Lightning McQueen

Red cars often catch the attention of people whenever it speeds by. Perhaps this is the reason why Disney Pixar’s animated feature film has a red race car as its protagonist in the name of Lightning McQueen. Lightning McQueen is an anthromorphic car that talks, laughs, and shows emotions much like humans. He was named after Glenn McQueen, an animator of Pixar who died in 2002, and he is painted like a Chevrolet Corvette C1, but is based on the generic NASCAR race cars.

Set in a world where people come in the form of various car models, Cars features Lightning McQueen as a young racecar who is making waves in the world of racing, and he is on his way to winning the highly coveted Piston Cup. That is until certain events led to him being stranded on a small town called Radiator Springs, where he has been tasked to fix the damaged road by hauling the asphalt machine. At the start of the movie, Lightning is known as a skilled but rather arrogant rookie who aims to be the first rookie ever to win the Piston Cup as well as achieve an endorsement deal from Dinoco Oil.



When the initial race ends in a tie, Lightning, Chick Hicks, and The King are set to race against each other in a tie breaker race. During the time Lightning McQueen gets stuck at Radiator Springs, Lightning also makes new friends with the locals who live in the area. Although Lightning initially believes that winning the Piston Cup is everything, with the guidance of an ex-race car called Doc Hudson, Lightning learns the value of friendship, loyalty, and even love.

Eventually, Lightning McQueen does arrive at the race location and almost finishes the race as a winner. However, upon seeing that The King was spun out of control by Chick Hicks, Lightning goes back to help aid The King to the finish line. Due to his kind act, Lightning proves that he is more than just a winning car.

Throughout the movie, Lightning proves that winning is not everything, and that there are more important things than the prize such as friendship, love, and loyalty. What appeals most to children is that Lightning McQueen shows that true winners do not need to gain the prize, but he shows true sportsmanship and a lot of heart during the competition. Not only that, he is appealing to children because of his youthful spunk, energy, and skill, at being able to win against the more seasoned racecars.