Christmas: Mater Saves Christmas

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney Christmas and today, we are taking a look at a Christmas book from the Cars franchise, where Mater saves Christmas.  Now, if you know me, Cars is my favorite Pixar film and this book was very cute and very entertaining.   

Cover

I'll be honest and say that I really like the cover.  It's simple bit that works. I think what does it for me is the wreath with the different car parts. That's just adorable and Mater's reindeer hat,  god I want a Christmas ornament of that.  It's just so cute!!!

Author

Kiel Murray

Now from the 4 or so websites,  I checked including the Pixar Wiki, two different Cars Wiki's and IMDB,   Kiel Murray  has some prior experience with the world of my favorite Pixar film as Kiel Murray worked on the screenplay for Cars.  Murray was also credited for The Incredibles (Blegh!),  Brave,  Up, and Monsters University.   So, nice to see that someone from in house worked on the story and according to the book, John Lasster came up with the story idea.  And that doesn't surprise me, honestly.  Now for though as you that may not know,  Cars was Lasster's passion project and this books shines through with his love for these characters and I was happy to spend more time in the town of Radiator Springs.   Now let's move on.

The Plot

It's Christmas time in Radiator Springs and if we go by the ending of the book, it's Christmas Eve.  Mater with his childlike naivety was excited to mail his letter to Santa Car (I know some people don't like the puns in this film but to me, it's mo worse then the the pony puns in MLP).   Just as Mater should go to take his letter to the mailbox,  who should show up but Chick Hicks (HATE THIS CHARACTER) and mock Mater for believing in Santa.  Not Cool!   Apparently, Chick was there to deliver toys for Red's toy drive buy Lighting knowing his lame rival, knew that this wanna-be baddie was up to no good.  Sheriff later heads to Flo's to inform the residents that someone has been stealing gas from fill-up stations and even stole from the post office.  Worried that his letter wouldn't get to Santa, Mater volunteers to deliver his letter along with everyone else's to Santa personally.  He asks Flo to fill him up but it just so happens that Flo's V8 had been stolen as well but never fear as Mater gets help from  George Carlin,  uh I mean Fillmore by going to his spot to get some of his Fillmore's organic fuel.  Mater promises to Fillmore to place Fillmore's letter on top.  After being filled up on Fillmore's organic fuel,  Mater is ready to hit the road to go to the North Pole but Lighting doesn't want him to go alone, so he decides to tag along but McQueen didn't have any snow gear but after heading to Luigi's, he gets some snow tires and Sarge adds a plow and some lights.  Thus making McQueen look like this.

  

As they headed up to Santa's workshop, they sang up Christmas Car-ols (Don't blame Pixar, that's my pun).  Back in Radiator Springs, Sheriff came up with a plan to stop the thieves.  Sally was in charge of making maps and Fillmore was to fuel everyone up but the robbers had stolen Fillmore's organic fuel.  Because of this, the hippie couldn't make more fuel. But our automobile residents didn't give up.  Instead,  Fillmore and Sarge decide to give their fuel to Luigi and Guido.  After some driving,  Mater and McQueen made it to the North Pole and delivered their letters but sadly someone stole his reindeer. (Which btw were snowmobiles). It turns out that Chick stole all of the fuel, so that he could be McQueen in a race.  Wow,  that's actually pretty good for a plan.  I'm impressed.  Just then Santa gets an idea to fill up Mater with the special fuel that he uses to make his reindeer fly.  Oh, so that's how Mater flies over Disneyland and California Adventure in that commercial. That explains a lot.

   

Back in Radiator Springs,  Luigi and Guido try to capture the bad guys but they were caught by Snot Rod and Boost, who happened to be working for Chick.  As Chick reveals his plan to use the fuel to beat Lighting and get rid of Christmas, so that he won't get anymore dirty oil filters in his stocking.  You lost me, Chick.  Stealing the fuel to beat McQueen, good plan but stealing Christmas.  Uh, your not this guy....

NO NO NO... THIS GUY

Here's the thing,  Chick.  You almost had my respect with the idea for stealing the fuel because that's clever and made you more of a threat, then you were in the first movie but the idea of trying to ruin Christmas for everyone. That's kinda lame and just for that, here's that dirty oil filter.

Ahem, back to the review.  Mater, McQueen and Santa arrived in Radiator Springs to take down Chick and his cronies or his chromies (Again that's me.  I like puns!)  Chick drives off but McQueen goes after him and his able to catch him because he knows every turn. Seeing this Sheriff and the rest of Radiator Springs followed Luigi and Guido's tracks to the baddies. And they freed the reindeer along with the search party.   Back at Flo's, everyone celebrated the capture and Santa offered Mater the chance to help him deliver presents and so Mater takes up that offer.  And we end with Santa Car flying overhead and delivering a message to tow all a good night.

All in all, this was a cute little Christmas story that young kids would probably get a kick out of.


Characters


Now per usual, this'll be broken down into Main, Supporting, and Villain.  With that out of the way, let's begin.


Main Character

Mater

Mater was just so likable in this story and you could feel that he really wanted to make sure that his friends had a good Christmas and he had that childlike wonderment to him, when he saw Santa and getting to see that he helped Santa save the day, that's cute. That's really really cute.



Supporting Characters

Lighting McQueen

Okay,  I gotta say this is an awesome look for McQueen and I like that this book took the time to give us little friendship moments between Mater and McQueen.  Such as McQueen volunteering to go with Mater to the North Pole because he doesn't want Mater to have to travel alone.  That is showing how good a friend, McQueen is to Mater.   I love little touches like that.



Santa Car

Oh, my gosh.  I LOVE Santa Car's design.  He's just so gorgeous to look at. So beautiful.  He is easily one of the best designed Cars characters ever!  Pixar, please animate this character. That would be gorgeous and get a good VA to voice him.  Call up Jim Cummings and she what he's up to. It is a crime that this gorgeous design has only been relegated to a children's book and toys.

He deserves a voice. Sorry about that,  Santa.   Well, he was Santa but just as a car.  Very friendly and very cheerful.



Fillmore

Out of Radiator Springs residents, Fillmore along with Luigi and Guido probably did the most.  Not much but Fillmore was the one that supplied Mater with the organic fuel.  Though, I do wish that there was more of him in the story.


Luigi and Guido

Luigi and Guido were helpful in that they were the search party and they kept going.  Of course, things didn't turn out so well, when Snot Rod and Boost stripped them of their tires but  they were rescued in the end.




Villain

Chick Hicks

Oh Chick, you came so close to being a good villain.  Stealing the fuel. Good move. Stealing the reindeer, I get it but trying to ruin everyone else's Christmas.   That didn't need to be a part of your plan, if you were stealing the fuel to beat McQueen in a race.  I understand why you wanted to to ruin everyone's Christmas but maybe, you were thinking too big and should've focused on the plan involving the fuel. Because that was a good plan.



My Final Thoughts


All in all, this was a highly entertaining book.  I probably won't return to it but I'm glad to have checked it out. If you like Cars,  or know someone that does, you may enjoy it.  Join me  next time as I take a look at...


Christmas At The Parks