Note: This post will be tacked to the top of /Film until Sunday.
Okay, so Speed Racer hit theaters nationwide today. Most movie critics are slamming The Wachowski Brother’s latest film (35% on Rotten Tomatoes). I actually had a lot of fun, but was left exhausted. I very much appreciated the cinematography and editing which made the movie look and feel like a live action anime, but felt the story was lacking. But enough about me…
I want to know what you thought of the movie. Leave your mini review in the comments below!
May 9th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
The visuals were insane, too much even!
May 9th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
SPEED FAIL.
May 9th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
The Wachowski Brothers could have trimmed this film down 25-35 minutes, and it would have been a lot better for that. Exhausting is the exact word to describe this movie. I loved the visuals, especially the transitions and cartoon like effects where they had different layers on screen at the same time, like animation cells. Also the anime joke between the little kid and chim chim was funny.
May 9th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I could get half the visuals, I’m red-green colour blind :(
May 9th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
being an emile hirsch fanboy, i enjoyed this film more than i expected going into it. i thought it had a good mix of entertainment for the young audiences as well as for those going to see the film transitioned from anime. the colors and cinematography was uncanny and just mind-blowing, but the runtime was a bit long. i am curious as to how they could have trimmed it down though with the same story line, i don’t see it. i also don’t see how iron man made 100 million and this will wind up making in the 30s.
:-/
May 9th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
extremely entertaining, like any movie it all depends on what you are expecting. i was expecting to be blown away visually…and i was. so i thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 9th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I WANT MY MONEY AND MY TWO HRS BACK
May 9th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I liked it for what it was. It reminded me of a line from Family Guy about the Bernie Mac Show, “I dont’ know what the devil he is saying, but there is a lot of bright colors and movement, it keeps my attention.”
May 9th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I had no expectations whatsoever. I found the storyline rather wholesome (the hero drinks milk, of all things, when he wins the race) and more family-friendly than most “family-friendly” films I’ve seen. The visuals will surely produce sharply contrasting views: The whole film feels like living within a story within a video game. Personally, I enjoyed it. The Speed Racer cartoon always felt like a game and the movie is faithful to that origin. The action sequences (most of them are races) are more exciting than the Episode I pod race, and there was plenty of comic reliefe (including John Goodman fighting a Ninja and calling him a “nonja”). It was very entertaining indeed and I have to confess I will probably see it again. I wonder what effect the visuals will have on audiences and am rather curious about the boxoffice tally.
May 9th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
very fun… nice family movie… excelent in IMAX
FX and sounds awesome… it was what I spected….
Bien por los hermanos Wachowski…
May 9th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I thought the movie was fantastic. It sucks that all the critics are bashing this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The visuals were amazing, can’t wait to see it on shrooms. Hahaha. But in all seriousness, I thought the Wachowski’s conquered the feat of creating exactly what a “live action cartoon” should be like. It was exactly that. I do think that the story was lacking just a little bit, but they cut out what they could to keep the story rolling. I would have liked to have seen a bit more development in how and really why Rex became Racer X, it was a little ambiguous. All in all I think it was a really good journey. I’m most definitely going to see it again in theaters. Probably at the imax.
May 9th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I watched it last night at midnight, and maaan , did it deliver
true, the story is paper thin and corny, but for the context it was actually pretty well done. I personally hated all these critter sidekicks back in all the toons, but this movie actually made me like the chimp!!!!
Everything has already been said about the stunning visuals… but like the movie breaks almost every rule in film making text book (regarding time and shot selection) and this is not just “because we can do it”, but it all makes sense in the context
again, it’s a totally love it/hate it movie
but I dare to say I liked it way more than Iron man and I absolutely would go watch it again one more time. At least this movie is trying something new…
ps. this is NOT PG… some sequences are way more intense than a kid can handle
ps2. this is the only movie in my book that should be watched frame by frame
May 9th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Its so refreshing to see that someone actually comes and pushes everything that you just thought was done already with Sin City/300 green screen/cg backdrops craze.
May 9th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Loved it, and I went in with not many expectations. The story is light, but you’re not going for the story, you’re going for the overall experience, which definitely delivers.
May 9th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
for PG movie it was decent….wasn’t as bad reviewers said it was…
started off a little slow and could have used 20mins cut down..besides that it was a good kid’s movie…more entertaining than Pirates3 or Spidey3 were
May 9th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
@ Christopher Marc
THAT’S COMPLETELY TRUE! I can’t see why critics are hating it SO MUCH. I thought it was OK. Not awesome, but really entertaining.
