Cars 3 Home Video Release (Jason’s 1st Impressions)
Cars 3 rolls onto Home Video on November 7th in various formats/sets and is currently available on Digital HD/Movies Anywhere. If you missed the film in theaters this time around Lightning McQueen is faced with the reality of getting older and his racing days are numbered as a new generation of racers are taking over. He deals with the internal struggle over what his identity is and the next phase of his life. This film includes most of the cast from the original film and introduces several new characters. Cruz Ramirez is one of the new cars featured. She is a trainer who has been held back from being a racer and goes on the training adventure with Lightning.
I watched the Blu-ray as well as looked through the MoviesAnywhere version. There are a fair number of bonus features in this initial home video offering. For a full listing jump to the press release at the end of this post. Some highlights & first impressions:
- The original theatrical short “Lou” as well as a new mini-movie Miss Fritter’s Racing Skool are included on this release. An interesting note here.. on the MoviesAnywhere system there are three Mater shorts but neither of these. Lou continues the Pixar tradition of great shorts and it was released with the film in theaters. Miss Fritter is a fun piece created for the home video release.
- The bonus material includes a suite of 5-10 minute featurettes looking at various aspects of the film. These include one on Cruz, The Story of “Cars 3”, and some of the historical research that went into the film. I also enjoy these looks into what it took create the film and the paths that were explored to reach the final film. Interesting to note there are no real technical ones in this offering. The focus is on character and story.
- Cars to Die(cast) For – This featurette takes a look at the die cast toys that number over 1,000 and showcases some of the collections of the Pixar team. I thought this was a fun look at these collectibles/toys.
- Deleted Scenes: There are a handful of deleted scenes. These featured storyboard type images and dialog recordings. I was pleased to see full introductions/overviews of the scenes. It really gives them some extra context.
- If you are a fan of the puns in the world of Cars be sure to check out the featurette “World’s Fastest Billboard”
- There are also three fly-throughs of sets/locations used in the film. I thought being able to see how the set looked was great but I would have liked to have had a commentary option or some interactivity to control the camera.
If you are a fan of the Cars films and are looking to spend more time in their world this release will make a good addition to your library. There are a fair number of bonus features. The features span a good range of topics and are enjoyable. If missed the film in theaters and enjoyed the original Cars film you may find Cars 3 more enjoyable than Cars 2 as it hits some of the same type of notes as the first so consider it.
Lightning Strikes Again When Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 3” Cruises Home Digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ on Oct. 24 and Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD™ & Blu-ray™ on Nov. 7
The high-octane hit revs into homes with extras for the whole family, including an all new mini-movie starring the demolition derby legend Miss Fritter, inside access to the cast, filmmakers and more!
BURBANK, Calif. (Sept. 5, 2017) — In honor of world-champion racer #95 on his date-sake 9/5, Disney•Pixar is proud to announce the in-home arrival of Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 3”! “Cars 3” surged to the front of the pack opening weekend with audiences racing to see the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and spirited trainer Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo) team up to beat the new generation of blazing-fast racers. Now, this summer’s high-octane hit cruises home—loaded with bonus features like the all new mini-movie starring the demolition derby legend Miss Fritter— Digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ on Oct. 24, and on Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD™ and Blu-ray™ on Nov. 7.
Race fans of all ages are invited to ride along with the “Cars 3” crew for hilarious and heartfelt extras, including an exclusive new mini-movie, “Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool,” taught by the queen of the Crazy 8; a feature detailing how real-world race training influenced filmmakers; the journey taken by voice actor Cristela Alonzo and team while shaping tech-savvy trainer Cruz Ramirez; behind-the-scenes access to the story team who crafted Lightning McQueen’s third chapter; deleted scenes; and much more.
“Cars 3” is Disney•Pixar’s first in-home title released in stunning 4K Ultra HD format, the next-generation viewing format with four times the resolution of HD and exceptional high dynamic range (HDR), resulting in brilliant highlights, vibrant colors and greater contrast on compatible displays than ever before. With 4K Ultra HD, viewers will feel like they’re at the center of the action—holding their breath during the dramatic crash that launches Lightning’s journey, feeling the pulse-pounding action at the Florida International Super Speedway, and getting down and dirty at the Crazy 8 demolition derby.
Bonus Features*
Blu-ray & Digital:
- Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool (Exclusive new mini-movie) – Enjoy blindsided testimonials from the Crazy 8’s, touting the transformative impact Miss Fritter’s Racing School has had in reshaping the direction of their lives
- Theatrical Short: “Lou” – When a toy-stealing bully ruins recess for a playground full of kids, only one thing stands in his way: the “Lost and Found” box.
- Let’s. Get. Crazy. – Get schooled in the world of demolition derby, the “rules” of figure 8 racing, and how Pixar puts the crazy in the Thunder Hollow Crazy 8 race. This piece is hosted by Lea DeLaria.
- Legendary – a close, historical look at the racing legends Wendell Scott and Louise Smith, whose tenacity and perseverance got them into the race even when they weren’t invited.
- Ready for the Race – Disney Channel’s Olivia Rodrigo and NASCAR Racer William Byron check out the Hendrick Motorsports campus to showcase how real-world race training influenced the filmmakers.
- World’s Fastest Billboard – Blink and you will miss all of the graphics and “car-ified” advertisements created by Pixar’s Art team to make the ”Cars 3” world as believable as possible.
