Hot Wheels Highway 35 World Race

My 5 & 3-year-old sons can't get enough of this movie. Mainframe has really done their homework on Hot Wheels culture. Having the drivers race entirely on that distinctive orange track is brilliant, and the cars move just the way you would expect them to. If you've ever thrown a Hot Wheels car into a cop turn on the kitchen lino, you'll know what I mean.

The Reboot-style CG may be oh-so-1994 to animation snobs, but this film looks incredible. Desert Moon nails it when he mentions the sensation of speed, and the well-used screen shudders. The camera angles that Mainframe come up with will make your head spin.

And there's even a STORY behind all the action. A brisk story on the surface, but one with thought invested in it. There are themes in this movie that will RESONATE with parents (again, see Desert Moon's review). The only other production house that tells a story this well FIRST, then wraps it in kick-ass animation AFTER, is Pixar.

Dinky cars will never get a better treatment than this. HIGHLY recommended.

Trivia point: Look closely at the one team's bird-like helmets. Are the creators giving a nod to G-Force? Anyone else remember that 80's flatoon?

I love this movie. Its not complex, its not confusing, and its not going to win an Oscar. What it is though is a straight forward action movie centered around the fastest cars in the world and the race to be the fastest driver in the world.

Its all five episodes on one disc without any noticeable commercial break spots (such as when Vert is approaching the lava flow on the Episode 1 disc). The World Race is more than a race to see who's the fastest driver in the world. It is also a place that reflects life. Team Building, betrayal, and redemption all occur on Highway 35. The action never lets up and actually intensifies in the later episodes when a double-blind is pulled on one of the drivers, a new menace is presented, and the World Race turns into one big, fast free-for-all that culminates in a battle at the mecca for racers.

The animation is gorgeous and is by Mainframe, responsible for ReBoot and Beast Wars/Machines: Transformers. The sensation of speed is incredible and many times when the cars make a shock-destroying landing the sense of mass is conveyed perfectly by the screen shudder. Though it isn't long enough for all 35 drivers to be given a roll the drivers that are presented are interesting though only a hand full outside of the 5 team leads are given many lines, not counting Rick Handy's "Whoa", of course.

The DVD contains all 5 team videos, a video for Smash Mouth's "Hot" and a section with all 35 cars w/vital statistics, along with a short driver biography. Kind of like the ones that come in the mini comics.

Believe me, this movie is about the race and the race only! With an interesting story, and someone who actually says Taro's line ("I'm going to pass you.") to the Scorcher's leader and does it. Its in a class all to itself, a World Class!

I've watched this movie since I was really young, i never really knew a lot of what was going on at the time but it's always a great watch. It has a lot of nostalgia tied to it and it's story is actually pretty good for something based on something as arbitrary as hotwheels cars.There's a few issues mainly with some of the animations and the dialogue but the movie was made in 2003 with 3D rendering that probably was a bit to get used to especially for a movie about Hotwheels cars. that aside it doesn't remove really a whole lot from the film itself. The main story is really great, the action is fast paced how much of racing should be and it really does well with the characters where a lot of them are extremely likable. It even has some great visuals with the orange colored track similar to what hotweels sets used and the acceleration wheels which they also used. It's also an entertaining watch and is worth giving it a try even with it being as old as it is.

Dear Lionsgate

This is absolute classic! Me, Road Runner, and other cars also in this series. The animation is still a classic. Unlikely Mainframe Entertainment. The one who made 1994 3d animated series "ReBoot". That also classic. I'm actually watching this 24/7. Time Tracker hate this movie because of my skin color. But still this is classic!

-Deora II.

They have this listed as a TV series. I saw it on DVD as a movie, and a pretty long one at that for a cartoon feature. The plot, if you can call it that, is that Doctor Tesla has discovered Highway 35, a series of inter-dimensional racetracks that lead to the Wheel of Power. It's the new millennium's version of Speed Racer. The good doctor believes the Wheel "is a source of immeasurable power". He proceeds to recruit a group of international drivers who he arms with high tech cars in the hopes they will navigate the route to get him the Wheel. There's more but whatever. It's a good enough excuse to send a bunch of hot cars on layouts that could be on Mars (and that do look suspiciously like high-end Hot Wheels layouts). The graphics are really well done and there's dimension to the various drivers, once you watch it enough to be able to tell them apart with their helmets on. Hot Wheels has (incredibly) blown this great marketing opportunity, as it is virtually impossible to pick up Highway 35 cars anywhere. But my 3 year old loves it, so take a ride on Doc Tesla's Highway 3-5. 9 out of 10, docked a point only for running too long. Beware of the absolutely dreadful "Acceleracers" sequels to this wonderful animation.