May 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I agree with the fact that it may have been a bit to long, but I thought it was amazing!! The story was good, it had a good moral and the visuals were like nothing I have ever seen or imagined. The end race seen makes me want to see it again. The races were like watching a Kung Fu movie where the cars are doing the fighting. I will probably get haters but Speed Racer vs. Iron Man… Speed Racer all the way!
May 9th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
visually, I was completely blown away. The story I felt was compelling although maybe not as compelling as it could of been. Honestly though, I loved it. A whole bunch of Friday night fun for me.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
There is a point in Speed Racer where Taejo Togokhan says to Racer X (Matthew Fox) — “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!!!” — thought it was a funny Lost joke…
May 9th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Thought it was great. Very fun.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
eklab, I might have to see it just for that joke, haha.
But I kinda wanted to see it anyway. I’m happy to hear a lot of positive reviews for the movie, and surprised even. Sounds like a good time at the movies.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I didn’t care for Iron Man other than Robert Downey Jr. and I didn’t care for this other than Emile Hirsch’s pretty pretty face.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
again, this movie ruled. as far as commercially viable popcorn flicks go, what more could you ask for? I liked it better than any of the extraneous sequels from last summer, and hope it does double what it’s expected to take in at the box office.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Just got back from it and have to say I was impressed. Now i’m not saying that just based on how much I liked it but how impressive it was that the Wachowski’s really went balls to the walls with everything. Nothing was subtle and everything popped. Now it was waaaaay to long in my opinion but I don’t know how someone who saw the movie and didn’t like it can’t at least acknowledge the Wachowski’s succeeded in what they were going out for. A live action cartoon to the fullest with all the pros and cons. I loved it for what it was.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
It was fantastic. Racer X was the best part. Matthew Fox played X well.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Loved it. The visuals made me have an eye-gasm. They were killer. The story was much better than I thought it was going to be when I entered the theater. Overall, it is a very fun movie.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
if you are paying to see this movie then there is absolutely no way you’ll be dissapointed. while i’m not comparing it to these films i think it’s a crazy mix of death race, tron, and dick tracy. of course not as good but you get the idea. really though, the bashing i’ve read is by people predisposed to hate the wachowski’s and/or the idea of speed racer, but it’s actually a uniquely entertaining experience.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
The many homages [to the original] were very well done and most were so subtle it was obviously playing to the hardcore fanbase in that respect. I agree, about 22 mins coulda been chopped off but the family arc [straight plane?] actually felt authentic. If not a little all over the place and obvious. Being an avid car nut i was surprised i wasn’t as drawn out by the fact none (except one TVR ;) of them were licensed. As long as one is forewarned this is indeed a PG-rated, family-primed flick i’m sure there’s something in here for pretty much any non-self-”jaded” person can not pretend to not enjoy.
If you were warned and you were chauffeured to the movie simply because the fact your age doesn’t allow you to drive a car yet, you will unequivocally love it. It’s not dumbed down for kids nor does it speak down to them. The slapstick and silliness never felt so forced that it didn’t make sense in the context of the subject matter. And yes, that damn Chim-Chim flings his poo at one point. Take that, Roger Allam’s american career!
May 9th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
i loved it !!
May 10th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Awesome.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Just got back from the IMAX showing with 6 of my friends. We all enjoyed the hell out of it! We were laughing and amazed from the wonderful spectacle. Also most of the people in the theater stayed for the whole credits and the general consensus seemed like they all liked it. I honestly don’t know why this movie is being hated on so much. It was a fun, exhilarating ride.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Holy shit,
I love reading all these glowing reviews for Speed Racer. Guess I better check it out.
May 10th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Hmmm. I heard some pretty dismal reviews and some decent reviews from critics, but I like grasping an audience’s views the most.
Sucks that it had a shabby plotline, but the visuals make it look interesting enough, I’m catching it in theatres.
May 10th, 2008 at 2:31 am
I just came back watching it one more time and dare I say, just for the sake of such satisfying ending I wanna watch it one more time
kudos to the Watchowsky’s that they didn’t go the -now usual- setup for sequel way!!!
