Cruz Ramirez - Blog Posts

That’s what I think will happen too.

Even in Toy Story 3 the conflict of “your child will grow up and won’t need you” was postponed with Andy giving the toys to Bonnie. She’s going to get older still and give up the toys and it’s just another delay of the inevitable and heartache will restart once again.

Lightning retiring after having one last comeback by beating Jackson would be beautiful, heartbreaking, but hopeful ending that would resolve his internal conflict and having him leave on his own terms. He’d see it as a choice he made, that Doc didn’t have. Doc said there was a whole lot left in him after his crash that he never had the chance to show it, the crash left him bitter and angry at the racing world and he wanted nothing more than to hide and never hear of it again. Lightning doesn’t want to be that, he doesn’t want to be kicked out of the sport he loves, he doesn’t want to become resentful of it when he stops. He wants the choice of retiring, not the fear. Leaving something that you love doing, knowing that you accomplished a lot and made it your choice is a satisfying end.

Him retiring and maybe even becoming Cruz’s crew chief would be his character arc coming full circle, becoming the Doc to a new generation, to Cruz. 

I really hope Lightning does retire at the end of Cars 3

Hear me out: yes, they can do a movie where he’s falling behind new tech, refuses to give up, trains with Cruz, gets revamped, goes into another race and shows those whippersnappers who’s boss. And it could be fun and entertaining and have good characters, and have a message that just because you’re old doesn’t mean you’re out! However, the main emotional conflict for Lightning is unresolved. He still has to let go and retire at some point. There will always be new tech. So really, the main conflict is only postponed.

OR

They could do an ending where he does train, he does get new tech. He could potentially beat Jackson Storm. But then he sees what a promising racer Cruz is (isn’t she supposed to be an aspiring racer?). And he starts to reminisce about his career, and he does realize that he’s had a really great one that will leave a legacy no matter what. And that there’s things he can potentially do with his life (and his wife/girlfriend/whatever) after he’s done racing; his life isn’t over just because he retires. So yeah, maybe he does go in and beats Jackson Storm, just to show that he can and to leave on a high note a la Michael Phelps. But then he retires on his own terms, opening a space for Cruz to enter the circuit, because now he realizes that his legacy can last through the new athletes (again, Michael Phelps–he’s getting beaten by guys who idolized him as kids now and he’s cool as long as they aren’t asses about it). It would close the series, like Toy Story 3, with a message of letting go, letting a younger generation take over, and entering a new chapter of your life. In my opinion, a much stronger and more complex film.

Oh hai Candice.

I remember hating you ya little tool.

You are voiced by Tara Strong so that makes you 20% cooler.

Man Lightning is a magnet for them all and my harem anime me was correct! Sally, Mater, Doc, Francesco, Holley, Cruz, Jackson, Mia and Tia, Chick, Candice! You hit the jackpot yo!

She is not my Pink Diamond though.

All aboard the friendship bus!

Don’t you two do anything.

Also OMG Mack! John Ratzenberger! YOU EXIST AGAIN!

Road trip squad animated!

Agreed. Completely. Though some of the images of Cruz and Lightning seem very... ship.

Lightning and Sally are still my Cars OTP!

Plus I don’t see Sally as the jealous type. Lightning has shown to be the jealous type with the whole getting pissy and annoyed when Sally only said Francesco looks good. Sally on her end has absolute trust in Lightning with letting him go to the World Grand Prix without any worry of him being far away and thus doing anything selfish.

Cruz I can see as having a crush on Lightning, especially since her character description says “coming to Lightning’s aid with stars in her eyes when he shows up at the Rust-eze Racing Center.”

Stars in one’s eyes is an idiom meaning “Be dazzled or enraptured, especially with romance; also, be naively idealistic or optimistic.” 

Cruz is a lifelong fan so she’ll be excited and happy to work for him but not flirt with or openly say she has a crush on him. Maybe blush when Lightning compliments her or even get a bit giggly but just that. Besides, I can mostly see Lightning seeing her as daughter figure or even a little sister figure, but either way, just a friend.

I sincerely hope with all of my being that Pixar doesn’t do that thing where Lightning spends all of his time with Cruz because she’s training him and it makes Sally feel insecure because she’s more in his league than she is - or some other excuse - and they imply that something could happen between Lightning and Cruz.

Don’t do that. Do not do that. Don’t even hint at it, get that away from me and chuck it to the bottom of the ocean. Sally is a vibrant and confident lady who trusts her bf, Lightning is not a weasel and loves Sally with all of his heart, and Cruz is a decent and respectable young lady who wouldn’t even think of doing something like that. I’m watching you, Pixar.