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Bookmark this pageSpeed Racer (2008)
Director: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Synopsis
The brothers’ first since the ‘Matrix’ films adapts a Japanese cartoon series from the 1960s about a young racing car driver.
Movie review
From Time Out London
To say that ‘Speed Racer’ is colourful would be as misleading as claiming that it’s quiet and meditative. Its palette makes ‘The Wizard of Oz’ look like an episode of ‘EastEnders’. Its furious pace and movement make Road Runner seem narcoleptic. This live-action cartoon of a film loudly thrusts a 1960s Japanese animé series into the twenty-first century.It’s the first film from writers and directors Andy and Larry Wachowski since their ‘Matrix’ trilogy and here they present a comic strip world played out in a post-Playstation era. Once again they employ and surpass the limitless perspective of a computer game. Their camera (if you can call it that – the film was produced entirely on a green screen) can leap stadiums and entire cities. Geography is of the Gran Turismo sort: nobody blinks when a motor race traverses continents, mountains and deserts to cross the finishing-line at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
The dual worlds of ‘Speed Racer’ are the suburban home and the cut-and-thrust arena of the racetrack. The neon spectacle of the latter informs the look of the entire film. Lawns are day-glo. Home furnishings are orange. On the track, cars look like dragsters but drive like futuristic robots. Our hosts, the Racer family, are a mid-century sort of unit, not unlike the Flintstones or the Jetsons, whose prehistoric or inter-galactic settings were never as important as having a new fridge or its prehistoric or inter-galactic equivalent.
There’s portly Pops (John Goodman), domestic Mom (Susan Sarandon) and young Spritle (Paulie Litt), who hangs out with a real chimp. Our main man, though, is Speed (Emile Hirsch), a good kid, with James Dean looks, whose passion for racing is fuelled by the memory of his brother’s death on the track. Speed is a rising champion who resists the tempting offers of a grand prix magnate, Royalton (Roger Allam), who looks like Christopher Hitchens.
Thematically, it’s classic stuff: the little guy versus the corporation, free will versus destiny. Only the telling, as you’d expect from the Wachowskis, pushes the boundaries of what we expect from the image. It’s so quick that classic edits go out the window; scenes play in extreme close-up, while another angle of the story unfolds behind it on kaleidoscopic wallpaper. You might not follow everything, and kids may be confused by some of the corporate shenanigans, but the two races towards the end of the film gee up the overlong, two-hour plus runtime.If the prevailing mood of the ‘Matrix’ series was dark and suspicious, this is light all the way, and with its tongue firmly in its cheek. It doesn’t make for original storytelling, acting, or writing, but the spectacle eclipses those expectations. Just don’t forget your sunglasses.
Author: Dave Calhoun
Time Out London Issue 1968, May 7-14, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Adypops said...
- Posted on Aug 15 2009 21:32 I adored second of the film. It was light enough for small ones but deliciously dark for the grown ups. It was a joy to watch, hence me rushing to ebay to order my copy
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- Simon Caleb said...
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Posted on Jun 11 2008 00:50
I went into to this with neutral expectations. And left my first Imax viewing with eyes watering, jaw flapping in the wind and looking in my diary for my next available night to watch it again!
Stunning, eye bending eye candy. Kitch, ever so slightly camp, and more fun than it ever had any right to be.
For all adults who are in touch with their inner child. What a trip! - Report as inappropriate
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- Hannah said...
- Posted on May 28 2008 23:00 I give four stars to the special effects. 2 for the storyline. In some parts I'm like, what the..? It just leaves you blank and then when that guy stuck his hand in the pirahnna tank I dont think kids would like to see that, let alone think of that. It was definately japenese anime for you. Confused. I thought lightning was alright. His brother looked more like speedracer to me. The other guy didnt quite fill out lightnings personality. Wasnt he alot louder, more than quiet? The little guy and his chimp played the perfect part. Good job. I only watched the show twice when I was a teen but I know the main characters. That guy with the english accent was plain crazy! Well, thats my review. Great graphics! I give it thumbs up for entertainment.