May 10th, 2008 at 3:41 am
I was going to watch it when it came on dvd, but after watching the first 7 minutes i won’t ever do so.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:32 am
Thanks to the months of crap leading up to this film, I went into the theater expecting a bad movie with good visuals; similar to my Transformers experience back in the summer of ‘07. However, I can honestly say that I came out of Regal Cinemas actually laughing my ass off…in a GOOD WAY!
My friend and I couldn’t believe how awesome that movie was! I STILL can’t believe it. That movie, for all intensive purposes, was supposed to suck, but was in fact, the best movie I had seen in a LONG time. I can definitely see what you guys are saying about shaving time off the movie, but that personally didn’t bother me. I thought the casting, acting, visuals, homages, races and fight scenes were…well..PERFECT. This is EXACTLY what a live action anime movie should have been.
I do not enjoy the Wachowskis, nor did I enjoy the Matrix trilogy, but I can honestly say that unless you are considered legally retarded and/or voted for George W Bush, then you will love this movie. In short- the critics are idiots; make your own decision.
-Eric
May 10th, 2008 at 5:44 am
Wow, I now know that many of the above persons have questionable taste in movies.
This is one of those unnecessary bits of tripe that people will defend by calling it a “popcorn movie.” It seems that little turn of phrase is some form of absolution for what would be considered by any movie connoisseur a film better left to the bowels of basic cable. Just because something is a “popcorn movie” doesn’t give it a license to be overlooked for just how bad it is. And this is truly bad.
And I did watch it thinking, while the visuals were interesting, it would absolutely suck to see this film if you were color blind.
Save your money, see Iron Man instead, or hold out for Batman.
May 10th, 2008 at 6:08 am
I thought it was mostly terrific….more story than the critics have given credit too…weakest point was the futuristic city scenes…it should have dealt even more with racer x…….but that said,,the visuals alone and editing - no way have we seen anything like that before in a movie and is worth the ticket price alone
May 10th, 2008 at 6:21 am
It was GREAT!!
I LOVED IT!!!
It’s a movie you have to see twice just to take it all in.
Much better than Ironman, which was just the same thing as the cartoon with just a little added.
Go Speed GO!!!
May 10th, 2008 at 8:02 am
The movie was 2hrs too long, surprised no ond had an epileptic
seizure yet. There was no story to follow. Save your money and catch any other movie
May 10th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Please refer to them as “The Wachowskis”. Both are not exactly men anymore.
I thought the film was great. I was fearing that it would be pretty bad seeing as how it’s been shamelessly and relentlessly panned by critics. But i actually thought it was tons of fun! Sure it had its share of very hokey moments (Emile Hirsch was particularly disappointing as the title character since he just never proved to be cool enough to properly give justice to Speed) and that kid who played Sprittle was reminiscent of Jar Jar Binks (that is, a character so irritating you fail to recall why his inclusion was necessary in the first place). And I recognize that the CG in the film has been a particular target of consternation for viewers but i found the film actually quite visually enticing.
I think thought that this film will ultimately become one that’s either hated or loved by people. And this is especially true for the die-hard fans of the original cartoon.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:45 am
i’m glad that most people here enjoyed it. i loved it but my wife did not. we both thought the visual were staggeringly good though she lost track of what was happening during some of the races. which is understandable considering how fast things were moving.
i was completely surprised at how strong the message of family unity was continually reinforced, and not to an annoying level like most family films. john goodman and susan sarandon both had great scenes with well written and touching monologues.
everything worked in the film’s context. even pops spinning the ninja over his head. if i was six years old and watched this movie, my head would have exploded!
my favourite part of the film, besides the previously mentions ‘family’ scenes, was the rally with speed in the mach 5….awesome and satisfying in every way.
don’t wait for this to come to dvd, this must be scene in a theatre! go! go! go!
May 10th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I loved it to death. Much better than the bore fest that was Iron Man. The visuals were stunning, the story was ridiculous, the character were fun and engaging, and it felt like the old cartoon! Speed Racer FTW.
My eyes say the Wachowskis have redeemed themselves. Until the eventual Speed Racer 2 and 3, where Speed finds out that Royalton has come back, and is able to make copies of himself, and in the end he has to race his heart out, only to realize he has to lose to save the world.
May 10th, 2008 at 10:10 am
It was meant to be fun and that is exactly what it was fun.Even the “violence” was fun.
The story line was not meant to be complex or deep. It was an adaptation of a cartoon.
