 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales
- Review Date: November 1, 2010
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
Hilarious shorts for Cars lovers with brief attention spans.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this special Pixar DVD that centers around Cars character Mater contains nothing objectionable for kids, although there's one brief moment when it looks like Mater has been buried. Romance is in the air for one moment in each segment when smitten twin lady cars appear again and again to flirt with Mater. Other than exposing kids to the Pixar world of movies and merchandise, there's no consumerism involved, and kids may just learn how clever the animators are to give vehicles such nuanced human personality traits.
What's the story?
This special Pixar DVD is a series of shorts featuring Cars tow-truck, Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy), who tells Lightning McQueen (veteran voice actor Keith Ferguson) "tall tales" about his stints as a stunt-truck, fire-rescue-truck, doctor, monster-truck, matador, garage-band singer, "autonaut," and more. Every time Mater starts a new story, Lightning insists he's making things up and then Mater says, "Don't you remember? You was there too," and the scene shifts to show how the race car was indeed present. Although the shorts concentrate on Mater and Lightning, there are glimpses of other Radiator Springs friends, like the VW Bus Fillmore (obviously not voiced by the late George Carlin any more).
Is it any good?
It's made by Pixar, which means a standard of animation, dialogue, and voice-acting that's nearly unparalleled in the film industry. No musical numbers like in regular Disney animated productions, but Mater's stints as various kinds of trucks are clever and silly and will be loved by even the youngest of viewers. In some ways Mater's casual description of extraordinary jobs -- going to the moon, fronting a heavy-metal band, competing in a monster truck rally -- is reminiscent of the way that other slightly clueless, but lovable animated character Homer Simpson has done it all.
Predictably, Owen Wilson is not the voice of Lightning McQueen, as he is in the feature-length film, but that's OK, because Ferguson doesn't have to say much more than "I don't believe that" over and over again. This is, without a doubt, the best thing Larry the Cable Guy has done outside of his stand-up work since, well, Cars. Pay attention, and you'll even hear Mater say Larry's signature catchphrase, "git-r-done." Anyone who likes the gang from Cars will love this collection of Mater-inspired shorts.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about tall tales and why they are so fun to listen to -- even if they're too good to be true.
Do you think watching movies like this make you more likely to buy merchandise with Cars characters on it?
Lightning and Mater don't have much in common but are great friends. How can this apply to real-life friendships?
The cars in this universe are made with human traits. How does the kind of vehicle a character is and what kind of voice they have say about their personalities?
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AGE
Okay spinoff series
It's alright. Personally I didn't find the segements too funny. There isn't much violence. Just about any kid should be able to watch this.
Written on 04/25/11
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Kid, 11 years old
April 16, 2011
AGE
It was very funny when Mater said to McQueen that McQueen was there too.
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AGE
Great for the whole family
I love it, my 4 yr old loves it... his 3 and 6 year old cousins love it.
Great for showing power of imagination... and only 4 to 6 minutes each... so perfect as an "extra" show to motivate my son at bedtime.
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AGE
My two year old loves it
It's more light, fluffy stuff for kids to watch. Nothing to worry about.
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AGE
Good fun for a 3 year old... and his parents!
Our 3 year old loves it and so do we! The best things about it are that it is funny and creative. I was a little concerned about Monster Truck Mater being a little scary (we are pretty careful about scary stuff), but our son has done fine with it.
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AGE
Nothing whatsoever educational. Just silly stories. My two year old received it for Christmas, and for about two weeks I was able to shower without him noticing. Would not usually give him a movie like this, but he loves Mater and McQueen. Think the payoff is in the community making aspect.... lots of kids love this, and can relate to each other thru loving this.
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AGE
Great for Cars' fans
My son got this for his third birthday. He loves Mater. We started out with the books, then got the DVD.
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AGE
Huh?
Where did the 157 angry parents go? You just deleted it?
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| Topics: | cars and trucks |
| Studio: | Pixar Animation Studios |
| Director: | Rob Gibbs |
| Cast: | Keith Ferguson, Larry the Cable Guy |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 38 minutes |
| DVD release date: | November 2, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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