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May
08
2008

SPEED RACER review

Posted by Jim at 10:42pm.

Posted in Film & DVD Reviews , Action, USA & Canada.

For many years, Hollywood had been threatening to unleash a big-budget live-action adaptation of the iconic 1960s cartoon “Speed Racer”.  Everyone from Johnny Depp to Nicolas Cage was rumored to be involved at one point or another.  Now, at long last, the film has arrived, touting the unmistakable star power of… John Goodman??  Okay, to be fair, the cast of this film does a remarkable job of bring out the heart and vital family dynamic of the Racer clan.  But the fact that the cast may lack marquee value doesn’t matter, as the true stars of this film are its makers, Larry and Andy Wachowski (of the Matrix trilogy fame).  And in accordance to the visual whirligig that is this film, not once do they let you forget it.  Dare I say it; they’ve opened door into some kind of new live action visual experience.

Already semi-controversial for its manic, color-crazed visual style, “Speed Racer” is a film that’s not going to appeal to everyone.  I suspect that it will, however, appeal to far more people than some negative box office predictors are indicating.  The spark is such in the fabric of this film that it could very well catch on with the kids in that slow burning “National Treasure” sort of way.  But don’t take that as a judgment on the quality of the movie itself (although it was a compliment) (but I haven’t seen “National Treasure”).  While it’s interesting that the heretofore R-rated Wachowskis have seen fit to make what they dub “a family movie”, it’s even more interesting to process “Speed Racer” in the context of their other work. 

Heavy on anime flourishes, a sequence of kung-fu, and even a beneath-the-surface “chosen one” theme, it has all the same points of interest as the Matrix trilogy (wherein the hero rises to meet his destiny of squaring off with a monolithic enemy, and thereby forges a new reality – an idea which applies here, since the reality of these characters is exclusively auto racing), but actually allows for more heart due to the relatable nature of the acting (something the Matrix films tended to lack).  That heart is the only thing that ultimately separates this film from the “Speed Racer: The Movie” video game, (which I’m not even going to bother checking to make sure it exists) as much of the film does look like a video game, certainly more so than the actual Speed Racer cartoon.  The brothers seem plugged into that fact, however, unlike Ang Lee, whose attempt to make “Hulk” a comic-book-come-to-life was, while cool to watch, NOT a comic-book-come-to-life.  This is not the old “Speed Racer” cartoon come to life, but it’s pretty evident that wasn’t the intention.

One fairly clear intention seems to be the Wachowskis’ continuing examination of the ideas of reality as artiface/artiface as reality, which is pushed in the very depiction of the day-glo/neon futurescapes of “Speed Racer”, as opposed to the literal diatribes inflicted on us repeatedly in the Matrix films.  A drawback of the constant (and some are saying revolutionary) nonstop pinball machine visual narrative technique used here is that it can be, at times, over-stimulating.  Early on, I found myself thinking “Wow, this is a big bizarre eyesore!”, but later, I realized that despite the crazy visual nature of the film, I could still follow the specifics of all the action, which is a testament to the direction and editing, and not something I could say for the intense action scenes in, say, the Best Picture winner “Gladiator”.  Yes, at times “Speed Racer” might as well be called “A.D.D the Movie”, (my theory is that if you give kids pixie stix and caffeine during this film, and their heads will explode) but it works all the same.

While there’s no question that “Iron Man” is the superior summer blockbuster, “Speed Racer” has curiously grown on me since I’ve seen it to the point that if given the choice, right now I’d probably go watch it again on the big screen.  It is a fun film that dares to try something different in its approach.  The cross generational appeal of this movie speaks for itself – adults who grew up with the iconic cartoon want to see it, and their kids will want to go because it’s so darn bright and cool looking.  Plus, if the teen girl sitting next me at the screening was any indication, the “Emile Hirsch is dreamy factor” will give that particular demographic a buzz.  Even “Lost” fans can go to appreciate Matthew Fox as the mysterious and ever-cool Racer X.  (Keep your ears open for a classic line of “Lost” dialogue that is hurled at him at one point.)