Being a visual communications major, I was blown away by the CG.
Great fun.
See the film, get the original and this when it is released.
May 10th, 2008 at 10:53 am
My wife and I saw the movie and loved it.
Yes, it was a bit long, but for some reason, the middle of movies often have that dead spot (is that when you’re supposed to take a potty break?) but the final two races had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
The acting was very good.
The movie had a strong UK/German flavor along with its Asian touches, and I suspect that its strength at the box office will be seen on the international level. Moreover, I think the Wachowski’s knew that was going to be the case going in and that’s why they approached the movie the way they did, with the filming in Germany and everything.
Our only disappointment was that the Mammoth Car turned out to be an 18-wheeler. ;)
As for Iron Man - which we also saw - it was very good, very well done, and I was highly impressed (surprised, actually) with the acting job that Downey did. However, the plot was so predictable, my wife and I kept whispering to each other about what was going to happen next (and we were usually right). We liked it fine, but we *loved* Speed Racer.
May 10th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Most critics are not fans of what the Wachowskis stand for, and i think in their reviews it shows.. I happened to like Speed and the effects were amazing.
May 10th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Sorry to go off subject, but
Does anyone know howcome my avatar is not showing? I already have a gravatar acount, but I don’t see it on slashfilm.com
Do I have to register with this site and if I do where do I register at?
May 10th, 2008 at 11:48 am
YES!!!!!
May 10th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Enjoyed it. Not the greatest movie ever made but still very good. It’s worth the trip.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
SPEED RACER SUCKS BIG TIME. JUST LEFT THE MOVIE IN THE MIDDLE COZ COULDN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE. MY FRIEND FELL ASLEEP IN THE VERY BEGINNING. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADAPTED BETTER. COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT SAME WACHOWSKI BROS. MADE MATRIX TRILOGY. CONCLUDING…..WATCH IRON MAN 10 TIMES THAN WATCHING SPEED RACER EVEN FOR 10 MINS.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The fifty people who commented here must have been the only 50 people who actually saw it. Vegas did better for chrissake.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Speed Racer wasn’t edited to well. Easily, 45min of the movie could have been to make the movie like 20times better. The second half of the movie does redeem itself though.
“Get that weak shit off my track.”
-Speed Racer
May 10th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
It was a fun ride. Doubt I’ll ever watch it again though.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Do you really think that an anime from the 60s with barely any plot to it to begin with would make for a deep movie plot?
I wasn’t expecting too much from this- though I was excited- but I was sure blown away. It was extremely fun and definitely did the original justice. Everyone I went with enjoyed it just as much.
For those of you who did like it- I’m expecting a sequel. Watch out.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
What parts could been cut?
This film was AMAZING!!!!!!!!
Great job ! Wachoskis!!!!!
Screw the critics!
May 10th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
So many people walked out on Speed Racer last night where I was seated at. I enjoyed the visuals , the CGI animation, the smooth fluid colors, and the editing. Christina Ricci and Emile Hirsh were awesome.
The story sucked, though. It could have been 100 times better if the Wachowski Brothers let someone else direct it, while being in charge of visual effects.
SPEED RACER WAS GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!! I really wanted to grab a bag of Snickers and nibble on it while watching the movie. I think I might get a DVD copy of it.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
i really enjoyed this spectacular film. amazing visuals, cute story and perfect casting all around. i would have liked some more wide shots to see the action as a whole, but other than that i went in with low expectations and was blown away! i think this would be a good family franchise.
but i am waiting for the W’s to hit us with something crazy again.
May 10th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I’ve seen it already twice! I just love it, and don’t care about the critics. If you wait for the dvd you’ll regreat it the rest of your life for not having seen it on the big screen. 10/10
May 10th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I don’t think anyone but the Wachkawasakis could have put this together. The Matrix showed that they have a good sensibility for telling a story with hyper reality and they don’t disappoint. In the same way that Tarantino pays homage to his taste, the ski bros. have taken what they love about Speed Racer (& anime) and provided the audience with something creative and new. I would hope that people would embrace these efforts, but as many reviews indicate, that isn’t always the case.
I loved that they have conformed the motion design necessary in 2D animation and reapplied it to their visual. The old necessity of zip pan and creative screen wipes (so that the BG layers can be switched) is a standard design element that lost its need once computer tech caught up in the early ’90s. By constructing the edits of their scenes with that sensibility, they have reproduced anime in live action. It’s pretty neat.
