Speed Racer (2008)

[Mr_Vindictive]

So my daughter has been begging to see Speed Racer for a while now.  Like most children that will go see this film, they have no idea that it is based on a piece of 1960's anime.

I recall watching Speed Racer back in the mid-90s when for some unknown reason, MTV aired it in it's entirety.  I remember enjoying it for it's campiness and overall goofiness.  When I heard that the Wachowski Bros were handling a live action version of the film I got excited and a bit nervous.  Would this be a serious adaptation or would it be just as damn silly as the original show?

I got my answer yesterday when I took my daughter to see the film.

Speed Racer is nearly indescribable.  I can honestly say that the Wachowski Bros have outdone themselves with this film.  They have accomplished something that few films have ever been able to do.  They have created a nearly flawless live action cartoon.  This film, despite it's updating and such, feels like Speed Racer.

A lot of people have complained about the amount of CG in the film.  Honestly, I was apprehensive about how the film appeared to be just a huge special effects fest.  I can say that it was, but it worked.  The Wachowski Bros have accurately translated pure speed onto film unlike anyone else has.  When Speed races, you feel it.  Your heart starts pounding, and your senses get to the point of getting overloaded.

I now know neither myself or daughter are epileptics.

The film is serious for the most part.  I could actually feel myself tearing up a bit when Speed's brother Rex dies, despite the fact that I knew it was coming.  There is a lot of sadness in this film, and I felt myself caring for everyone in the film.  They could have easily been simple two-dimensional characters but instead were fullly fleshed out within the script.

Watching the film, I kept wishing that the Wachowski Bros had taken on the task of remaking Death Race 2000.  It was obvious to me thorughout that they took a lot of the vehicle designs from that film.

Each summer there is one film that gets me excited for the rest of the season.  There is always one that gets me amped up and ready for the mindless fun that's coming.  Speed Racer is that film.  Summer is here and so are the huge budget extravaganzas.

[Ash]

Part of me wants to see this and part of me does not.

I hated the Speed Racer cartoons and could never understand why anyone would waste their time watching them.
(then again, I've never cared for anime of any kind)

I think the Speed Racer movie looks pretty cool but have heard all kinds of bad things about it.
The professional critics have seemed to especially dislike it.
It got an average Metacritic rating of 36 out of 100.
Check out their opinions here.

I'll wait until DVD for this one.


(on the plus side, I did get a Speed Racer car out of a box of Cheerios the other day!  )

[Mr_Vindictive]

I checked out the Metacritic reviews before going to the film and I just knew I would hate it.  It was the opposite for the most part.

The critics seemed to hate the visuals, and just how fast the film plays out.  I enjoyed the hell out of everything on screen.  Summer is about big budget spectacles and that's exactly what this was.

[Hammock Rider]

I took my 4 year old nephew to see this over the weekend because he too saw the commercials and has been dying to se eit. He's at an age where he's really into cars, as well as fire engines and trains, and I thought this was right up his alley. I was right. He loved it. It was fast, it was exciting and it was fun for kids. Speed's little brother Sprital and his pet chimp Chim-Chim cracked up every kid in the theater and I have to admit they were pretty funny. The scene where Sprital is offered all the candy he wants made every kid laugh hard. It was creative in ways I would never think of and interesting for both kids and adults. There was a nice little message about family and integrity too. The portrayal of young Speed and his love of racing and his older brother was excellent. One of the besr quiet little parts was when lil' Speed gets picked up from school by his big brother, in the Mach 5! What kid wouldn't love that? I don't get why people are saying there is no heart in this movie. It has plenty.I ended up liking the Racer family more in this movie than I ever did in the cartoon. While there are a couple of fight scenes they are more actiony than violent or vicious. Again, Sprital and Chim-Chim leaven the fights with humor.I don't know why the critics have their undies in a bunch over this one. It's plenty entertaining. Maybe someone should post a review from a 5 year old.

If you're interested in this one at all you really have to see it in the biggest loudest theater possible. Any less and you're doing yourself a disservice. It was definitely made to be seen on a big screen.


One more thing, this was my nephew's first experience seeing a movie in a theater. He was excited all week about seeing it and loved it all. He loved buying the popcorn, he loved handing the ticket to the usher(like a big kid), he picked up on the excitement of sitting in a huge auditorium with a big murmuring crowd. He loved the movie and he liked talking about it afterwards. And he was a well behaved little guy,especially after I explained to him that we can't talk during the movie because other people might not be able to hear the movie. He'd never seen previews before. There is no way I can remember what that was like. When I explained what they were he got excited about seeing The Hulk.I think he just might be a movie lover, or maybe I'm just a doddering old uncle.

Anyhow, check out this movie for no other reason than you get to see a chimp de-pants a ninja.

Sorry for the rambling lenght. here's a little eye candy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yogfAmN3Cvc&feature=user
	Small | Large

[Jim H]

I was in awe of a lot of this movie.  It has some of the best visuals in any film ever made. 

Many will find it impossible to take.  Others it simply won't work for.  And some will miss the point.  But for those who fully get into it, it's an amazing film.  Immensely enjoyable.  The climax of the final race in the film is incredible.  Perhaps more amusing as well is there are even fight sequences in the film, and they're better handled than most (note the most please) of the fights in the previous Wachowski films, the Matrix trilogy.

Now, all that said, the film doesn't fully grab you until a good portion of the film has gotten in.   I still enjoyed all the earlier stuff, but it is essentially foundation and buildup - if it had immediately been at the pace and visual speed of the later sequences, it would have been overwhelming.  As it is, it will be for many anyway.  But if you can hold on, it's worth it. 

