I feel the need, the need for Speed . . . Racer, that is. I loved this movie! No two ways about it. This was easily the most fun that I've had at the multiplex in months! Larry and Andy Wachowski have crafted another stunning visual masterpiece. And I want to watch it again (and again)!
The Wachowski Brothers created a vivid, ultra-Technicolor world filled with a (for lack of a better term) very colorful characters. Yes, "Speed Racer" was originally created by Tatsuo Yoshida back in the 1960's, but the Wachowski Brothers refined and enhanced it for this film. And yet, they still managed to keep the fun, cheesy nature of the original anime intact.
This film hooked me from the first scene. No, scratch that. It hooked me from the first trailer. Seeing those vividly-colored images for the entirety of the minute and a half teaser intrigued me. I hadn't seen any movie in a long time that looked as fresh and colorful as the one in the trailer and I had to see more. Maybe it's my affinity for films with well-done high-velocity sequences. Maybe it's my love of cartoons (especially ones with such rich colors, like Ducktales). Maybe it's my interest in action comedies. More than likely it's the combination of all of the above that drew me into the theater (especially considering all the negative reviews that the film garnered). Whatever the driving force that led me to see this, I'm glad I went.
Visually, the film was stunning and it never let up. It was wall to wall Technicolor amped up to eleven. The costumes, the sets, the cars, everything was wrapped in its own vivid color scheme. I just couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Everything was practically screaming for my attention.
The musical score by Michael Giacchino was also wonderful to listen to while never detracting from the film. In fact, it really enhanced every scene that you heard it. You could hear the bars from the classic Speed Racer series as part of the score. Much like he did for "The Incredibles", Giacchino gave the score a retro sound that took you back, but also felt timeless as well.
The cast was perfect. They all turned in excellent performances, but the breakouts were Paulie Litt, Christina Ricci, and Matthew Fox. Litt, who played Speed's younger brother, Spritle looked like he had literally stepped right out of the anime. (In fact, Spritle and Chim Chim (his sidekick/pet monkey) stole every scene that they were in.) Ricci was absolutely captivating as Trixie, Speed's girlfriend. You could easily see why Speed was in love with her. And Fox played the mysterious Racer X wonderfully with confidence and regret. His voice even sounded just like it did in the classic cartoon (at least the English dubbed version).
But let's not forget the racing. That's what this film is all about (in addition to the importance of family). The race sequences are awesome! The racers compete at frenetic, hyper-kinetic speeds over tracks filled with loop de loops, jumps, curves and other obstacles that I don't even have a name for with flair and panache while battling it out in car-fights that would make NASCAR drivers wince. And that's not even addressing the cross-country rally courses/races. Those, you just have to see for yourself. But rest assured, they will blow your mind just the same.
Another great thing about this film that I love is the lack of product placement. Not once was there an ad for any kind of drink, toy, or restaurant from the "real world" in this film. There were lots of images of Royalton Corporation (a fictional company from the Speed Racer universe) and its products, but nothing about any brand that you'd recognize. And I loved that aspect about it.
I know that this film has received more than a few negative reviews, but I didn't see any problem with the movie itself. The script at times had some fairly cheesy dialogue, but that was done on purpose in reference to the cheesy dialogue of the show. It's not Shakespeare, and anyone going in with that expectation will be disappointed. The movie was also FX heavy (it was filmed almost entirely in front of green screens), but considering the nature of the subject matter and the manner in which the filmmakers presented it, it makes sense. And it doesn't diminish the message of the narrative. I don't know why some critics didn't like the film. I honestly didn't see anything wrong with it and I'd like to see a few more films like "Speed Racer".
As I stated earlier, I absolutely loved this film. It's a fun, thrilling, hilarious, action-packed film with a good message and a plethora of breath-taking races and scenery. I will definitely be adding it to my DVD collection as soon as it's released. I might even sing the theme song as I drive to the store.
