Speed Racer
The Wachowski’s Speed Racer is certainly ambitious. With it’s candy coated visuals and cgi backdrops, it makes for an entertaining experience. Yet, it fails because of the use of cgi, because the meager plot couldn’t hide behind the pretty lights, the film relied on the flash rather than the story. And that is what’s so frustrating about this movie, the flashy visuals were good, but the tale was weak especially in the exposition of the fiendish Royalton. It was boring.
Until the races started up. I loved it. They looked like skaters doing ollie shove-its and 360 kick flips. This was the first time I felt like I had to play the video game. If it was about bashing other cars, it would be awesome like Mario Cart.
Christina Ricci is dangerous. Her Trixie enters and you know that the sugar coated affair has changed to something slightly off-kilter. John Goodman looking old, but serviceable as Pops. Sprittle was annoying, but needed to provide some comic relief for the children in the audience to laugh. Emile Hirsch is once again a blank 2d character like the animated version of speed racer.
The story did pick up until the racing. The early part was boring. In fact, I still don’t get the fiendish Royalton’s machinations because my eyes glazed over and I checked out for a bit.
It’s not as bad as the reviews its getting, but it needs some work. This is the first movie that seems to have been expressly made for high definition DVDs. I couldn’t help but think that hd DVD should’ve been its original release format.
3 of 5 stars.
2 Replies to “Speed Racer”
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color’s such a headache! and even from the trailer before, it was reminiscent of Mario Kart (take note of the K and the arrrr emphasis when they say it.) =p
The Wachowski bros certainly put a lot of effort into making Speed Racer… the movie overall looked and felt like a cross between anime, a kaleidoscope, that Flintstones movie, a video game and the Dukes of Hazard