doesn’t always know what’s going on. But even if he doesn’t know what’s going on, he is always the best friend McQueen could ever have. I like Finn McMissile because he is a great spy car and he helps Mater to see who he really is. Mater realizes that he is perfect just the way he is.
My favorite part of this movie is when Mater is being a spy and gets into a fire fight with the bad cars, but not on purpose! He says, “Dag Gum,” and then a gun pops out of his truck. Then he says, “Oh shoot,” and then the gun starts shooting! And then he says, “Not that kind of shoot,” and then a parachute pops out of his truck and he starts to fly away. It is sooo funny! 
The animation and special effects in this movie are really cool. The bright lights and colors in the cars are amazing. The opening scene where Crabby is coming through the ocean is really cool. They had to use a lot of computer graphics in order to make the water actually look like it is waves. And of course the explosions are super cool.
I would recommend this movie for ages three and up. This movie does have some violence but it isn’t really scary or noticeable to younger kids. All in all, this is a great family movie that shows friendship and teamwork. Go out and buy this movie when it comes out on Disney DVD and Blu-ray.
Photos: Cars 2 DVD box art (top), Anthony Aranda (bottom)
