Speed Racer Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)May 10th, 2008
Go bSpeed Racerb Go!
by Homer Yen
(c) 2008
When I was 8 years old, I loved smashing up my toy cars. My favorite toy was Kennerbs SSP Smash-Up Derby. Not sure what it is? Well, if you were a toddler in the late 60s or early 70s, then check out the commercial for my favorite toy on YouTube
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6a9b9BLyJU). These cars came with loosely secured tires and doors and other auto body parts that would fly off when it sped into some other immovable object. Hohoho! That brings back memories.
So, itbs probably no surprise that I became a fan of the late 60s, crudely animated Japanese cartoon. Sure, back then the number of frames per second seemed really stingy, the colors were drab, and the dubbing was bad. But those mountain races, which featured cavalier drivers trying to force their competitors off the road and into a fiery crash, always left me yearning for more. Probably, in retrospect, this cartoon was one of the most violent on television circa the late 60s. Well, anyway, thatbs my story. Now, if youbre anything like me, then youbll love the Wachowski Brothers avant-garde, big-screen re-invention of bSpeed Racerb. Truly, I advise you to ignore the criticsb chorus of mediocre reviews and to go out and just have yourself a really good time.
Speed has burgeoning talent that outstrips his level of maturity. It creates tension between him and his father, Pops (John Goodman is perfectly cast in this role). And Trixie (underutilized Christina Ricci), his girlfriend, wonders if Speed will ever mature in their relationship.
His talent also brings to his doorstep an unsavory sponsor (Roger Allam). He represents the dark side of corporate power and politics. Youbll love his deliciously snarky demeanor. He is so fabulously juiced-up-evil. However, he constantly provides an overly drawn out exposition about why racing is not really a sport but is actually a mechanism to boost up stock share prices. For a family film, most people (especially the kids) arenbt going to understand or even care about the machinations of the corporate evil-doer.
As Speed realizes that the independent spirit must not be quashed, he begins to find some purpose in his life. With the support of his family; with the assistance from the enigmatic Racer X (Matthew Fox absolutely nails down this character); and with his incredible racing machine called the Mach 5, Speed wants to show those corporate types that the best racers are not controlled by money but by their desire to competitively race. Let me just say that I am very jealous of the Mach 5 with all those buttons on the steering wheel. This car has some serious add-ons, like the ability to jump obstacles in the road, to replace a blown tire, to activate bulletproof shielding and other cool stuff. I mean, on the steering wheel of my BMW, my buttons just allow me to change radio stations and play with the volume. It just doesnbt seem fair.
Like some of the race cars that meet unfortunate fates, this film frequently feels like itbs about to lose control. The editing is frenetic and the racing is fast and furious. But itbs certainly a darn entertaining film. The visual effects are stunning and youbll thank God for the gift of sight. There is no shortage of
vroom-vroom. And itbs the most fun time Ibve had in the theatres so far this year. I canbt help but hum the song from the television series: Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go!
Grade: B+
S: 1 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3
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Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