- Cruz Ramirez: The Yellow Car That Could – Join Cristela Alonzo and the filmmakers on their journey to create a race-car trainer turned champion racer.
- Generations: The Story of “Cars 3” – For the story team, creating Lightning McQueen’s next chapter didn’t involve just a tune-up, but a complete overhaul.
- My First Car – A collection of illustrated first-car stories as narrated by members of the “Cars 3” cast and crew. “A Green Car on the Red Carpet with Kerry Washington,” “Old Blue,” and “Still in the Family.”
- 5 Deleted Scenes – Each deleted scene is set up with an introduction as to why it was removed from the film. Deleted scenes include “The Boogie Woogie,” “The Jars of Dirt,” “Lugnut,” “The Bolt,” and “More Than New Paint.”
- Cars To Die(cast) For – Take a look at the phenomenon of die-cast toy collecting and the more than 1,000 unique designs that exist in the Cars universe.
- Commentary – Brian Fee (Director), Kevin Reher (Producer), Andrea Warren (Co-Producer) and Jay Ward (Creative Director)
- And more…
DVD:
- Theatrical Short: “Lou” & “Commentary”
#95 by the #s in “Cars 3”
- 5 – As “Cars 3” gets underway, world-champion racer Lightning McQueen is riding high with five Piston-Cup wins under his hood.
- 11 – Lightning McQueen raced into moviegoers’ hearts 11 years ago—making his rookie debut in “Cars” in March 2006—and remains an iconic character today.
- 24 – The dramatic, slow-motion crash scene in which Lightning McQueen hits a wall and rolls several times takes 24 seconds.
- 95 – Lightning McQueen still sports the dynamic #95 with his signature lightning-bolt graphics. He displays five distinct looks in “Cars 3,” including one that pays homage to his original paint, a primer look he gets following the devastating crash, a custom wrap ordered by Sterling, and more.
- 198 – Lightning McQueen tops out at a speed of 198 miles per hour on his last lap with Cruz Ramirez on Fireball Beach. But Lightning’s nemesis—next-gen racer Jackson Storm—races at speeds pushing 207 mph.
“Cars 3” Pit Cast and Crew
“Cars 3” features Owen Wilson (“The Royal Tenenbaums,” upcoming “Wonder”) as the voice of Lightning McQueen. Cristela Alonzo (“The Angry Birds Movie”) voices tech-savvy trainer Cruz Ramirez, who tries to help #95 return to greatness, and Armie Hammer (“The Birth of a Nation”) lends his voice to next-gen racer Jackson Storm, whose high-tech speed leaves Lightning McQueen behind. Kerry Washington (ABC’s “Scandal,” HBO’s “Confirmation”) was called on to voice statistical analyst Natalie Certain, Nathan Fillion (ABC’s “Castle,” ABC’s “Modern Family”) provides the voice of brilliant businesscar Sterling, Lea DeLaria (Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black”) lends her voice to formidable school bus Miss Fritter, and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton helps bring voice command assistant Hamilton to life.
The third chapter of Lightning’s story pays homage to NASCAR with four characters based on real-life stock car racing legends. Chris Cooper (“Adaptation,” “American Beauty”) voices Doc Hudson’s crew chief Smokey; team owner and NASCAR racing legend Junior Johnson lends his voice to Junior “Midnight” Moon; three-time Emmy® winner Margo Martindale (FX’s “The Americans,” FX’s “Justified,” Amazon’s “Sneaky Pete”) provides the voice of Louise “Barnstormer” Nash; and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (HBO’s “The Wire,” “Cedar Rapids,” HBO’s “Veep”) is the voice of River Scott. The film also features NASCAR drivers and the voices behind the sport, as well as a host of returning characters from Radiator Springs and the “Cars” racing world.
Directed by Brian Fee (storyboard artist “Cars,” “Cars 2“), produced by Kevin Reher (“A Bug’s Life,” “La Luna” short) and co-produced by Andrea Warren (“LAVA” short), “Cars 3” is executive produced by John Lasseter, who directed the first two films in the franchise. With a story by Fee, Ben Queen (TV’s “Powerless”), Eyal Podell (actor “Code Black”) & Jonathon E. Stewart (“Doing Time” short), the screenplay was penned by Kiel Murray (“Cars”), Bob Peterson (“Up,” “Finding Nemo”) and Mike Rich (“Secretariat,” “The Rookie”). The film features a score by Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman (“Toy Story 3,” “Cars”), instrumental cues composed by Brad Paisley, and original songs by ZZ Ward and Grammy® winner Dan Auerbach.
Disc Specifications
Feature Run Time:
Approximately 103 minutes
Rating:
G in U.S., G in CE, and G in CF
Aspect Ratio:
2.39:1
Resolution:
4K UHD = 3840 x 2160, HD = 1920 x 1080, SD = 720 x 480
Audio:
4K UHD Blu-ray = English Dolby Atmos, English, Spanish and French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio
4K UHD Digital = English Dolby Atmos (platform dependent), English 5.1, English 2.0
Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, English 5.1 DTS-HDHR, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio
DVD = English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio
Subtitles:
Physical = English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Closed Captions:
Digital = English; DVD = English
Other Video Clips Released By Disney:
