Cars 2
5-Disc Blu-ray 3D | 2-Disc Blu-ray | DVD
DIRECTED BY: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis
WRITTEN BY: Ben Queen
STARRING: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturo, Bonnie Hunt, Jason Isaacs, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard
Disney*Pixar
RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2011

I love Pixar movies. And I don’t just mean that loosely; I mean I truly and honestly LOVE Pixar movies. From that first wide-eyed viewing of Toy Story back in 1995 to today, they’ve released some of the best (and some of my own personal favorite) movies of all time.

Even my least favorite Pixar movie—2006’s Cars—is a movie I still very much enjoy, despite the fact that I went in thinking I wouldn’t be a fan (shame on me for thinking such things about a Pixar flick). That’s just how good they are. And so you can imagine my and many, many others’ surprise when a veritable landslide of negative feedback started flowing in upon the release of their latest feature, Cars 2.

Could it be so? Could there really be a…bad *gulps* Pixar movie? Or was this just a case of constant perfection leading people to go out of their way to seek out imperfections and declare failure no matter how good or bad the actual film was?

This news broke earlier this week, but there was a bit of confusion as to an important detail. It was hoped that there would be a little clarification by now, but nothing more has been said, and so on we go.

Variety has reported that Nick Frost, star of movies like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul, and Attack the Block, has been cast in the final dwarf role in Universal Pictures’ Snow White and the Huntsman. And this is where the confusion sets in””after an amazing list of actors were announced for various dwarf roles, it was thought that the seventh and final role was then filled by Ray Winstone. Now with word of Frost being cast in the final role, heads are being scratched.

Cars 2
Directed by John Lasseter
Starring (voices): Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard
Release Date: June 24, 2011

Any human aspect or human presence cannot be located in the original Cars or in Pixar’s latest film Cars 2. This is the films’ biggest set back. We who have become transfixed by the genius behind the films of Pixar (which is celebrating 25 years of studio existence this year) remember all too vividly the ruthless food critic, Anton Ego, of Ratatouille swallowing a bit of ratatouille and immediately becoming reacquainted with a childhood he had seemingly forgotten. And who can forget Andy’s feeling of anguish and the sad grimace that takes over his face in Toy Story 3 when he finally figures out that he needs to give away his toys. Almost all of the successful Pixar films have an unbreakable relationship with all things human. Cars 2 veers from that ostensibly perfect trajectory to embrace a world where no existence of human life has ever been documented. This all sounds a tad bleak, but that is the world we are thrust into with the Cars‘ films.

Just yesterday we found ourselves wondering if the new Universal Pictures take on the Snow White fairy tale, titled Snow White and the Huntsman, could cast known actors in all seven dwarf roles.

The reports yesterday were that Ian McShane (Deadwood, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) had been cast as the lead dwarf, Caesar, and that Oscar nominee Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Enemy at the Gates), Eddie Izzard (Shadow of the Vampire, Cars 2), Toby Jones (Harry Potter, Captain America: The First Avenger), Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire, Snatch), and Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, V for Vendetta) were all in talks for other dwarf roles.

This left one more, which has now been filled.

When looking at the multiple Snow White projects in the works, one might assume that not all of the seven dwarf roles would be filled with a known actor. One or two, maybe, but all seven? Pretty doubtful. But one project looks to be trying to prove that assumption wrong with the announcement of six possible well–known and respected actors taking on dwarf characters.

This particular Snow White project seems to be the biggest of them all (thus far, anyway), and is called Snow White and the Huntsman. The movie already has its stars locked up with The Twilight Saga‘s Kristen Stewart set for the lead, a princess who escapes her evil queen of a stepmother (played by Charlize Theron) with a huntsman who was sent to kill her but ends up joining her and seven dwarven warriors, and training her how to fight instead. The huntsman is will be played by Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth.

Which brings us back to the seven dwarfs, who sound like they’ll pass up on being lovable little workers and instead be ready for battle.