Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer…
April 14th, 2008 at 08:41am Will Pfeifer
In the comments section of last week’s post about THE INCREDIBLE HULK, reader Brian put the upcoming SPEED RACER movie way at the bottom of the summer movie list, saying it would only appeal to “young kids and masochistic viewers.” You might be right, Brian — some of that dialogue is beyond lame, and I question the use of Matthew “I’m acting as woodenly as I can” Fox in the pivotal role of the ultra-cool Racer X.
But as a boy who spent his formative years watching the high speed thrills and crashing carnage of the original SPEED RACER cartoon, I have to admit I’m looking forward to this one, and not just out of some warped sense of nostalgia (though that’s part of it). Looking at the trailers, I see a very real possibility that — at least on a purely visual level –this could be a groundbreaking movie. I can’t think of a time that the bright, pop-off-the-screen, candy-colored punch of cartoons has been brought to live-action with such zip and zing. Just check out this trailer…
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/8aLwVYmcBg8" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
I think we’re looking at something new here, something that takes the comic book physics of THE MATRIX movies (the Wachowski brothers’ last cinematic effort) and throws it right out the window, replacing it with something even wilder (and a heck of a lot more colorful). The way those cars bounce around mirrors the original cartoon perfectly, and even the quiet scenes pop right off the screen. Personally, I can’t wait to see this one, and on the biggest screen possible.
It is interesting to see Emile Hirsch, who starred in the ultra-serious INTO THE WILD, take on the role of Speed, but he seems to have the right wide-eyed wonder to carry it off. (Something he had, in fact, during INTO THE WILD, too.) And speaking of wide-eyed, if there’s a better casting choice for Trixie (Speed’s girlfriend) than Christina Ricci, I can’t think of it. She’s practically an anime character come to life. Not since her early work as Wednesday Addams has a role fit her this well. Even Matthew Fox seems well-used, with a digital boost making his voice even more robotic — and more fitting for the mysterious Racer X.
And if you need one more reason to be hopeful, there’s this: With all the computer-generated imagery packed into every frame of this film, they used a real chimp to play Chim Chim. Now that’s entertainment.
Entry Filed under: New movies, hype
14 Comments Add your own
1. John N | April 14th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I never liked the cartoon as a kid and I was totally prepared to rip on this movie in this comment section. But that trailer sure makes it look like a movie that will be a lot of fun to sit through with my nephew. Do they have a rating for it yet?
2. Brian | April 14th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I stand by my comments about Speed Racer. I will freely admit, kids will probably love it, much in the way kids loved the pod-racing sequence in Phantom Menace (previous commenter John N even qualifies his anticipation by saying it’s because it will be a lot of fun to sit through WITH his nephew). And I’m sure those who were big fans of the cartoon will enjoy it as well.
But as an adult who has no nostalgic attraction to it, it just fails to interest me. Will it have original style and visuals? Sure it will. Will it provide a visceral high-speed racing experience? Of course. But the cheesy acting and the inclusion of the monkey, even if that’s faithful to the source material, just really turn me off. I’ll see it, as I see almost everything, and I’ll try to go in with an open mind. But as first impressions go, color me unimpressed. But who knows? Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. It wouldn’t be the first time. (I mean, who expected a movie based on a Disney theme park ride to be such a fun flick?)
note to John N: No official rating has been given yet, but the Wachowski’s have repeatedly said they’re aiming for a G. If for any reason they don’t get that, the absolute highest you’ll see it is PG.
3. hokumboy | April 14th, 2008 at 11:18 am
I didn’t see Transformers. I won’t see this. When “H. R. Puffinstuff,the Movie” comes out, I won’t see that either.
4. Send him to Town | April 14th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Have any of you ever thought about getting a girlfriend?
5. Log Lincoln | April 14th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Send: BJ and the Bear, the Hulk, Speed Racer…the things you learn about on this blog are incredible. And useless. But incredible nonetheless. So keep your negativity to a minimum, K? There is enough of that to go around over at the Sweenster’s blog.
6. hokumboy | April 14th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Hell yes!
But my wife’s not too keen on the idea.
7. elDizzle | April 14th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I think you could walk in to this one with the lowest of expectations and come away pleasantly surprised. It looks like it could be a lot of fun and I agree that the casting of Christina Ricci is spot on.
8. Log Lincoln | April 15th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Send: I think we have our answer.
9. John N | April 15th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Brian, I couldn’t agree more. Indeed, if it weren’t for my nephew, there’s no way I’d see this. Your comparison to the pod chase in PHANTOM MENACE sums it up well. That movie — and that sequence — were tedious to sit through. It’s like eating pure frosting with no cake under it. My comments seemed complimentary, but only because my expectations were so low the trailer ended up looking better than expected.
10. Will Pfeifer | April 16th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I hated PHANTOM MENACE, and I had no interest at all in TRANSFORMERS (still haven’t seen it), but for some reason, I’m jazzed about SPEED RACER. Yes, it could be terrible, but something about the combination of my affection for the old cartoon (which this movie seems to capture on some sort of wild, crazy, colorful primal level) and my affection for the first MATRIX movie (which the Wachowskis also did) makes me want to see it. I guess we’ll find out soon if it’s any good
11. elDizzle | April 16th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I have a confession to make. I like Transformers. Sure the acting was crap, the lines were cheesy, and it was full of Michael Bay sunset shots and explosions, but I loved it. Maybe it’s because I grew up with the cartoon and the toys and I was suckered in with the effects and the music.
12. Brian M | April 16th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
In terms of my childhood, I was all about G.I. Joe and Transformers. Transformers disappointed me both in its lack of faithfulness to the original, and as just a cool “giant robots kicking a**” movie.
I had hoped they wouldn’t botch up G.I. Joe, as well, but those hopes were squashed the second they hired Stephen “Van Helsing” Sommers to direct it. Then the picture of Snake Eyes (Ray Park) came out and I was thrilled. But now there’s a new picture - Rachel Nichols as Scarlett - and I’m back to disappointment. Looks like they’re just gonna dress everyone in black and make it just like every other adaptation these days.
13. chris soprych | April 17th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Will, you can skip transformers. I’m a big Speed Racer fan, but has anyone else noticed that they’re using two versions of the Mach 5. It looks liked they copied the car from the cartoon dead on, but they also have a beefed up version that has a single cockpit. Don’t tell me that it transforms into a two seater.
14. Brian M | April 18th, 2008 at 10:33 am
hmmm no “Edit Post” button. well an update to my earlier GI Joe comment. Here’s a whole bunch of pics of the cast in costume. They have officially squashed anyhope I had for this flick:
Click here and weep
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