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- caz said...
- Posted on May 27 2008 19:47 biggest load of garbage ive seen in months and this film goes on for ever,it jumps from one thing to another so if you blink you miss half the film! my teenage son and his friend came out a little confused too!!
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- Joe said...
- Posted on May 27 2008 15:10 Terrible, really, really terrible.
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- Hayley said...
- Posted on May 26 2008 20:17 Admittedly the film was a bit too long and there WERE parts which could have been cut out to make it better, but it was still an AMAZING ride with lots of fun to be had and even some surprisingly emotional moments. People have become so hardened and accustomed to crappy doomsday film shit that I really see it as no surprise that this is being slandered so much. It's such a shame really. I don't care what all you haters say - this isn't a movie this is ART. And even stepping past the (practically orgasmic) visuals, there's still a grounded enough storyline and enough heart to carry it through, even though the fuel the film runs on IS the awe inspiring CGI. It's voluptuous, daring, and boasts of it's amazing colour palette and spectacle. Have an open mind people, DON'T be influenced by haters and go and see it! And for people who say it's "100% CGI and annoying" ohhh.... grow up. People have put time and a hell of a lot of money and effort into this film and the soul in which these extrodinary visuals gift the film with is truly beautiful.
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- Stan said...
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Posted on May 26 2008 14:36
Please ignore usman, he just comes on here to use dead clever words. Likes "caveats" and "self-indugence" best, don't you ay? Love the "precious time" comment on this one. he he.
Anyway, what a brilliant film. Wasn't sure when I saw the trailor cos of all the computery looking stuff and racing which isn't normally my thing, but this was ace. Agree with Paul on the IMAX thing. - Report as inappropriate
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- Aalihya said...
- Posted on May 25 2008 10:44 For boys amazing, for girls excruciating!
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- jfsebastian said...
- Posted on May 20 2008 15:08 Sometimes we lose track of the many roles cinema has to play. As well as stirring the emotions, it can be thought-provoking, sometimes profound. However, sometimes it can just be eye-candy. This film has no aspirations to be anything but the latter - it screams "Look at what we've done now!", to which I can only reply "Wow". There are many who will find this film shallow and unpalatable - it is certainly lacking in any subtlety. My advice to them is to relax a bit, take deep breaths, and just let go...
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- BILLY said...
- Posted on May 19 2008 18:31 THE BEST FILM EVER,PLZ GO AND SEE IT ,IF YOU DONT YOUR CRAZY,THE 3D WORDERFULL GOODNESS.JUST SEE IT,ME AND MY FREIND CAME OUT THEN WENT TO SEE IT TWICE MORE AFTER THAT I WAS SO GOOD.
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- BOB said...
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Posted on May 19 2008 18:29
PERFECT,GOOD EXCITING,THE BEST!!!
GO AND SEE IT I LOVED IT. - Report as inappropriate
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- jon said...
- Posted on May 19 2008 07:33 great film, it is over the top but that is what makes it good, worth a watch
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- kiwiboy said...
- Posted on May 18 2008 17:05 ...totally cool in bits (the racing) but not enough bits between boring melodrama to hold my attention - let alone that of the average ten-year-old who'll wanna see it). A family near me had to practically hog-tie and gag their kiddies to get them through aforementioned melodrama without them disturbing other viewers. Parents beware and heed Timeout's 'overlong' tag.
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- sam said...
- Posted on May 18 2008 14:46 i wernt gonna see this film at first but then i dont no why but sumet catched me so i seen it and i actuly fort it was a good film and recomend it to people
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- Asha said...
- Posted on May 18 2008 10:16 Speedracer was a great movie. i loved the way speedracer raced
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Cast & crew
Director: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Cast: Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Richard Roundtree, Rain, Roger Allam, Benno Fürmann full cast
Duration: 116 mins
US Release: May 9 2008
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