I was a bit excited to see Cars 3 with my 4 year old daughter this summer. I didn’t get into the Cars series since the first two came out either before my child’s birth, or when she was too small to sit through a feature length film; I thought this Cars sequel would be perfect timing including that it was being toted as feminist as this year’s blockbuster Wonder Woman.

But oh, how it was not.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

This “feminist” Cars character many are referring to (Google, Cars 3 feminist) is Cruz Ramirez, a race car trainer. When we are first introduced to her, she is hired to get Lightning McQueen back into racing shape, but he doesn’t like her, and neither did I. She reminded me of those aerobic instructors of the 80s: very energetic, very irritating and serving little purpose.

McQueen eventually fires her because she’s not a race car and wouldn’t understand his plight. Ramirez then lets us into her past and confides that her family told her to set small goals growing up, but she followed McQueen passionately through his racing career. She then goes on to say that once she was able to race, she left the track because she felt like she didn’t belong. She didn’t fight, she didn’t demand - she left. She left and became a trainer, because that’s the closest she’ll be able to come to being a race car.

Towards the end of the movie, McQueen encourages Ramirez to finish the race he’s started (and has got to the top 10 already). Yes, Ramirez wins the race but not without the opportunity given to her by McQueen.

Now, most times in order to be successful in any industry it’s not what you know, but who you know. But, I want to make sure the adjective of feminist is dropped from this movie.

This movie still sets the parameter that a woman needs a man in order to achieve her goals. This movie does not have any strong female leads (who are named) talking to each other about anything other than a man.This movie has an angry woman, a rookie woman, a girlfriend and a reporter - who are all dominated by the male industry in which they work. The slight exception may be Miss Fritter, the demolition derby domineering school bus, but of course since she’s the reigning champion of the derby (and single) she’s a bitch.

The Huffington Post reported “The film’s director, Brian Fee, also said that being a parent to two daughters inspired him to create a more inclusive film. “Now that I have two daughters, I see the world through their eyes,” the director told The Washington Post. “I see how little they have [culturally], and I see what they’re up against. I see how they hold themselves back.”

Shame on you Mr. Fee, girls don’t hold themselves back; antiquated patriarchal views like the ones displayed in your film do.

If you want your girls to see feminist films, then make sure they do - but do not try and squeeze out a feminist agenda from a film that is clearly not ready yet to be girl friendly.