Like I said before, this isn’t going to be for everyone.  But if you ever enjoyed the original “Speed Racer”, or a Wachowski brothers film, you need to see this.  It’s hard to deny that at least fifty percent of the cartoon’s appeal was its theme song and music, but nonetheless, the show carried a certain charm that was wrongfully mocked during the show’s ironic revival in the 1990s.  This is not an ironic film by any means, which is to its credit.  The score by Michael Giacchino (also of “Lost” fame), is terrific throughout - the only related disappointment is the denial of the famous song at the outset.  You have to wait for the end credits for that, although it is sampled and hinted at throughout.  Of course the version of the song at the end is a newfangled, amped-up techno-rap number, but it somehow matches the amped-up tempo of the film itself.

“Speed Racer” crosses the finish line as a feel-good trip; some may even find it exhilarating.  If all this sounds good to you, it’s all very simple: go to “Speed Racer”, go!

- Jim Tudor

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Reader Comments

  1. anton_es 05/09/2008 @ 5:14am

    nothing in this movie is new. after some reviews i expected a “new” kind of presentation of CGI and surrounding techniques but all I saw was a movie with enough budget and time to finish stupid color-saturated images then recreated in-computer and rearranged (it is a copy of old silent movie filming techniques making special effects incamera with mirrors and overexposing).
    i would call the Wachovskis the MASTERS of REPACKAGING, therefore right at home in Hollywood.
    since i found the last matrix only ...ok and the other 2 parts have the impact of an pornmovie without the nudity I will pass this one on.
    a friend saw it yesterday and told me: it’s a kids movie. they wanna sell some small cars and happy meals.

  2. crazybee 05/09/2008 @ 6:08am

    So you didn’t even see it?

    Okay…

  3. anton_es 05/09/2008 @ 6:26am

    i did. it says so in the 2nd sentence. i’m no english speaker. ah, i see. you mean the phrase “pass this one on”. I meant I had to pass my opinion on so other’s don’t think it’s even remotely near the average quality of Matrix 1.
    I love my genre movies and anime but this gets so boring after the novelty wore off, it’s not even funny

  4. Kurt Halfyard 05/09/2008 @ 6:34am

    “The cross generational appeal of this movie speaks for itself – adults who grew up with the iconic cartoon want to see it, and their kids will want to go because it’s so darn bright and cool looking.  Plus, if the teen girl sitting next me at the screening was any indication, the “Emile Hirsch is dreamy factor” will give that particular demographic a buzz.  Even “Lost” fans can go to appreciate Matthew Fox as the mysterious and ever-cool Racer X.  (Keep your ears open for a classic line of “Lost” dialogue that is hurled at him at one point.)”

    It is this cynical calculated approach (lets tease in every demographic and market by including one of this and one of that, etc.) that seems to be taken here, that seems to damn the film (for me) from the outset.  How garish is the product placement in the movie?  I like the ‘visual experiment’ part, but I don’t think I have the stomach to even attempt this one.

    If I want to get my visual groove on, I’m off to the wkw bauble, My Blueberry Nights thank-you very much.

  5. anton_es 05/09/2008 @ 6:42am

    that’s what it comes to. the movie has no soul, it’s massappeal is its downfall, making for a hollow experience. the visual “experiment” is not existing, it’s calculated mtv and matrix slowmo technic masturbation. it’s just...there

  6. indiemaker0583 05/09/2008 @ 6:47am

    Yeah, Anton_es. You’re coming off as being totally. Yeah, the film’s message is kind of a contradiction. A family film that’s completely anti-corporation and yet you’ll find Speed Racer Happy Meal toys at your local McDonalds.

    But unlike many another summer blockbuster, this is definitely a passion driven project. And while I think the last two Matrix films have huge, glaring flaws. I think it’s pretty mind blowing that they exist, as well as V for Vendetta. Seriously, these guys have done a great job of working the system. And as far as V for Vendetta was concerend, while the film was sort of junky, the comic wasn’t much better. It was Alan Moore’s weakest work, amazing story, poor execution although fan boys refuse to admit that.And the film definitely captured the spirit of the source’s message.

