Movies We Watch

I remember hearing all the critics rip on this film when it came out. It wasn’t enough like the cartoon, it wasn’t enough like the cartoon, etc.

Well, as a lover of color and appreciator of the my after school time being filled with Kimba and Speed Racer, I can say I enjoyed the film. The color was amazing. Super saturated. The story was actually a bit deeper than most speed racer afternoon cartoons. The only problem I had was the extreme close ups on some of the racing action. It was actually sort of hard to watch. A bit vertigo inducing.

I wish they had spent a bit more time in wideshots in the fight and race scenes. Seems like they spent a lot of time choreographing both and doing some great track cgi for the backgrounds and complex tracks. I would have like to have seen more of it.

So, great color, ok story, and John Goodman was looking much thinner than he has in a while. A nice watch, especially in HD. Not for everyone, it moves fast, but a fun enough watch.

imdb.com

The story begins with Speed Racer who is a young man with natural racing instincts whose goal is to win The Crucible, a cross-country car racing rally that took the life of his older brother, Rex Racer. Speed is loyal to the family business, run by his parents Pops and Mom. Pops designed Speed’s car, the Mach 5. The owner of Royalton Industries makes Speed a lucrative offer, Speed rejects the offer, angering the owner. Speed also uncovers a secret that top corporate interests, including Royalton, are fixing races and cheating to gain profit. With the offer to Speed denied, Royalton wants to ensure that Speed will not win races. Speed finds support from his parents and his girlfriend Trixie and enters The Crucible in a partnership with his one-time rival, Racer X, seeking to rescue his family’s business and the racing sport itself.