Do we like them?

Do we like Lightning McQueen?

A character from Cars (2006)

Our score: 8 out of 10. He starts out as a self-obsessed show-off, but he learns to put friends first and becomes a loyal, big-hearted pal. We'd back him, and we'd enjoy watching him learn.

Lightning McQueen is a fast, cocky young racecar who is on the verge of becoming the first rookie to win the Piston Cup. He has no real friends and no patience for a pit crew. He believes he needs nobody and that the world revolves around him. On the way to the biggest race of his life, he ends up stranded in Radiator Springs, a sleepy Route 66 town that time forgot.

In the town he's made to fix the road he wrecked, and he slowly learns what he's been missing. Doc, Sally, Mater and the rest teach him that winning isn't everything and that friendship matters more. His charm and humor make him easy to root for even at his worst. His growth from a lone showboat into a team player earns most of his score.

He isn't perfect. In the sequels he can still be thoughtless, and he's sharp with Mater at one low point. But he apologizes and keeps growing. In the first film's big race he gives up a sure win to do right by an old champion, which is the moment he proves he's a good guy. Later he becomes a mentor to the next generation of racers.