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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
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
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
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 doe-eyed 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. Written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the masterminds behind the MATRIX films, SPEED RACER replaces the gritty techno patina of that blockbuster series with a polished, brightly hued virtual reality. Though the eye-popping visuals threaten to eclipse the acting, the fine cast gamely makes the most of their green-screen environment, particularly the likable Hirsch, who won acclaimed for his decidedly different INTO THE WILD role, and LOST's always-noble Fox. Adding to the movie's giddy mood are Paulie Litt and his chimp companion, who provide comic relief as Speed's playful younger brother, Spritle, and Chim Chim, respectively. While definitely a case of style over substance, SPEED RACER is a movie meticulously designed to appeal to families and kids, especially the Spritle-like young ones.Read full review
This WB release is packed with action, astounding special effects (mixing the real with the virtual) and intriguing story lines. Only because of all of these three aspects, it's worth a watch. It's a little children-focused, but entertaining for the whole family. It has not much to do with the innocence and the simplicity of the original Japanese cartoon series and this is one more reason fans of this character should see the movie - to judge by themselves. Basically, this is a story of a little boy who is born and raised by a family of car and speed lovers. They truly believe in the joy and in the real spirit of the racing. Along the way, they end up facing the tough reality of the sport business - competitors, results and championships are determined by the industry, the money men, by the interest of big money corporations. There's no such thing as fair results, authentic competition. Winners and losers are previously chosen before they even compete. Speed Racer's family is even led to believe that the loss of their oldest children by a car accident was caused by this called corporate greed. As Speed and his family are determined to bring the power down, proving that talent and the love for the speed are capable of anything that money just can't buy, mysteries unfold throughout the story and everything end up just fine. While some people might call this a predictable, boring and childish flick, I call it the best live-action movie of 2008 so far. Undoubtedly a five-star rating.Read full review
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