Movie Review: Speed Racer
Well, its now week 2 in the Summer 2008 box office race and the next film up is "Speed Racer"
For those who do not know the background story of Speed Racer please read this next part....
Speed Racer is the title of an English adaptation of the Japanese anime Mach GoGoGo (マッハGoGoGo Mahha GōGōGō) which centered on automobile racing. The series is an early example of an anime becoming a successful franchise in the USA. It cartoon run was 52 episodes in 1967-68 and is still seen on the Speed Channel in the USA and their are DVD's sets sold with all of the original shows.
This week I have seen the film 3 times now. Twice at a Digital cinema and once at an IMAX. I came away with one very real fact, the Korean New Wave Artist "Rain" can not act and hurt the film in every scene that he was in. I knew that he can't speak English, but the wooden delivery had me wondering why he was cast in this film.
Now lets' talk about the film itself.
I could not believe how clear the film was on both of the formats. It was like, I was watching a live anime film with alive background colors that highlighted the racing shots. I loved seeing Susan Sarandon and John Goodman as Mom and Pop Racer. Every scene that they were in, made you fell like you were watching real parents deal with every day issues. (The scene of all of them working on a car is what worked best for me) I also liked 3 of the co-stars work in the film. I felt that Christina Ricci (Trixie), Mathew Fox (Racer X) and Benno Fürmann (Inspector Detector) had really done their work and captured the soul of the carton that made it work. I also liked that they included the American voice of the Speed Racer cartoon ,into the movie, as the hometown racetrack announcer.
I was very mixed with the job done by Emile Hirsch(Speed Racer). At times he was worse that "Rain" It was only when he was driving, did I feel that Emile had captured the heart of "Speed Racer" Emile's acting along with "Rain" and the, wooden laced, script is what I think will cause this film to fail with the general public.
For fans of the cartoon this film will offer very little new materials. You will already know the background story, (Which I have not included in the review to leave it AS SPOILER -FREE AS POSSIBLE)You know the car and its' driver. For new fans of the film it might come across as way over the top and you will miss a lot of the little inside tips to the original cartoon. Do not stay for the end of the credits, their is no surprise at the end.
Please attempt to see it when you can. It is worth seeing one time at a local cinema.
Grade B
Racer X: Every one of us has to find a reason to do this. You don't climb into a T-180 to be a driver. You do it because you're driven.
Opened in South Korea on 8 MAY 2008.
How I Saw it. CGV Digital Screen and CGV IMAX.