Besides the visual flair and very exciting races, I actually think the family dynamic of the film is quite solid.  It's wonderfully well-rounded or anything, but solid and gives the film enough heart - even if the heart has some cheese and corn it.  You root for Speed and Racer X, and the wonderfully over-the-top performance by Roger Allam as Royalton is extremely entertaining.

My rating is a 9/10. 

[Mr_Vindictive]

Jim,

You summed up most everything that I felt about the film.  It really was a superb viewing.  I'm tempted to go back to it later this week, which is something that I rarely ever do with a film.

A lot of the critics hated the visuals and felt it to be overwhelming.  Me, I felt that the Wachowskis got the sense of speed and wonder just right.

[Jim H]

Jim,

You summed up most everything that I felt about the film.  It really was a superb viewing.  I'm tempted to go back to it later this week, which is something that I rarely ever do with a film.

A lot of the critics hated the visuals and felt it to be overwhelming.  Me, I felt that the Wachowskis got the sense of speed and wonder just right.

Yeah, I'm probably going to get a second viewing.  This is a film made for the big screen.  One thing I haven't seen anyone mention - in the final race, look for the track zebra zoeotrope.  Very cool idea.

One final note, this film is pretty much a bomb (20 million opening weekend, total costs to market and produce was about 280), which is a shame.  Don't let that dissuade anyone from seeing it.  Not that that is likely to for people on this board :)

[Mr_Vindictive]

Jim,

You summed up most everything that I felt about the film.  It really was a superb viewing.  I'm tempted to go back to it later this week, which is something that I rarely ever do with a film.

A lot of the critics hated the visuals and felt it to be overwhelming.  Me, I felt that the Wachowskis got the sense of speed and wonder just right.

Yeah, I'm probably going to get a second viewing.  This is a film made for the big screen.  One thing I haven't seen anyone mention - in the final race, look for the track zebra zoeotrope.  Very cool idea.

One final note, this film is pretty much a bomb (20 million opening weekend, total costs to market and produce was about 280), which is a shame.  Don't let that dissuade anyone from seeing it.  Not that that is likely to for people on this board :)

I noticed the zebra zeotrope.  It was near the beginning of the final race, and you only catch a glimpse of it for a split second, but it was a very cool effect indeed.

[Neville]

Now, I need to share this with all you. Let me tell you beforehand that I used to throw stuff at those who called the Wachowsky visionaries, and I though the "Matrix" sequels stunk to high heavens. And I've never seen a single episode of "Speed Racer" either.

Yet I saw the film this afternoon, and absolutely loved it. And now I think the Wachowsky are visionaries and that all the hype around them is justified. Yes, I agree the running time is excessive, and the plot and characters are, well, satuday morning cartoon like. Yet I found that cute, and I'll go as far as saying that John Goodman and Christina Ricci are memorable.

But the best of it it's the camerawork. It's not just eye candy. My God! This is how videogame adaptations should be. It's a perfect amalgam of classic cinema, plus elements borrowed from anime (gotta love those morphing backdrops) and yes, videogames. Like intro / outro sequences that are seamlessly inserted into the narrative, camerawork that faithfully reproduces the exhilarating feeling of racing, travellings that completely schew the laws of physics... Hell, they even took inspiration from stuff like "Trackmania" and "Star Wars Racer" for the "level" design, and mapped special weapons to A-B-C buttons. These guys are visionaries.

And no, I don't use drugs.

[Torgo]

My 2nd oldest sister took my 10 year old nephew to see Speed Racer this past weekend and they both thought it was great.

I'll just wait for it on DVD.

[Jim H]

mapped special weapons to A-B-C buttons. These guys are visionaries.

Just a small tidbit of trivia - the original series (which is from the 60s) Mach 5 and Mach 6 designs are basically identical to the movie designs, including the button layout on the wheel.  All the different gizmos it has are exactly the same.  You might notice he doesn't even use all of them, but they still went out of their way to show them all off.

But yeah, I completely agree with you.

[Neville]

Funny. I though it was a nod to console players. There are some other references to videogaming out there, but I've mostly forgotten them by now. I think at some point even a C64 is mentioned.

[HarlotBug3]

Damn. I haven't been this torn over whether to see a movie in a long time.

On the one hand, it's impossibel to ruin a crappy-even-for-campy cartoon, in fact it may be a new step toward B-movie Nirvana.

On the other hand it may do the old so bad it's good---then bad again.

On the one hand I could add another layer to my arrested development experience by wearing fan boy clothes to the theatre AND showing up stinking drunk!

On the other I'd probably have to get up to pee or puke before too long.

On the one hand I hope no one else sees this movie as I'm still disgusted with what they did to V for Vendetta.

On the other I should balance my childish sense of importance with some childish indulgence.

What would a two-dimensional hero do?

[Neville]

Damn. I haven't been this torn over whether to see a movie in a long time.

What would a two-dimensional hero do?

Kiss the girl and kill as many bad guys as he can before the cavalry arrives.

[Killer Bees]

I'd only been aware of Speed Racer in the vaguest of ways having never been a fan of anime in any of its forms.

But I will totally go and see this movie because my darling Roger Allam is playing Royalton the bad guy.  So I'm assuming he gets LOTS of screen time.   

So even if this movie totally blows, seeing Roger will be completely worth it.  Ah yes....a guilty pleasure indeed.......