An early review of Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski’s Speed Racer has popped up over at AICN and the anonymous reviewer reports that the film might not be rated G after all. He’s saying PG-13.
“No, as it stands there is cursing in it, which shocked my roommate and I because we heard that they were gunning for the G rating as well. They say “ass” about 3 or 4 times, “shit” at least once, and Spritle flips off another character. Not sure if that’s all going to be edited out, but one or two scenes, it seemed impossible to do so, as it would change a lot. But I’m sure that they will figure out something, maybe alternate takes of the same scenes. I just don’t understand why they would include them if they planned on going for a G eventually anyways.”
The guy goes on to say he’s not a big fan of the directors (latter two Matrixes sucked et al.) and wasn’t expecting much from the lysergic life-as-cartoon style seen in the trailer. He expresses mild shock at how unfinished the film’s special effects are (it’s due in May), but overall, says it should play gangbusters and expects the finished result to be “jawdropping.” And no, he doesn’t sound like a plant to me.
“It’s hoaky, corny, and completely defies reality, sure. But it is done so well that it truly was entertaining. Exactly what a family summer movie should be. The race sequences are some of the most kinetic and intense that I have ever seen (even when it is just shitty cartoon pre-vis renderings flying around on the tracks). The action was so intense and crazy in parts that seriously it made the Matrix movies seem like you’re watching a Gus Van Sant art film.”
One scene that sounds particularly inspired…
“Then immediately we flash back to Speed as a kid trying to take a test in grade school, but he just cant seem to concentrate, all he can think about is racing, so he pretends to race through the test. We literally see his imagination come to life as he races a childishly drawn race car past other crudely drawn race cars.”
Discuss: How well do you think Speed Racer will perform this summer at the box office compared to The Dark Knight and Wall-E? Â
February 21st, 2008 at 12:38 pm
it will attract young viewers for its visuals and old viewers since its based on a classic anime of their childhood. i believe it will do better as a PG or PG-13 because adults shy away from G rated films.
overall, i think it’ll do amazing this summer but as a live action version of an animation, im planning not to see transformers numbers but you never know, it is a classic.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
This movie looks and sounds lame.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:25 pm
This movie looks stupid. It will probably make some money. But this summer will belong to Indiana Jones 4 and The Dark Knight and maybe Iron Man
February 21st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I’m from Germany and so I have never heard of the original series. But I saw the trailer and I have definitely zero interest in this movie. I will never unterstand why the Wachowski’s chose such a ridiculous and weak material to begin with. And there is now way this movie is going to be successful over here. The Dark Knight and Wall-E is a whole different league.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:07 pm
The best way to describe this movie will be that sound from “The Price is Right” from when someone gets a question wrong.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Can we all admit? It just doesn’t look good. Not even remotely.
Way back when it was announced Silver, the Wachowski’s and Hirsch (HUGE fan of all, btw) were all on board, was this what you were picturing?
Gotta figure this will do well it’s first week on the strength of the veritable fortune in marketing dollars Warners’ will throw at it, but when word of mouth hits, it’s gone, and deservedly so.
Next summer’s loaded. When it’s all said and done it might be a struggle for this to crack the top ten. Marketing alone can’t carry you these days. The Wachowski’s are in for a wake up call: You just can’t half-ass it anymore.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:01 pm
BOMB! It sounds like a G is no longer in the cards for the pic, PG movies are not marketable and no way the PG-13 demo will pay for Speed Racer. I admire what they’re doing with the movie but this is so far from the average movie goers’ summer movie preference. Try showing the trailer to anyone who doesn’t read up on movies and I bet they give a WTF reaction (in a bad ‘I’m not paying to see that’ way) Total bomb…
February 21st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
c’mon… Give Wachowski’s credit please… I don’t think they would let this one slip away and they would deliver in a BIG way.
I am currently watching the 10-disc edition of Matrix Trilogy and I still believe they are one of the best in the business…
February 21st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
The Mach 5 looks better than this Mach 6!
April 24th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I think this movie is going to be amazing to be honest with you. This is EXACTLY the kind of material that the Wachowski Bros. take pride in if you know their complete history. I think you are all wrong so far and that this will be one of the top 6 grossing films of 2008 and one of the most entertaining films of the year as well.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
the trailer hasn’t told me enough to determine if this will be too kiddy. If it is what I think the Wichowski bros. can pull off, (which is revolutionizing special effects), this and the dark knight will be the best of the summer.
April 27th, 2008 at 5:59 am
The film sucks for adults.
