Movie review: Cars 3

I ADMIT I was never a fan of ­Pixar's Cars movies, especially Cars 2, which was too over the top even for a movie about talking cars.
Anyway, Cars 3 redeems itself somewhat by placing protagonist Lightning McQueen (Wilson) at the crossroads of his illustrious racing career, with younger and more ­advanced cars such as Jackson Storm (Hammer) now ruling the ­speedway, and putting many of McQueen's old competitors out to pasture.
Unwilling to retire unless it is on his own terms, Lightning wants to race again after a dismal season. His new boss then hooks him up with a trainer, Cruz Ramirez (Alonzo), who is supposed to motivate him.
Lightning does not find her methods helpful, and tries to race his own way, with Cruz in tow.
As they undergo all sorts of misadventures, we learn that Cruz is in fact a gifted racer who never got a chance to live up to her full potential.
With some flashbacks of his old mentor, Doc Hudson (voiced by the late Paul Newman), and support from his loyal friends such as Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), and girlfriend Sally (­Bonnie Hunt), Lightning tries to regain his lost glory.
Somehow, this movie makes up for the ­horrible spy plot of the second movie, and ­returns to its roots of ­exploring what really makes a real champion.
Sadly, it still lacks the heart of the first movie, which had an ending that left a lump in your throat.
Nonetheless, it is still fun, and should please fans of the ­series.
Other Pixar and Disney films like to kick things off with little movie shorts, and this one is no ­exception.
The opening short, Lou, is about a little boy who loses ­something precious, and finds something equally precious in ­return.