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Speed Racer [2008]
from Warner Home Video
starring Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Christina Ricci, John Goodman
directed by Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski

Features:

• PAL

Editorial Review:

An over-the-top, sensory overload experience determined to replicate its frantic, television-anime origins, Speed Racer is wild enough to induce a headache or wow a viewer with one dazzling effect after another. Adapted for the big screen as a live-action feature, Speed Racer is written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the sibling team behind the intensely satisfying The Matrix and its busier, less interesting sequels. Where the rich myth-making of The Matrix was entirely accessible, however, Speed Racer's overwhelming and gratuitously complicated story exposition is an enormous challenge to follow, let alone embrace. After a while, one simply surrenders to the unbroken din of dialogue concerning corporate chicanery, corruption in the sport of racing, and a value conflict between racing as a family business versus multinational cash cow. At the same time, the film's hyper-real equivalent of the old Speed Racer cartoon's great whoosh of color, motion, and edgy production design--such as inventive uses of scene-changing wipes, bold framing, shifting perspectives--are more overbearing than fun.

Emile Hirsch plays Speed Racer, younger brother of a deceased racing legend, Rex, and son of car designer Pops (John Goodman). The latter invented Speed's Mach 5, and is singularly unimpressed by an offer from a giant conglomerate that would lock Speed into exclusive racing services. Speed opts instead for family loyalty, incurring the wrath of the conglomerate's unctuous head (Roger Allam). With family honor on the line and the affections of girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci) behind him, Speed hits the track in hopes of fulfilling his destiny as a master racer. The cast is largely enjoyable, including Susan Sarandon as Speed's mom, Matthew Fox as mysterious Racer X, and a pair of chimps as the irrepressible Chim-Chim. All well and good, but in a movie that lives or dies by the excitement level of races that look like computer-animated Hot Wheels action, Speed Racer is a dreary adventure. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

• Great visual film but poor DVD extras
  The film follows Speed Racer, a young racing whizz kid, like Lewis Hamilton, who is racing in memory of his older brother Rex Racer, who died in a dangerous road race. Royalton industries offers to buy Speed for his racing team but he refuses and joins forces with the mysterious Racer X to bring down the corrupt Royalton.
  The film itslef is very visual with lots of bright colours which put off a lot of reviews. However, this film is trying to be a live action anime, and it succeds and for that I can't... more info

• Primary coloured and neon lit
  Clearly, if the creators (The Wachowski brothers, directors of The Matrix) of the movie want you to remember anything about this movie - it's BRIGHT COLOURS.
  This is movie making from the pages of a comic book, with the colours, acting and plot that this entails. When it started, it was so garish and hyperkinetic that I prepared myself for the worst... however, I have to admit that as I watched it, it actually did start to suck me in to this bizarre pseudo reality, and I began rooting for Speed Racer... more info

• "You Think You Can Drive a Car and Change the World?"
  Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is obsessed with racing. Even as a boy (Nicholas Elia in these flashbacks), he couldn't concentrate on school but spent the day dreaming about cars. Of course, he comes by it naturally. Pops (John Goodman) designs race cars and older brother Rex (Scott Porter) is an up and coming champion. Things hit a bump when Rex and Pops fight and Rex leaves home only to die amidst allegations of wrong doing.
  But racing is in the Racer family blood (no surprise with that name), and Speed... more info

• Well, 3.5 stars, but still
  I really wasn't looking forward to watching this movie. The Buzz was bad, the reviews (with the exception of a few) were horrible, and the film looked too cartoony. Also the film did badly in the box office aswell (apparently made $48m with a budget of $120m. In simple words, major flop). However, i am a fan of The Matrix, and i have always felt that the Wachowski's have a unique vision.
  So with that in mind, i gave this film a chance, and watched it. In all honesty, i really enjoyed it. So it's... more info

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