I can only imagine what this will look like if (when?) they apply it to some adult anime with a little more bite. If that happens, fanboys are going to fall all over themselves, and probaly start asking themselves why they never checked out Speed Racer when it was on the big screen.
I didn’t go to Speed Racer for a story, but I did go to see cars with saw blades, some tripped out cartoon racing, Christina Ricci, and some pretty slick set design. It didn’t disappoint.
Also, should be noted that Michael Giacchino’s music is another winning score with lots of subtle cues to the theme song, the bad guy is a yellow-teethed slimeball that i loved hating, and the damn monkey made me laugh.
Bad? I wasn’t fond of the CGI snow. I thought that Speed saying “shit” was sort of unecessary for the film, and I think that the racing scenes were severely lacking in burning rubber and skid marks. It would have added weight.
Now, where is that Mach 5 die cast?
May 10th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
the movie was perfect. Well not perfect. there was one thing i did not like about the movie. It’s not that the movie was pg, i jut feel like the wachowski’s knew it wasn’t going to be marketed to adults as well for the design that they were going for. This caused them to dumb down the action. The way the people would be sucked out of heir cars into bubbles when they crashed was ridiculous an they should have made it actually a dangerous thing to race. I still loved it, and let me just say, those colors were beautiful for the state i was in.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I thought the movie was tits. Looked great, very entertaining. It was the most fun I have had at the theaters in awhile.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I can say i throughly enjoyed the film. I went in expecting a piece of shit but came out very pleased. It wasn’t the best film i had ever seen but it defiently was a change from the usual plot of just trying to beat the other guy in the race. The films twist almost had me fooled for a minute. Changing the obvious was good. The film had a lot of heart and had a clear metaphor of good vs. evil. The action sequences were great and the special effects however cartoony were pleasing to the eye. I would recomend this film for any family wanting to see a good summer blockbuster. I hope to see a sequel of some kind soon. Maybe a Racer X spin off.
May 10th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
the movie was A LOT of fun! the visuals were simply stunning and just unbeleiveable.
give it a shot guys. go check it out. just dont walk in expecting the next Oscar sensation. sit back, relax and enjoy.
VERY GOOD MOVIE
May 10th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
honestly….i had never seen the tv show but i had heard of it. and i thought the Gieco commercial featuring Speed and the gang was hilarious. so i went into this as a curious newcomer.
i actually went to see the movie with 23 of my friends (ages 17-20) and we thought it was awesome…..and visually orgasmic. lol.
i thought it was a little too long…..i mean its no Harry Potter. they could have atleast cut it by 35 - 45 minutes. Christina Ricci was beautiful and super cute as Trixie. Speed’s little bro and the monkey were hilarious….they had us ROTFL. i honestly expected it to be kinda corny and kiddie jokes but it was actually funny stuff. and the race scenes were AMAZING!!! and actually did leave us all out of breath. we were just sitting there watching and we were kinda exhausted…lol if they dont make a super cool roller coaster or at least a race car video game they’re crazy! we’re all going next week to see the IMAX experience of Speed Racer. and i cant wait for the dvd on Blu-Ray!
some guys behind us we high and i can only imagine what the movie was like through their eyes lmao
May 10th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
My five word review:
Your eyes will bleed rainbows.
May 11th, 2008 at 1:37 am
I really, really enjoyed this movie. Visually stunning, and I actually cared about the characters a lot more than I thought I would. Acting was solid, and it was overall just fun. I could see it being a little overload at points, but for me, I ate it up.
May 11th, 2008 at 2:29 am
I just saw it..and really enjoyed it actually. The music def. helped the film and the end finale of the race was fucking FANTASTIC.
Sweet film!
May 11th, 2008 at 4:49 am
Saw it with my kids and we loved it. People in the theater were actually cheering for Speed. Lots of father and sons and it was wild.
I loved it.
May 11th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I think that this film was great. The visuals were worth the money alone and the story was enough. I think people were thinking that this movie would be less like the cartoon and it wasn’t. I went into it knowing that this movie was meant to be cheesy as hell and knowing that it was a family film with a family friendly plot. This is the movie that will make me by a blu-ray player. The visuals on my 42″ HDTV is going to blow my socks off.
