Not literally, but digitally. The tablet’s screen fractured into a kaleidoscope of neon ads: "HOT SINGLE TRUCKS IN YOUR AREA!" "DOWNLOAD THIS ANTIVIRUS (YOU ALREADY HAVE 3,000 VIRUSES)!" "YOUR ENGINE IS RUNNING SLOW. CLICK HERE TO TURBOCHARGE."
Mater let out a yelp. "Consarn it! My computer's got the flu!"
He turned to Mater, his engine a low, controlled growl. "Mater. We are going to do two things. First, we are calling Sally, who will call her IT turtle friend to scrub this tablet with a digital flamethrower. Second… we are going to the theater tomorrow night. We are buying two tickets. We are buying the large popcorn. And we are watching Cars 3 the way it was meant to be seen. Not because we have to. But because every animator, every voice actor, every janitor at Pixar deserves better than Kuttymovies ."
The screen exploded.
The screen flickered. Instead of the roaring Disney castle, a grainy, crooked image appeared. It was clearly filmed in a dark theater. You could hear the crunch of popcorn and a child whining in the background. The colors were washed out—his vibrant Radiator Springs looked like a muddy riverbed. The sound was a tinny, echoing mess. Jackson Storm’s deep, menacing voice sounded like a mosquito in a jar.
But Mater had already tapped the screen. A garish, pop-up-ridden website appeared. The logo was a cheap, chrome-plated font spelling "Kuttymovies," with a cartoon wrench cracking a film reel. Below it, a thumbnail of Cars 3 —but something was wrong. His own famous red paint looked a sickly orange. Cruz’s smile was pixelated into a jagged grimace.
First, a strange text box appeared: A cartoon pointer started dancing over a "CLAIM PRIZE" button. Mater, being Mater, tried to tap it. McQueen lunged forward, but it was too late.