    And yes, that shit bag, Joel Silver is going to squeeze every penny out of this IP that he can. That’s what his kind of people do. But every frame of this movie was clearly crafted with love for the material.

    As a rabid fan of the show I went into this with reservations, but it really won me over. IT IS a kids movie and yes, it’s complete fluff.  But what the hell is wrong with that? It’s a good kids film, it made me feel like a kid again. It did for me what Van Helsing was supposed to do or what nerds were hoping the new Star Wars movies would do for them. If you’re willing to drop you bullshit pretensions it will remind you what it was like to be completely in love with something so silly and juvenile. It’ll bring back those memories of getting up early and running out of your bedroom to watch your favorite Saturday Morning Cartoon in pajamas with a bowl of cereal with gobs of sugar on top, to just let go and enjoy a little mindless self indulgence.

    If you can’t find the fun in that, then you’re dead inside.

  7. anton_es 05/09/2008 @ 7:04am

    as a child my imagination was captured by “La Guerre des boutons” and I would argue that EmpireStrikesBack is vastly superior to those pc-game tie-ins.
    and I play games and know them all, i can spot all the references and I know when to have fun during an insanely inventive and speedy chase-scene.
    they were not in this movie. go grab a copy of trackmania, put some faces in the drivers seat and you have speed racer. but i give kudos to the actors playing the family looking anywhere near interested in the happenings.
    I don’t care how many cool camera tricks they invented because they know shit about plotting, pacing and how to make tension or drama. they only know how to exaggerate. in that corner I would prefer Charlie&ChocolateFactory;every time over this. I can watch some kids’ movies every time over some adults’ movies.
    this is not the case here. this movie is just so bad they should cut out all the talking and just show the races.

  8. The Visitor 05/09/2008 @ 9:09am

    Speed Racer has more soul than the fun but forgettable Iron Man.

    Iron Man is a 14-year-old trying to be grown up. Speed Racer is a pre-school kid going crazy with crayons. talk all you like about how it is all just technical wham-bang, but Speed Racer has a certain charm about its reckless abandon and how it’s completely unbridled in its creativity. can’t say the same about the very calculated Iron Man, where every move is so pre-programmed to elicit this and that. Speed Racer just doesn’t care. it’s like a child who hasn’t yet been hampered, caged, reigned in by the rules of the world. it is carefree, and it doesn’t care if you say the sky isn’t purple; it WILL colour it purple regardless what you or anyone else might say.

    and that for me is what makes Speed Racer so special. that’s what makes it stand out among others. that’s what is for me the true summer blockbuster this season. not some superhero movie that tries on grown up clothes and waddle around with swagger, unaware that it just looks ridiculous.

  9. Blake 05/09/2008 @ 10:19am

    Great review and a very nice read.

    I would say a lot of the visual elements in places definitely feature an ode to Eadweard Muybridge.

    As for repackaging the case could be made with any filmmaker. They are taking from other films and putting it within their voice and vision. This is nothing unique to the W Brothers. They just seem to have a lot more fun at it at times and especially coming up with new ways to tell the same ol same old.

    As for it having no soul, this was perhaps my biggest concern, but man I thought they got the story right with enough substance and emotional traction.

    And at the end this is a family made mainstream film, so that alone will certainly alienate many. And like any movie if you don’t like the story or get into it, your probably not going to like the movie.

  10. MikeOutWest 05/11/2008 @ 12:40pm

    Speed Racer impressed me much more than I expected, especially the first ten minutes which did a great job of setting out Speed’s motivations and demons, his family and his relationship/history with Trixie. Some of the races were really cool in a hot-wheels kind of way and the Big Fight on the mountain was a lot of fun. John Goodman and Christina Ricci stole the show for me.

    Oh, and if you’ve never seen it, this works great as a parody of both the original series and the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3O5JWuUyIQ

  11. Rhythm-X 05/12/2008 @ 11:34pm

    Going to see it Wed. in IMAX.  Can’t wait.  The opening 7 minutes kicking around on the internet convinced me, as did the virulent, irrational hate being spewed forth on other, vastly inferior websites.  Anything hated so strongly by people so seemingly free of any human worth or intellect can’t possibly be all bad.

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