May 11th, 2008 at 9:01 am
i thought it was awesome
May 11th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Great movie - I was transported back to my early years watching Speed duke it out, just before school of a morning. So many people are complaining about all the colors being used. to this I say so what! Visual effects were Awesome, I was on the edge of my seat for every race. The characters were all perfect. I did not even mind chim-chim… ( I hated him in the original series )
To me this movie was more true to form than Iron Man. Loved that movie but there were too many inconsistancies with things that happened and certain character behavior in that movie.
The last movie I saw twice in theaters was the first LOTR movie. That is to say I do not got to movies twice, This is one I will have to see again, and possibly again.
A+ in my book. Bring on #2 please i can hardly wait.
May 11th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Ya’ know…
I think this movie demonstrates an important point; people are completely almost totally incapable of “pure fun” anymore.
Here is a piece of advice: you have NEVER seen a live action film like this before. Ever.
You’ve seen *attempts* at it, but not quite reaching the goal of re-creating anime, as live action, *as anime*.
If you don’t like anime, you will not “get” the shot selection. Whereas those that do will be like “wow…I didn’t even know they *could* do that!”…
I went to the movie with 2 teenagers and two younger kids. We all enjoyed it because it did what it set out to do: be a fun movie for kids and adults.
The casting was really well done…tho Christina Ricci seemed a bit old for her part.
And the writing? I’m sorry…Royalton’s monologue about “his religion”…fantastic.
I hope i get to see it again in the theater.
May 11th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I don’t think it was too long at all…
May 11th, 2008 at 11:02 am
The entire first half of the movie could of been consolidated to 15 minutes. The second half was solid. The lack of focus/development/explanation on Rex Racer’s plot (post crash) left a serious sour taste on an overall good climax.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:09 am
The movie was waaaay too long, there was no story, the visuals
were cool but got to be too much at times, there were just two times
my kids laughed and it was only with the kid and the monkey. I should have asked for my money back. It was not fun at all.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I went to an afternoon matinée showing to fit around my schedule, and while there were only a few people there, we were all laughing along and people were cheering and whooping. And I left the cinema with a grin the size of a crescent moon plastered on my face. The Brothers seem to have delivered a real crowd-pleasing extravaganza of a film.
The racing scenes were bleeding spectacular. I mean “spectacular” in a way that has never even been imagined. Honestly, it deserves an Oscar nod just for art design. What’s so ingenious about the opening sequence is that it not only sets up all the characters with entertaining and emotional efficiency, but it also establishes how the cars work in this fantasy world. So despite the races being faster than anything you’re ever likely to see, the main action beats are always delivered with a clarity and a style that will keep you thrilled beyond belief. Each race is perfectly crafted with the stakes and the challenges rising further and further with each successive scene…until we reach a final showdown that leaves you utterly breathless. Literally. And the “visual vocabulary” of the film is truly innovative. It’s like the camera is no object. As an audience member, you’ve never felt freer. Unlike the stylistic approach of the recent Star Wars prequels, which generally used locked off cameras and relatively tame tracking shots, Speed Racer ducks into, under and around the action in a way that opens up the medium like no other film before it. Compared to other film in its greenscreen sub-genre, this leaves movies like Sin City and 300 looking rather timid by comparison.
But at the heart of it, this is really a film about fathers and their sons. A coming of age story about hope, expectation, and the pain of loss. I found myself with a lump in my throat while watching the movie. Wait, let me rephrase. I found myself with a lump in my throat within ten minutes of the film starting. Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox and Scott Porter as the young Rex Racer all provide intimate and genuinely moving performances. Make no mistake about it, this film is the definition of joviality on celluloid. But the story is basically driven by the shadow of a lost family member from the very first scene in the film, and that’s what really makes the film worth watching. As well as being immersed in a fantasy world of drop dead gorgeous visuals, of course.
In the same way that Sin City was an exaggerated, impressionistic noir, and just as 300 was an exaggerated, impressionistic war movie, Speed Racer plays as an exaggerated, impressionistic 1960s kid’s show. Which is exactly what it is. It’s campy. It’s fun, And it’s full of humour and heart. Of course, brooding characters and over-the-top gore is easier to sell than camp, colourful fun, but allowing oneself to become absorbed in the film’s style makes for a rewarding experience. I’ve heard complaints about the film’s exposition, but the only scene where I could perhaps understand that criticism was about half way through when Taejo’s family troubles were being told. But even that zipped by very quickly and the audience still understands exactly what was at stake in the upcoming race. So if it is a flaw, it’s a minor one at best.
