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First off, lemme say that I've never watched a complete episode of Speed Racer in my life. Sure, I may have caught a segment or two, but even when I was a kid I thought this show was too "kiddie". So after the huge, over-hyped movie version crash and burned earlier this year, I was curious to see what went wrong. I'm surprised, what did go wrong here? Let's get one thing straight, this is the type of movie that will give your eyes diabetes. Colors scream at you, objects fly past the screen like lightning, and images are always in constant motion. Audio-wise it's like sleeping inside an engine, with the motor-roars tearing you apart. But at an amazing 2 hours and 12 minutes it just runs too long. Trust me, I didn't need to see the cartoon to know what's going on here, the history is laid out for you in just-too-deep detail. Not that the cast weighs the story down, they're actually pretty good in this, but to me this is one story that could have used a bit of an edit job. And how deep should a plot be for something called Speed Racer anyway? If Speed Racer ever had a Ben-Hur-like episode, this is it. With all the CGI effects, bordering between impressive and "Oh, C'mon!", this little Asian to America classic cartoon has been given a royal treatment that quite frankly it didn't deserve. Sure, it's really entertaining in parts, but it didn't have to go as far as being the Star Wars Episode III with racecars either. Looks good, less filling. I honestly can't see any official Speed Racer fan not hitting High Gear with this one. For those fanatics, it's your true blue honoring of the series. But to others like me, after all the special, and I do mean special, effects you may wonder what warranted it in the first place. So what went wrong? They paid tribute to a show with a motion picture that frankly could have been twice as less spectacular and gotten the same overall result. (RedSabbath Rating:7.5/10)Read full review
I must admit that I know, or knew rather, very little about the story or history of Speed Racer- and his TV series - and maybe that is why I enjoyed this movie so much. Although, this is still a different type of situation where one who was a big fan of the shows might be seriously critical of every little detail of the turned movie. I don't believe anyone who considers themselves truly knowledgeable about Tatsuo Yoshida's work can say that this was not represented well on the big screen. I'm now intrigued to go back and check out some episodes of Speed Racer. That aside, as far as it being a movie and a work of art, I would give this movie high marks in both categories. For it being a movie, it was nice to see something so different as far as the approach to making it go. Also, having such an incredible cast makes it all the more intriguing. I don't see anyone else having portrayed any of these characters any better than the cast that was hired to do so. On an artistic level, it is extremely hard to think of any other movie that comes close to being in the same league. I did not see The Matrix, but I would say that anyone who liked Sin City for its cinematography and graphic elements, would love Speed Racer. The use of bright photography that's added behind a green screen makes for a far more dramatic effect. Take the artistic elements of this movie, and put it together with the amazing cast (both looks and talent) and throw it together with a very different but coherent plot, and you've got yourself an extremely enjoyable movie that is definitely worth seeing. And seeing at the theater no less! My hats off to The Wachowski Brothers, and the rest of the cast and crew for putting together something different for a change.Read full review
Yeah, I'm one of those people that watched 'Speed Racer' on my UHF channel as a kid. Made me love cars and technology. I even have a white sports car (no number on the side though). So, I was a sucker for the new movie. I will admit, while I was "wowed" like most fols at the Wachowski's "Matrix" movies, I was a bit overwhelmed with "Speed Racer"; maybe that because my first viewing was in IMAX; I knew after that sensory overload that the dvd version would probably be more enjoyable; I was right. Without overwhelming colors and sounds, the story appeared more and I saw the movie more as a driver defining his life and fighting demons inside and out versus little conversations between utterly fantastic race car sequences. Only because sticking with the cartoon house and oversized products and colors bordered on parody, that I don't give this an "Excellent". Thanks guys for another great movie experience. -RJRead full review
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm still a little boy at heart. I love cars, explosions and any excuse to watch an action movie. In that case, what's not to love about "Speed Racer"? As one of the year's most spectacular box office wrecks, I was wary of seeing the film after a cavalcade of poor reviews. Let's set the record straight: As a spectacle film, "Speed Racer" works. The Wachowski Brothers have taken all the testosterone of, say, "The Fast the Furious," filtered it through an LSD blender, and concocted a candy-coated world that is at once blinding and awesome. Sure, the plot is paper thin, but the Wachowskis manage capable performances out of their ensemble cast -- a cast that includes such auspicious names as Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and Emile Hirsch (see also his star-turning role in "Into the Wild.") Despite this, "Speed Racer" remains entertaining and amusing, even if the film is a bit too chaste for its own good. I tried to dislike "Speed Racer." I really did. But the little boy, who finds fun in revving engines, streaking taillights and impossible physics, won out.Read full review
Synopsis: Based on the 1960s Japanese manga derived animated TV series of the same name, SPEED RACER follows the adventures of the title character (Emile Hirsch), a young race car driver who sits behind the wheel of the lightning-fast Mach 5 vehicle. Aided by his family, which includes Pops Racer (John Goodman) and Mom Racer (Susan Sarandon), and his devoted girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed racks up victory after victory, but still lives in the shadow of his late older brother, Rex (Scott Porter), who died in a race. When Speed garners the wrath of Royalton Industries, he must team up with the enigmatic Racer X (Matthew Fox) to defeat the ruthless corporation. Now I am regretting not watching this movie on the big screen but I am also glad I got to watch the DVD because of the extra stuff. This was a great entertaining show for SPEED RACER Old School fans and now new comers. The younger generation who never really got to watch this show will definitely be completely entertained by this movie. There were close to 100 episodes of SPEED RACER cartoons and the Wachowski Brothers (Creators of the MATRIX Movies) and their team put most of them together in a little over 2 hours movie. It was extremely well done and the show had everything including drama, comedy, romance and ACTION. Just when you think that it can’t get better then the movie surprises you and gets even BETTER. This movie is meant for all ages and I completely recommend buying it and playing it over and over again. You won’t regret your purchase. All of the actors played their parts very well and they kept the movie going. The special features on the DVD will also keep you entertained and are extremely well done. I give this movie a 4.5 stars and I am sure that a lot of people will agree with my rating. Now here is a little note for the Wachowski Brothers: Now that you have the Speed Racer experience why not go and make a movie about the Anime show called IGPX: IMMORTAL GRAND PRIX; I am sure that wouldn’t be a huge stretch and it would be possible using all of the experience learned on this Speed Racer Movie. BTW; great job on the movie.Read full review
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