April 27th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I saw Speed Racer this morning at a preview screening, I was quite enjoying it, even though they don’t pay any attention to physics or gravity with the race-sequences which I think is a mistake because it’s quite hard to follow what’s actually going on sometimes, but I heard a couple of people say they thought it was terrible. There was a slight applause after the film, I think some people will love it, especially kids who like a lot of sugar, it’s the movie equivalent of sugar. For most of us though it’s not a film to get excited about. Plus it’s too long! Two hours! Yes this is a film for kids. I’m waiting for Batman.
April 27th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I’ve seen it.
Visually, it’s absolutely incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Visually arresting, breathtaking explosions of colour. The style; the wardrobe, is beautiful.
It’s a shame it’s a Hollywood film though, because if they hadn’t watered it down for the kiddies with comic relief from the child character, it would have been a classic.
As it stands, a great family film with revolutionary style and visuals - a real triumph of a film that’ll have you punching your fist in the air at the end. Some good acting, sags a bit in the middle, but overall a strong B rating.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I quite liked the kid - and the chimp.
April 30th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I’ve never read such small minded attitudes towards a film that hasn’t even been released yet! Considering the garbage that has been coming out of Hollywood recently, “No Country for Old Men”, “30 Days of Night”, “The Eye”, “The Nines” to name but a few, this looks like a positively refreshing approach to film making. These are the guys that brought us “The Matrix” and “V for Vendettta”, this movie will be a success.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Well, I saw a screening of it yesterday, and the movie was dragging on a little bit. Anyway, about the cursing and the one innapropriate gesture, that was there. 9/10.
May 8th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Seriously, I don’t see why people are so harsh, when they’ve only seen the trailers; I think mostly, people see it, and don’t have too strong of an opinion on it, but then people who just loves to crap all over everyones hopes of a movie(even when it is from brilliant directors who brogh you The Matrix, seriously people; remember the first time you saw The Matrix, if you were like me, you were floored.) before anyone had even seen it. And all this crap about “well the movie sucks for adults.” c’mon, all adults don’t have to be strictly into serious, emotional racking, slow paced movies. Whats wrong with likeing over the top intense, maybe too intense scenes that shoot colors you’ve never seen into your eyes, instead of the typical adult movie, grey bland realism. Enough about that though. Ya know, the one thing I figured NOBODY would complain about, is the races, but no, “They are completely unrealistic, they defy the laws of gravity, they ignore basic principles.” Are you kidding me? They are SUPPOSED to. THATS WHAT MAKES THEM AWESOME. But oh, i forgot, everyone LOVES to see neat looking cars go in circles for an hour better…please, they are that way intentionally, dont complain. And ya know, if they DID take a realistic approach to speed racer…like if he lived in oklahoma….and just entered a fancier version of nacar, everyone would be pissed, and all you would hear is, “This sucks, why didnt they make it like the anime, I wanted jaw dropping crazy scenes, Its so bland, why didnt it have live color and feeling like the anime?!” and you know its true, so just watch it, then decide.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:07 am
The Wachowski always have been, and always will be, shit peddlers. Let’s hope this inspires somebody to release GoGoGo Mach5 uncut.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:35 am
asshat. y’all are except Kase. The Wachowski Bros. set the standard for action movies with the Matrix and movies from then on in the 2000s. If you can, try to remember how you thought when you saw those action sequences (Trinity’s opening scene, Dojo fight, building lobby shootout!!)scenes, and how the defying of gravity and breaking the laws of physics was so insane and impressive. Classic action sequences.
After that movie, so many clone movies incorporated bullet-time into their scenes (art of War…Shrek, Scary Movie spoofs) and video games (Max Payne 1 & 2, Bloodrayne). Their grasp of pushing the limits of spatial reality shouldn’t be held back by “people who don’t get it.” You are not understanding what is going on visually because you are too used to what you are hand-fed, and when you see something new, you automatically turn your brain off. Peddlin shit is for a lot of directors today (every halloween, they bring out a weak-ass thriller that isn’t scary for a 5 year old; christmas, some tim allen hack campy movie and some other movies just for keepin the dollar going). Think about that.
things should always be progressing to bigger and better. Dun know about everyone else, but I don’t like to see the same things over and over, especially in movies made to entertain (and provide a 2hr distraction from everyday life).
This movie is supposed to be over-the-top and races are supposed to defy physics. Speed Racer WAS visually amazing. They handled the cheesiness well (by acknowledging it, and kinda apologizing for it), and the family scenes were done well. it’s fun to watch.
Anyway, if people are deciding on a movie simply from the trailer, then they are truly going to miss out on good movies again and again. Trailers are made to alert a target audience to the presence of a new film; that’s it. Enjoy the summer movies, cause that is the time for directors to shine and that’s when they try big tings to try to outdo what they’ve done before.
