First published in gua.com.my
20 May 2008
by Max Koh
Title:
Speed Racer
Ratings:
7/10
Cast:
Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Rain and Paulie Litt
Genre:
Action, Family
Review:
The 1960s anime character (yep, it’s that old!) finally hits the big screen with the Wachowski brothers who lead the pack in this year’s summer movies.
While ‘Iron Man’ continues to wow audience with the stunning iron suit, superb storyline, cool action and Robert Downey Jr, ‘Speed Racer’ seems to fall with a whimper. Then you have ‘Prince Caspian’ of the ‘Narnia’ series, which one can only expect so much from if the first film is of any indication. And will the big green monster ‘Hulk’ fare better this year or get beaten by the ‘Dark Knight’ which is getting an unintended marketing boost with the death of darling Heath Ledger? And of course, Indy’s back!
Oops, before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s get back to ‘Speed Racer’.
“Go, Speed Racer, Go!” If you are expecting some ‘Fast and Furious’ gritty action, look elsewhere. ‘Speed Racer’ is a kiddie show just like the cartoon it is based on. Thanks to the Wachowski brothers (of ‘Matrix’) fame, the graphics are outlandish and the laws of physics are thrown out the window. It is as though Neo woke up in another program designed by the Computer and ‘reality’ operates on a different set of rules. The colours are really bright and the environment is constructed by computer programmers.
Which come to think of it, the film does bear some resemblance to ‘Matrix’. In ‘Speed Racer’, Speed Racer (Hirsch) is the ONE. No one drives as fast and furious as he does. Even after his brother Rex dies in a crash, Speed grows up loyal to the family racing business led by his father, Pops Racer (Goodman), designer of the Mach 5.
When Speed Racer turns down a lucrative offer from Royalton Industries, he also uncovers a terrible secret – that the biggest races are fixed by ruthless tycoons who manipulate drivers to boost sales! With the help of the mysterious Racer X (Fox) and Taejo Togokhan (Korean singer Rain), they form a trinity to challenge the head honchos who rule the racing arena.
And just like Neo, Speed Racer will unwittingly set up a new World Order, only this time it’s the world of motor racing. Cool machines? Check. Babes. Check. Family fun? Check. Pet monkey? Check. That’s right … Speed’s kid brother Sprittle (Litt) and his pet monkey Chim Chim provides some laughs in the film while Goodman seems to enjoy playing Pops Racer.
There is no mistake that Speed Racer is targeted at the kids, but I’m sure it will appeal to audience of all ages.
Eye candy comes in the form of Rain (yes, scream all you K-pop fans), Mathew Fox of ‘Lost’ fame and (surprise, surprise) lead Emile Hirsch who looks like a much younger version of Ewan McGregor. And I must say that he carried the role very well. Guys can squawk at the sight of Christina Ricci who plays Speed’s longtime girlfriend.
With its gamer action, visual wizardry, cartoonish characters and misconstrued reality, ‘Speed Racer’ is built for a fun time at the cinemas. And thankfully it does its job well. For two hours, just sit back and let ‘Speed Racer’ take you for a ride through some mindless fun. I bet you’ll be humming the tune as you leave the cinema.
And probably this is what sets ‘Speed Racer’ apart from Wachowski’s ‘Matrix’ films. They know their target audience and there are no pretensions about it. Kids will love it while adults will enjoy the ride down memory lane. Sing with me again, “Go, Speed Racer, Go!”
20 May 2008
by Max Koh
Title:
Speed Racer
Ratings:
7/10
Cast:
Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Rain and Paulie Litt
Genre:
Action, Family
Review:
The 1960s anime character (yep, it’s that old!) finally hits the big screen with the Wachowski brothers who lead the pack in this year’s summer movies.
While ‘Iron Man’ continues to wow audience with the stunning iron suit, superb storyline, cool action and Robert Downey Jr, ‘Speed Racer’ seems to fall with a whimper. Then you have ‘Prince Caspian’ of the ‘Narnia’ series, which one can only expect so much from if the first film is of any indication. And will the big green monster ‘Hulk’ fare better this year or get beaten by the ‘Dark Knight’ which is getting an unintended marketing boost with the death of darling Heath Ledger? And of course, Indy’s back!
Oops, before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s get back to ‘Speed Racer’.
“Go, Speed Racer, Go!” If you are expecting some ‘Fast and Furious’ gritty action, look elsewhere. ‘Speed Racer’ is a kiddie show just like the cartoon it is based on. Thanks to the Wachowski brothers (of ‘Matrix’) fame, the graphics are outlandish and the laws of physics are thrown out the window. It is as though Neo woke up in another program designed by the Computer and ‘reality’ operates on a different set of rules. The colours are really bright and the environment is constructed by computer programmers.
Which come to think of it, the film does bear some resemblance to ‘Matrix’. In ‘Speed Racer’, Speed Racer (Hirsch) is the ONE. No one drives as fast and furious as he does. Even after his brother Rex dies in a crash, Speed grows up loyal to the family racing business led by his father, Pops Racer (Goodman), designer of the Mach 5.
When Speed Racer turns down a lucrative offer from Royalton Industries, he also uncovers a terrible secret – that the biggest races are fixed by ruthless tycoons who manipulate drivers to boost sales! With the help of the mysterious Racer X (Fox) and Taejo Togokhan (Korean singer Rain), they form a trinity to challenge the head honchos who rule the racing arena.
And just like Neo, Speed Racer will unwittingly set up a new World Order, only this time it’s the world of motor racing. Cool machines? Check. Babes. Check. Family fun? Check. Pet monkey? Check. That’s right … Speed’s kid brother Sprittle (Litt) and his pet monkey Chim Chim provides some laughs in the film while Goodman seems to enjoy playing Pops Racer.
There is no mistake that Speed Racer is targeted at the kids, but I’m sure it will appeal to audience of all ages.
Eye candy comes in the form of Rain (yes, scream all you K-pop fans), Mathew Fox of ‘Lost’ fame and (surprise, surprise) lead Emile Hirsch who looks like a much younger version of Ewan McGregor. And I must say that he carried the role very well. Guys can squawk at the sight of Christina Ricci who plays Speed’s longtime girlfriend.
With its gamer action, visual wizardry, cartoonish characters and misconstrued reality, ‘Speed Racer’ is built for a fun time at the cinemas. And thankfully it does its job well. For two hours, just sit back and let ‘Speed Racer’ take you for a ride through some mindless fun. I bet you’ll be humming the tune as you leave the cinema.
And probably this is what sets ‘Speed Racer’ apart from Wachowski’s ‘Matrix’ films. They know their target audience and there are no pretensions about it. Kids will love it while adults will enjoy the ride down memory lane. Sing with me again, “Go, Speed Racer, Go!”
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