'Cars' (G) (out of four)

Ah, yes. This is what family comedies can be when filmmakers actually trust that audiences have brains; when animators are given true artistic license; when something sentimental is actually capable of evoking the sentiment behind the cliché.

Then again, it's precisely what we have come to expect from Pixar, the leader of modern American animation and the company that has brought to the screen such innovative works as "The Incredibles," the brilliant "Toy Story," the even more brilliant "Toy Story 2" and now "Cars," which is as good as anything it has ever created.

It's worth noting that while most animation studios have come to focus their efforts on recreating reality, Pixar has used its impressive CG tools toward surrealistic ends. And with "Cars," it accomplishes the unthinkable: Amid a most humane story, partly about an adolescent coming of age and partly about the widening wedge between urban and rural America, there is not an organic creature to be found.

All you have is a sea of cars -- hunks of metal -- that are somehow brought to life in a way that makes them more real than anything to be found in "X-Men," "The Da Vinci Code" or any other major blockbuster now in theaters.

The real story here is a small outpost on Route 66 -- Radiator Springs, to be exact. Back in the day, when people drove for the thrill of driving and took road trips because they actually wanted to see something -- not just get there -- Radiator Springs was a hubbub of activity. But today, thanks to the bypasses and the interstates, in an era of luxury SUVs and caffeinated commerce, there's no place for a calm, tranquil, laid-back pit stop such as this.

We initially see the town as Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) sees it. He's the superstar race car with a legion of fans, his eyes set on the ultimate prize: the famed Piston Cup. He's stuck in the town because he tore up one of its streets and now, as a prisoner of the town sheriff, he has to fix the road before he's allowed to leave.

As the hot shot is forced to slow down, he starts to discover things about this little Nowhere's-ville. Rushing to repair the road, he learns he has to slow down if he's going to do the job right. He starts learning about the area's history and the beauties that can be seen if you just take the long way home. He becomes best friends with a rusty, old, beat-up tow truck (Larry the Cable Guy), who teaches him a thing or two about friendship; he starts to fall in love with a former city girl, in the form of a VW bug (Bonnie Hunt), who teaches him about truly loving where you live; and he befriends the wise, old classic model (Paul Newman), who teaches him that some elders are not the out-of-date clunkers some might assume.

The most striking thing about "Cars," and what makes its two-hour running time hardly noticeable (I would have gladly stayed for another hour), is the deep reservoir of side characters that populate Lightning's world. This is a parade of personalities with whom we can identify, and the story uses them to varied effect. At times, they make Lightning feel like a fish out of water -- or rather a car off the road -- and at others, they help him to grow beyond his arrogance, see the pleasures to be found hundreds of miles from the race track, and the poisonous side of celebrity.

But it's never heavy. Rather, "Cars," much like all of Pixar's works, is simply aware that to be funny, and fun, a story must at some point first acknowledge it's aware of the world in which it's anchored. It must first treat us with respect before letting us in on the joke or trusting us with the message.

Even in a world of talking cars, there's wisdom to be found -- if you're willing to take the time to find it.