There does not appear to be any connection between Cars 2 (2011) and Cars 3 (2017) other than them being separate entries in the same trilogy.  I cannot say that I blame Disney.  For reasons that are probably locked away on some computer file, sitting in a computer that is also locked away in an Indiana Jones-esque warehouse full of the Mouse’s secrets, they decided that the second installment would be a spy thriller.  Any racing that took place in the events contained therein were merely window dressing for the inept tow truck Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) to thwart a globe spanning plot to do away with alternative fuel with the help of British Intelligence.  Watch the movie and you will see that this little bit of ridiculousness is a pretty accurate description of Cars 2.  Those responsible for Cars 3 sensibly decided to return to racing, you know, the thing that got the series started.  Is this a good thing?  You will have to read on to find out!

The main protagonist of the trilogy, Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) continues to dominate the Piston Cup circuit as Cars 3 begins.  However, newer vehicles are beginning to come into the sport, led by Jackson Storm (voiced by Armie Hammer).  Jackson shows the other competitors a new, scientifically precise way of being faster, and soon more of those that Lightning had raced with and against are retiring.  He refuses to give up, despite gradually falling further behind in each race and in the overall standings.  As Lightning fades, Jackson taunts the veteran Lightning, condescendingly telling the older automobile what an inspiration he had been for the rookies, but predicting an impending end to Lightning’s career.  If any of this so far sounds familiar, it is because this is your standard sports movie, so, yeah, not such a good thing . . . unless you are into those kinds of flicks.  After the season comes to a close and Jackson wins the coveted Piston Cup, Lightning returns to his friends at Radiator Springs, unsure of what to do.  He spends a lot of time in the garage of his former mentor and pit crew chief from the first film, Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman), searching for the kind of guidance the old-time racer once gave him.  Lightning receives some encouragement from his, er . . . girlfriend(?) Sally Carrera (voiced by Bonnie Hunt).  My confusion here is not just over how to describe these relationships in terms that makes sense since they are anthropomorphic cars, but also because their status seems unclear to me.  Anyway, the bigger boost comes from the owners of Lightning’s main sponsor Rust-eze, Dusty (voiced by Ray Magliozzi) and Rusty Rust-eze (voiced by Tom Magliozzi).  They inform Lightning that they have constructed a state-of-the-art training facility to help their champ to get to Jackson’s level.  Lightning agrees to go there, but when he arrives he learns that to construct such a building, Dusty and Rusty sold their business to billionaire Sterling (voiced by Nathan Fillion).  Sterling eases some of Lightning’s uncertainty by giving a tour of the complex.  What most impresses Lightning is the racing simulator, which he is eager to try.  Instead, he is put in the charge of a trainer named Cruz Ramirez (voiced by Cristela Alonzo).  Before she allows him to get to the simulator, she puts him through a series of exercises designed to build him up to being ready for the machine.  Lightning sees her new age approach as ridiculous.  Insisting that he can handle the simulator, Cruz allows him to get into it, but it ends in disaster.  Sterling wants to back out of letting Lightning race, and it takes the legendary car promising that he will win his next competition to maintain the backing.  Lightning is allowed to train as he wishes, particularly when he learns that nearby tracks were once driven on by Doc.  There is a condition, though: Lightning must bring the annoyingly perky Cruz with him.  I am no expert on racing, but Lightning claims that driving on dirt will make him faster on pavement.  Okay. . . .  The roadblock (pun intended) he runs into is not having another car there to provide some kind of reference for how he can eventually beat Jackson.  To get this, Lightning teaches Cruz the basics of racing.  At first, she complains that she is not a racer, only a trainer.  At first, he ignores this protest, but when they nearly die in a demolition derby style competition, he turns on her.  This is when we learn that she had grown up idolizing him, wanting to be on the track like him.  In fact, she tried to go in this direction but had withdrawn before she could finish.  In other words, she had given up on her dream.  Upon getting an unwitting suggestion from Mater (who am I kidding, everything he does is unwitting) about finding the car that taught Mater to race, Lightning apologizes to Cruz and they find that teacher, Smokey (voiced by Chris Cooper).  Smokey puts Lightning through a number of trials that slowly bring back some of the confidence the racer had lost.  However, on the last day, Cruz passes Lightning at the end of one of their practice runs, which further rattles him.  Nonetheless, they head to Florida for the deciding race.  As it starts, Cruz eagerly places herself with the pit crew, Smokey as the chief.  Yet, when Sterling arrives, he tells Cruz that she must leave to go train other racers.  Lightning overhears this happen and realizes what he must do. During a pit stop, he gets Cruz to return to the track in his place.  He then goes on to coach her to the victory.  Realizing that his racing days are over, this becomes his new role.  The final shot is of Cruz and Lightning racing back at Radiator Springs as he and Doc had once done.

Cars 3, though animated and ridiculous, is also, as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, a sports movie.  Interestingly, though, it takes a deeper look into the factors that motivate athletes, and in this way provides some good fodder for my Catholic analysis.  The main theme underscoring the proceedings is overcoming fear.  Lightning is afraid that the sport is passing him by, literally and figuratively, and begins to doubt himself.  Cruz does not believe that she has what it takes to be a racer, and thus gives up on her dreams.  Fear is something discussed a lot in Christian circles.  It is a natural feeling, and one with which only God can rightly help you.  A perfect example of this, and one that fits remarkably well with the film, is Jesus calling Peter to walk on the water, which can be found in Matthew 14:24-33.  Jesus’ disciples are on a boat on the Sea of Galilee when a storm threatens to drown them.  Jesus had been off praying by himself, but He comes to them walking on the water when he sees their distress.  In doing so, He calls Peter to come to Him by also stepping out onto the waves.  Peter does so, but when he starts concentrating on things other than Jesus, he falters and sinks.  Jesus saves His disciple, but questions why Peter doubted.  Peter had let himself be distracted by the world instead of remaining focused on his prize.  The same things can be said about Cruz and Lightning.  They have trouble when they do not have the clear sense of purpose that comes with remaining fixed on a goal.  This holds true for the Faith life as well.

There is another aspect to Cars 3 that is also covered in the Bible, and that is knowing when it is time to move from one season of your life to the next.  The book of Ecclesiastes basically repeats this phrase throughout its pages.  For these reasons, I object less to this one than I do with other Disney films.  I will not be watching it ever again, but there is no harm in you doing so.