Speed Racer Review

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"Speed Racer" reviews

Movie

Speed Racer

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2009-08-21 21:43:54

Rating

2.5/5

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

Filled with revved engines and vroom! visuals, Speed Racer is the perfect movie for video-gaming kids--but for others it may just cause migraines.

Story

The big-screen, live-action adaptation mostly captures the look and feel of the '60s cartoon many of us grew up watching. It could have used a few more occurrences of our favorite line, "Look out, Speed! AH!" but oh well. As it goes, Speed (Emile Hirsch) has grown up with motor oil pumping through his veins, helping his Pops (John Goodman) make racecars and idolizing his older brother Rex (Scott Porter), a top-notch driver. Then tragedy strikes when Rex is seemingly killed in an accident. Heartbroken, Speed is determined to take his place, showing some serious skills on the track. His girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci) thinks he's the bomb, as do his mom (Susan Sarandon), younger brother Spritle (Paulie Litt) and pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim. But Speed is soon in for a rude awakening when he is introduced to the corrupt world of auto racing, forcing him to team up with the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) to make it right again. Go, Speed, go!

Acting

The usually somber Hirsch--who is best known for his indie work in films such as Alpha Dog and Into the Wild--seems, at first, an odd choice to play Speed. But his seriousness works well against the campiness surrounding him, especially in the more emotional moments. Same goes for Fox as the stoic Racer X. Still, one can't help but think of him as his Lost alter ego in a dark glasses and a mask. The rest of the cast just has way too much fun, including Ricci as the cute-as-a-button-but-full-of-moxie Trixie, Goodman as the blowhard Pops and especially young Litt as Spritle. Out of all Speed's animated characters re-envisioned, Litt does the best job, capturing Spritle's cartoon mischievousness. The monkey ain't bad, either. Chim-Chim, AH!

Direction

Oh, those Wachowski brothers (Andy and Larry). They sure do like to come up with as many inventive ways to visually stimulate you as they can, don't they? Their Matrix series set CGI on fire--and now Speed Racer, which quite literally takes you inside a video game the Wii or Xbox could only dream of ever creating. The film is virtual eye candy from start to finish--a mixture of Tim Burton-esque colorful sets, wild adrenaline-filled special effects and constant camera movements. They may actually need to post a warning for those who suffer from motion sickness. However, Speed's main problem, which is the same problem the Matrix franchise suffered from, is its tendency to overanalyze the plot. The Wachowskis love to preach, turning a scene about the racing world's corrupt beginning into a 15-minute diatribe. They try to combine the campiness of the animated TV series with serious undertones, but it only weighs the film down. You can feel the kids in the audience tapping their feet, waiting for more action. So, let's just give the kids what they want: fast-paced excitement, wrapped up in a colorful package.

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 2 1/2 stars.

Movie

Speed Racer

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2008-05-02 16:40:19

Provider

Review

In their interpretation of this slightly camp Japanese cartoon, the Wachowski Brothers manage to make a live action film that has the colour and feel of animation. But, exciting though it is, there's the sense (betrayed by its spring release date) that someone somewhere knows this fast-paced, slightly quirky attempt at family entertainment might not match up to the competition of the summer's blockbusters.

The story is of a talented, young racing driver - the titular Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) - who dreams of winning the infamous cross-country rally, The Crucible, which took his older brother's life.

Speed comes from a racing family and stays loyal to the business and the car designed by his dad (John Goodman), the Mach 5, even when the evil owner of rival manufacturer, Royalton Industries, comes calling with a tempting offer. In turning it down, Speed discovers a race-fixing plot by Royalton.

It's a classic good-vs-evil confrontation, but the plot is secondary to the visuals, a charge that, for all its dramatic flair, could never be levelled at the brothers' Matrix Trilogy.

Much of the action and design is impressive in its scope and detail. The race sequences are exciting and retain the best ideas of the original cartoon. But the script is clunky and the story largely superfluous.

Because it is almost like a live-action cartoon, the performances err on the hammy side and by the end it feels like a missed opportunity from directors as visually creative as the Wachowskis.

It is a film aimed at kids as much as adults, but it is unclear how much they will get from it beyond the thrill of the races.