I will admit to being a fairly big fan of animated movies. Probably comes from the fact that I grew up with classic Chuck Jones (Roadrunner, et al) and Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes) stuff. However, I also consider myself to have fairly stiff standards.

To meet those standards, a feature-length animated flick needs to have artwork and CGI that will, to borrow a phrase, blow me away. It also needs complex characters, an in-depth story, and serious character growth.

There haven't been very many feature-length animated flicks that do this. 'Shrek' was one, and Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away' another. I'm happy to report that John Lasseter's current effort, 'Cars,' has also joined the list.

The movie struck a particular nerve with me because my grandfather, a civil engineer, was one of the primary movers-and-shakers behind our nation's interstate highway system, including Route 66! Lasseter and his crew managed to build into the movie a marvelous tribute to the all-too-uncommon 'Road Trip,' and the sights and towns one may find along the way on such.

I won't bother going into a long-winded description of the film itself because it's easy to find elsewhere. All I'm going to say is go see it BEFORE it leaves the theaters and their nice big screens. Enjoy!