May 11th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Ted Leski - May 10, 2008
Go, Speed Racer, Go! THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS’ SUPER KID, HIGH-TECH WIN.
by Ted Leski
Updated Friday, May 9, 2008, at 15:50 PM ET
Speed Racer is a mind-numbing sensory blitzkrieg that the target audience will love. While the content and color of this film may be a bit over the top for most adult moviegoers, there kids are certain to be happily satisfied, and wanting more. The movie, from the start to finish is tailor made for 10 to 12 year old boys, and or adult males who want to see a true live action retro-futuristic version of the classic 1960’s cartoon. Waaay before this movie ever got a green light of any kind, or was even in anybody’s consciousness to do such a thing, I was wondering what a straight transfer of the original 60’s cartoon might look like on the big screen and I fell asleep. I was thinking that a 21st century live action version would need a few steroids to get it going and totally morph a flat “Zen Like cartoon†into a summer blockbuster live toon that’d leave the young ones screaming for more and older folks running for the door (or at least waiting outside in the “parent day care center†until the children finish in the movie theater.
In vibrant, colorful fashion there are battles with ninjas, drives straight up the sides of ice cliffs, and enough “car-fu†to start a new hybrid genre of action flick that car and gaming enthusiasts are sure to enjoy.
Another interesting thing about the treatment of the film is the way it totally immerses you in absolutely everything, by taking all of the visual/timing devices used in the original cartoon and jacking them up over the edge beyond human reason. It was like being in a giant pinball machine. This is definitely for an audience who doesn’t (at the moment) care about story; a primarily visual bunch that thrives on enormous lollipops, colorful candies and tons of caffeine.
Images of the Joel Schumacker Batman and Running Man came to mind only this was waay better in that it wasn’t just Characters running around on pretty sets with colored lights. Whatever their audience is they have a way of strapping you in whether you like it or not and subjecting you to completely visual experience.
Warning Warning Warning Warning…
If you are prone to seizures do not go see this movie. EMS will be outside every movie theater where this thing is playing. If you have taken some kind of mind altering substance such as LSD, MushRooms, or Pot do not go see this movie; If you do? Your #!%*@$
-Ted
May 11th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I’ve always been a fan of the original anime series. I was glad to hear that they were coming out with a live action Speed Racer movie, but as soon as I saw a preview i was just like wtf..? But i still had a small desire to see it, only because it’s speed racer. I went into the theater with low expectations for this movie, especially since the animation is so cartoony. But surpirsingly it had a great plot, i just thought it’d be all flashy and fancy crap. And the racing scenes were very very exiting, i got goosebumps. Even my friends who said the movie was gonna be “gay” came out really liking it. It’s a great movie and I’m going to go see it a few more times. So dont listen to all the professional reviews about how it sucks so bad, people cant recognize a piece of art anymore :/. its a very excellent movie!
May 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
This is a travisty of film making. I waited 25 years to see this move come to the big screen as did most who grew up watching it and these dunder headed executives completley violated the movie. They could have made a gret movie with low tech for a third of the money. HOW in the WORLD could they get this wrong?? I actually walked out 2/3’s of the way through and believe me that was kind as many left before I did. I am just sooo let down..
May 17th, 2008 at 12:36 am
FUCK YOU GUYS!!! YOU DONT KNOW NOTHING
May 18th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I love this film - I must admit that at first glance of the previews before Speed Racer hit the theaters I felt a sinking stone in my belly - the assualt of color as I saw the city skyline had me wondering “Am I watching the movie Robots?†I have deeply fond memories of the original cartoon and wondered could this movie measure up. Two-thirds of the movie went by with my grumpiness intact, and then I finally got it. The Wachowski Bros. didn’t care if I liked this film - they were on a mission to re-invent the story telling process - to awaken my senses in a daringly inventive new way - to not do it like the did it before and had the guts to boldly create a brilliant vision. Exaggeration seemed to be the name of the game here - for a character such as Speed Racer could not exist in a world like ours, but only an exaggerated one. And to my utter surprise, in the last leg of the last race of the film, as Speed finds he’s “reason†for racing - I wept - tears spontaneously streamed down my cheeks (I’m a 41 year old man) - there was a magnificence, passion and beauty in watching Speed overcome his obstacles and declare himself - fully self expressed in the face of ridiculous odds - in a blur of color and speed and victory. I found myself riding in the car with him - looking into my life where I have given up and where I can still declare myself - and finish my own race in a blaze of light and pure expression. The Wachowski’s are champions of the human spirit and their films boldly declare (in metaphor) what is possible for each of us - if we choose it. What a world we could delight in if we all “chose†to be as bold. BRAVO!