The characters are warm and lovable, the villains are wonderfully hissable, the actors’ performances are all suitably camp, and the morality tale at the center of it - the battle of family versus corporatism - gives the story a real spirit. And makes the races all that more enthralling to watch. It’s infectiously charming, and even at 129 minutes the film glides like a T-180 on ice. I was convinced I was only in there for about thirty minutes, and when it finished I was left gagging for more.
So what’s the verdict? Well, it’s a tricky decision between 4 and 5 stars. While the story wasn’t exactly the peak of literary greatness, it was very well told. Despite its two hour plus running time, the narrative was sharp, the emotionality was touching, and the plot turns were genuinely exciting. If the film was not such a special effects extravaganza, it would probably have been given a 4 star rating. But the film does have incredible special effects. And it does offer an absolutely sublime spectacle. Not only that, but the Wachowskis seem to have yet again set another industry standard - one that will likely be copied and mimicked for years to come. Until the Brothers reinvent the wheel for a fourth time, that is. And as such, the rating for this film is for something that could easily end up becoming highly influential classic.
Bring on Speed Racer 2!
May 11th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I just want to know, innocently and curiously, were there people expecting this thing to bank huge?
May 11th, 2008 at 11:53 am
awfull
nasty
a load of tripe
stinks
May 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am
ironmonger-
Uh, I love people like you. “I want my money back, because I didn’t like the film!!!”
Jesus Christ, go cry me a river. Sorry, but the film business doesn’t revolve around what you enjoy.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
This movie is going to polarize people.
I loved it. Everyone I went with hated it.
Turn off your brain, let your jaw go slack and enjoy the ride.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
i thought speed racer was awesome
May 11th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I wanted to hate this movie so much. But it turns out I actually had fun. There was a paper thin story but really, we all knew that going into the film. What do you expect from an adaption of a anime that was all about racing? I can only remember one thing about the original anime, the awesome shit the Mach 5 would do. And this movie delivered in the awesome shit category.
May 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
When I saw the trailer, I made my decision to go see the movie on shrooms. I did. I threw up and had a headache for 2 days now. The colors were too much.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Manfred Powell, can I get permission from you to reprint your comment on another site. (I will of course give you credit).
I feel your comments PERFECTLY describe the movie. And I really can’t do any better.
If no that’s cool. You really nailed it. !!
May 11th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Anon yeah bro. Try a little herb with the film. Shrooms are overkill.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
absolutely loved it. i had low expectations but it blew me away. it was visually appealing and i engaged with story. really great. i put on par with iron man which i had really high expectations for. bot great movies
May 11th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
that movie was awesome… i completely underestimated it. With all the bad rumors i just figured i may be moderately entertained, but im starting to wonder if i enjoyed that more than iron man
May 11th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I can’t believe that this movie is getting the reviews that it is….come on critics, it’s a FAMILY FILM. It’s supposed to be fun. And it was. The visuals were incredible and honestly, the characters were more developed in the 2 hour movie than in the 52 episodes of the cartoon. I didn’t go in with any expectations, in fact, after reading the bs reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, I didn’t even want to see the film…I’m so glad I did.
May 11th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
so ive been behind this film since the beginning and i take it for what it is, a colorful bubblegum live action anime. the film is visually amazing. it felt it was truly a nice adaptation of an anime. im sure someone out there is gonna try watching this tweakin high.
the one compliant is that the story was too complex to be an ordinary family film. the race are awesome and kids loved it. but when they start talking about the serious complexity of the business and race fixing, it felt that kids were just turned off by it. geez, i thought i was watching matrix 2 & 3 because of it.
the two things that killed it is how racer x revealed his secret. honestly, it would have been cool to have that one secret held back. secondly, it was too damn long.
overall, dont bother with critic reviewers who may not understand the bubblegum translation of a live action anime. the story was lacking but still fun. it may not be as great as ironman but its def a watch.
May 11th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
it was totally bad ass and perfect but i don’t want a sequel i am satisfied
May 11th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
I agree with the people who say that no one but the Wachowski’s could have pulled this off. Really enjoyed it. Sped the whole way home.
