CARS 3 was my favorite movie of the franchise, hands down! So I was extra geeked to review the CARS 3 bonus features on Blu-ray this week. Spoiler: The Cristela Alonso interview made me cry! Affiliate links included in this post.
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CARS 3 SYNOPSIS
Lightning McQueen is back on the big screen, but he’s not a rookie anymore. Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Piston-Cup champion finds himself suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. “The next-gen racers are cool,” says director Brian Fee. “You can see instantly that cars like Jackson Storm are effortlessly fast. We designed these younger, faster cars to be sleek and aerodynamic—and they’re a sharp contrast to Lightning McQueen.”
He turns to a tech-savvy trainer at the all-new Rust-eze Racing Center to get back in the game. “Cruz Ramirez is a top trainer in racing,” says screenwriter Bob Peterson. “She takes on Lightning as her ‘Senior Project’ and calls it like she sees it: he’s older now, which he doesn’t want to hear, but certainly needs to hear.” Cruz is all about technology and knows how to create winners on cutting-edge simulated racetracks. But Lightning isn’t part of the next generation, and things don’t go as planned at the slick and fancy high-tech racing center.
Cars 3 Bonus Features on Blu-ray
Starting today you can purchase your copy of CARS 3
This is the 3rd movie in the series that made KA-CHOW a daily phrase in my household for quite a few years.
And it was the one that most got to me as a mom and as a mom of daughters because this one struck a chord. I’ll explain that in just a minute.
First the fun stuff- here are a few of my personal highlights from the Blu-ray!
There’s so much greatness going on with this Blu-ray, though; this just scratches the surface.
LOU
I’ll admit up front: I didn’t know where Pixar was going with this short when I first started watching it.
But darn it, Pixar, if you didn’t make me a little weepy there by the end of LOU.
LOU was shown before CARS 3 in theaters and is included in the Blu-ray special bonus features.
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. From Pixar Animation Studios, “Lou” opens in theaters on June 16, 2017, in front of “Cars 3.” ©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Parents: don’t let your kids skip this one!
It’s a sweet and gentle story that tricks you because it’s also about a playground bully.
Okay, so they tricked me, anyway.
I know I should know better; it IS Pixar and I’m not new here! But, yeah, they got me.
PLAYGROUND SHOWDOWN – A toy-stealing bully finds that he’s met his match in Pixar Animation Studios’ new short “Lou.” Directed by Dave Mullins and produced by Dana Murray, “Lou” opens in U.S. theaters on June 16, 2017, in front of “Cars 3.” ©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool
One of my kids’ favorite characters in CARS 3 was Miss Fritter, the souped-up school bus who runs the demolition derby.
That scene legit makes them howl with laughter!
CRAZY 8 DRAMA — In “Cars 3,” Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) hits the road in an effort to reignite his career. Along the way, he finds himself in the middle of a smash-and-crash, figure-8 race, facing off against local legend Miss Fritter, a formidable school bus who—like #95 himself—doesn’t like to lose. Featuring Lea DeLaria (Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black”) as the voice of Miss Fritter, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 3” opens in U.S. theaters on June 16, 2017. ©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
In the CARS 3 Blu-ray, we once again meet Miss Fritter.
She’s now filmed an infomercial hawking her driving school, and an unsuspecting Cruz Ramirez and Lightning McQueen appear to co-star in it!
Here’s a small clip of the featurette that’s included. You gotta admit, this world needed some more Miss Fritter!
Ready for the Race
This was a fun real life meets the movies extra included in the bonus features.
My pre-teen daughter loved seeing Disney Channel’s Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark) and 19-year-old NASCAR Racer William Byron at the Hendrick Motorsports campus.
They showed us just how in-depth Pixar goes when researching a film, and how real-life training experiences were used in the movie.
A super fun peek behind the scenes!
Cruz Ramirez: The Yellow Car That Could
This is the part that got this old mom a little weepy.
A whole bonus feature about Cruz Ramirez, the little yellow car who lacked the confidence to be a racer.
Photo: Disney
This whole feature struck me as honest and a lot of real talk going on, and I thank Pixar for including it.
They talked to female filmmakers and employees at Pixar when working on the identity of Cruz.
Here’s the thing: I might come across as a confident person, but the truth is, I’m not always *so* confident.
I like validation and I like being told, “You’re doing amazing, sweetie.”
Yup. I can be that person at times and it’s something I’ve struggled with my whole teen through adult life.
And I know this is a common thread with women, based on conversations with friends and coworkers.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 23: (L-R) Ray Evernham, Kyle Petty, Cristela Alonzo, Richard “The King” Petty, and Jeff Gordon speak onstage during the “Cars 3” NASCAR Collaboration Announcement on February 23, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** Ray Evernham; Kyle Petty; Cristela Alonzo; Richard Petty; Jeff Gordon
And when Cristela Alonso shares her personal story? Pass the tissues, y’all!
This feature just made my favorite character from the movie that much more special when I heard her backstory.
Please go straight to BONUS FEATURES and watch this one when you pick up your CARS 3 Blu-ray.
CARS 3 is available everywhere today on Blu-ray and digital download.
KA-CHOW! You don’t want to miss this one!
(You knew, I’d have to say that at least once, right? I mean… we’re talking CARS so, it’s happening- ha!)
Don’t forget: every movie needs some popcorn. Make up a batch of KA-CHOW CARS 3 Party Popcorn and settle in for a racing good time.
Like CARS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarCars/
Follow CARS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pixarcars
Follow CARS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixarcars/
Subscribe to the Disney/Pixar YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyPixar
Visit the official CARS 3 website here: http://movies.disney.com/cars-3
Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.