Voices of Owen Wilson, Armie Hammer, Larry the Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, Nathan Fillion, Chris Cooper, Cristela Alonzo, Tony Shalhoub, Kerry Washington

A return to form for the series which was never high on originality, this third installment once again focuses on Lightning McQueen, now a living legend fighting against becoming a washed up has-been. New racers have taken over the sport, Jackson Storm, chief among them. After a major crash, Lightning goes on a journey, along with his overly enthusiastic trainer, Cruz Ramirez, to get his groove back. The story’s been told before, but it’s a compelling one. The animation is technically great, rather than creatively inspired. The voice actors all do good work. My problem, and it’s hard to explain without spoilers, is the film’s resolution. It’s a good message to be sure, but just not as satisfying as the ending they spent much of the movie setting up. It undid much of its own build up.