Speed Racer (2008) | REVIEW

I was one of the many, many people who deliberately missed Speed Racer in cinemas because of other huge summer blockbusters that were being screened at the time. I managed to get my hands on the DVD a couple of weeks ago and what I saw thereafter amazed me! I honestly regret not watching Speed Racer in a theater and on a bigger screen because it's a beautiful movie. It's a pile of fun, there's all the elements of the age-old TV show, and the effects just blend in so well. I enjoyed the movie so much that it makes me feel bad for the Wachowskis due to the fact that Speed didn't grab as much as it should have in terms of boxoffice revenue.

This Flick Is About...(NO SPOILERS)
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Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is an 18-year-old whose life and love has always been racing. Racing is "in his blood": his parents, Pops (John Goodman) and Mom (Susan Sarandon), run an independent business building race cars; and his older brother, record-setting racer Rex Racer (Scott Porter), was killed in Speed's childhood in the running of the Casa Cristo, an incredibly intense cross-country racing rally notorious for rough and foul play. Before his death, Rex was rejected by his father for his choice to run the Casa Cristo, and publicly defamed for appearing to cheat underhandedly in a race. Now, Speed Racer is quickly sweeping the racing world with his artistic skill, driving the Mach 5 of his father's design, but remains interested only in the art of the race and the well-being of his family. Trouble brews when an acclaimed businessman named Royalton offers Speed a place in his multi-billion dollar racing league.
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Let me begin by saying that I was never a fan of the Speed Racer anime TV series. In fact I was never interested in this movie from the beginning thus the decision to let it pass in cinemas. But having watched the movie I can now understand why the series holds a cult following and although I know the movie deviates a lot from the cartoon, the essence is the same and I'm guessing a lot of fans were at least pleased by what the Wachowski brothers brought to the big screen. The movie has been described as 'cotton candy' because of its colors and special effects, and I agree with the term...which is not necessarily a bad thing. We've grown so accustomed to heavy plots and gritty drama that we sometimes tend to forget what movies were designed for in the first place; fun! And Speed Racer offers a bundle of fun for those willing to temporarily let go of logic, science and whatnot and just sit back, relax, and have a good time. That being said, Speed Racer was (though lighthearted) too technical for its own good. The Wachowskis try too hard to implement complicated storylines into a movie that doesn't demand it. There's too much talk about stocks, shares, industrial market values and how racing influences the growth of companies, so much so that the plot could get confusing at times. In that respect, don't take the movie too lightly and pay a little attention to the details when watching.

While some people didn't appreciate the way Speed Racer was shot which was almost completely in front of a greenscreen, therefore allowing the cartoonish effects, I simply adored it. To me it just sinks it so well with the film and turns Speed Racer into pure eye-candy. It's gaudily colorful on purpose and it creates an alternate world in which Speed and the rest of the gang live in, making the flick even more fun than if it were set in an ordinary world. The colors are vibrant and the race scenes are brilliantly done to show the velocity in which the Mark 5 travels. For those of you who own a Blu-Ray player, please take advantage of the way this movie portrays itself and watch Speed Racer in full-fledged HD; even if you end up hating the movie you'll probably love the visuals.

Speed Racer doesn't boast a stellar cast or any Oscar-worthy performances, it just brings a number of good actors together to form a family-friendly movie. Seeing Christina Ricci as a lighter character was like a breath of fresh air; she's always the brooding emotionally-tormented girl who earns the audience's sympathy in the end. This time she's just an average girl in a cartoon-like world. Matthew Fox does a great job as Racer X and Warner couldn't have asked for a better Speed than Emile. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman play perfect parents, so at least there's no bad acting in this film.

On a whole Speed Racer is a very enjoyable movie if you're a person who is able to let go of what we call 'science and logic', for as long as the film lasts. Try not to think about the physics of things and don't ponder too deep into the depth of storytelling. This flick is best enjoyed when you're able to bring out the kid inside of you. And frankly, you'll enjoy a lot more movies that way.

Unfortunately, Speed Racer's worldwide gross didn't even reach its estimated budget of about $120million. It still baffles me as to why the studios decided to release Speed Racer in the midst of blockbusters like Iron Man and Indiana Jones 4, knowing all too well what happened to Superman Returns when they gambled their fate on 'the fanboys' who were suppoed to flock into cinemas to watch the Man Of Steel fly again. Speed Racer and Superman do have a fan following and are icons in their respective genres, but characters like these are often labeled 'boyscouts' and they don't seem to garner much attention these days. A Christmas release or an early 2009 release would've fetched the film the revenue that it rightfully deserves. It was bad marketing plus stiff competition that eventually led to Speed Racer being deemed a major flop at the boxoffice, speeding out as soon as it sped in.

For those of you who haven't watched this yet, please do because it's 2+hours of lighthearted fun that has nice acting, a good storyline, and beautiful visuals. I'll definitely give Speed Racer a second watch whenever I'm free because it's worth the time. It's probably not going to win any awards but who cares, right? A good time at the movies is all we need and is all that matters anyway.
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Wrap : I give Speed Racer 3.8 out of 5.0. I would've given it a higher rating if it didn't complicate the plot. Not that I don't like a good storyline, but sometimes things are better kept simple. Speed Racer is a movie that I would absolutely love to see a sequel to.