May 11th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I liked it. Yeah it was thin, but it’s based on a cartoon for pete’s sake. I’ll see it again on the big screen and if the special features are any good, on Blu-Ray for Christmas.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I loved it. I can re-call the midnight showing, standing and cheering at the end, as me and a friend of mine were the only ones in the theater. Very disappointing box office performance for such an awesome flick. I’m not sure that the general audience is quite ready for this movie. in a few years, absolutely. Iron man showed how far you could take the superhero movie. And hulk will push it even further. But Speed racer took the comic-book/anime style to a whole new level.
I expect to see similar visuals in the Dragon Ball z movie. Which I will have a hard time taking seriously….
Can’t wait for the blue-ray release…..
Seeing it in Imax this week. Go Speed Go!
May 11th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
I agree Matt, this Speed Racer film is years ahead of its time. A true masterpiece!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:44 am
I really really liked it. A heck of alot better than Transformers.
I found there were a few bits in Speed Racer that I thought were dumb. And none in Iron Man. However, I enjoyed Speed Racer a whole lot more. And isnt that’s what a movie is meant to be? Enjoyable?
Very sad that its not making as much money…
May 12th, 2008 at 6:19 am
I loved the movie. It was exciting and had a great ending. How ever, I think most reviewers are missing two points. First, this is a kids movie that adults can love. My 7 year old and my 3 year old loved this movie and I am glad that there is a summer movie that I can take them to that does not have guns or people dying.
The other point is look of this movie. I think it is different from everything else I have seen. It is almost a cartoon.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Watching “Speed Racer” was like eating a cake that’s made from nothing but icing. It’s pretty good for the first few minutes, then the vomit spews forth.
I’m wondering why the Wack Brothers didn’t spend just a little more time on the actual script? It seems special effects and good writing are mutually exclusive in the Speed Racer universe.
I found the pacing miserable and the effects and art design gratuitous.
And, juding by the lack luster box office, it seems the laughible marketing campaign kept most people away entirely.
Next!!
May 12th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE THIS MOVIE IN IMAX WAS AMAZING ON SHROOMS …IT CHANGED MY LIFE
May 12th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
World, your holding back.
Time to Galvanize.
Go Go Go.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Didn’t see it on opening weekend because I was on a Mother’s Day trip. Spent all Monday depressed after reading reviews that it was a flop.
I finally went and saw it last night and was overjoyed!!!! Speed Racer was highly entertaining and held fast to a simple but winning formula.
Its sad that the film couldn’t win over the incredible amount of critical cynicism for something incredibly imaginative, yet grounded in a great timeless story of our hero fighting impossible odds for victory, honor, and virtue in a corrupted world.
Speed Racer fights corporate corruption the only way he knows how, by racing faster better and smarter than anyone else. The movie was goofy, fun, thrilling, and cool.
I think that if this movie had been marketed as much [or as smart] as Iron Man, it might have had a better run at the box office. Lets hope that word of mouth gives it a good summer.
The theme of the race was just an incredibly scripted plot with so much at stake. [take your pick: the future for the soul of racing, future of his family etc.] It reminded me of Ben Hur and the chariot race, one of the greatest races in movie history and very ambitious in its time.
It also reminded me of Anakin in Episode I: I think that the podrace was well run, but the price of victory was feeble. Why is Anikin racing? So he can help people buy used space junk? [of course he was freed after the race, but he didn’t know it at the time]
Last comment: Matthew Fox was cool! I thought he made an excellent transition from Lost to the big screen.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
it was amazing.
it’s definately going to be one of the most underrated films of 2008…which is sad. But then again it took a little while for the matrix to catch on..soo..
May 13th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Such a great experience, loved the colors, the sky, landscapes, fx, the race, the CHIMP, the family values, its an art piece, I couldn’t believe my eyes when i saw Rotten Tomatoes rank, those stupid critics. Its annoying that in a few years all that frustrated people will be contradicting their selves saying how amazing and breaking it was.
And of course Jack totally rocks!!
May 13th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
10 -4 ready for more Alberto!
Seems like most people here like Speed Racer.
Says a lot for the readers here. I’ve read other sites that seem to dogpile on the film.
That’s how it works Reviewers somtimes are wrong. This film will rebound! ;-)
May 14th, 2008 at 5:08 am
1st vomit in your toilet. then take a BIG dump in your toilet…then add lots and lots of colors.
then take a dump again, well speed racer is worse than that.