Speed Racer

I do not understand why the majority of critics did not like this film. In “Speed Racer”, you have action, drama and laughs with some unique special effects. The Wachowski brothers have proved that they can bring comics to life so why not anime. Many of the film’s elements have a lot of anime influence whether for story telling purposes or for comedy. When you watch “Speed Racer”, you are engrossed in the story and you can relate to the characters. Because of these two aspects, the theme comes across in a very effective way. Also, the film feels original because of the anime influence.

The story of “Speed Racer” is not completely original but you still enjoy it because of the way that it is told. The opening 10 minutes not only introduces you to Speed but to the whole Racer family for those unfamiliar with the TV show. In the preliminary scenes, we experience triumph, a family’s love and tragedy. A crisis then enters their lives and Speed tries to solve things by himself like Rex tried to do by going to Casa Cristo. His family’s assistance however seems to have made the difference between failure and success. When that plan ultimately fails and he begins to leave again, he receives the invitation to the Grand Prix and thereby has a way to include his family in trying to rid the racing world of corruption. Rex felt that in order to save the family business, he had to leave it. His plan worked but it had consequences. On the other hand, Speed by the end of the film learns that his family is the best asset he has in saving their way of life. Even Royalton points out the importance of Speed’s family, as do other characters throughout the film. The climax of this movie is also wonderful as it encompasses the emotions of the entire film. We re-experience tender moments as well as motivating lines that help us understand what this final push towards the finish line means to Speed. The montage of images, music and fast-pace of the sequence affects us dramatically. We share Speed’s lack of energy after he finishes the race. We have seen one person change their world before on film but to see a whole family do it is something a little more fresh. The humor is also fun such in the ninja scene and moments with Spritle & Chim Chim.

The characters are well crafted as they are reinvented for live-action. Speed is such a classic leading man. He has hopes and dreams as well as values. As many characters in many films, he finds it hard to be decent in an indecent world. Because we have seen the things that have happened to him as a little boy, we root for him to triumph in the end. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zac Efron, and Shia LaBeouf were considered for this role and it would have been cool to see any of them play Speed Racer but I feel that in the case of the latter two, their personas would have gotten in the way. Emile Hirsch was a good choice and he did a great job. John Goodman is perfect as Pops. His moustache and wardrobe are the biggest reasons for the successful conversion of this anime character to live-action. He comes across as a stern man but also as a loving father. This phrase is overused but I must mention it because of how true it is with every good story: a hero is only as good as the villain. Royalton is very threatening but only because of contrast. His character is not only very different from say Pops or Inspector Detector but it is very different from our first impressions of him. Every time I watch the film, I go through the same emotions when I watch Royalton and he mirrors Gaston in of how he affects the audience. When he first arrives at the Racer residence, I like him. Roger Allam was on “The Queen” and so I am used to him as this type of character: proper and supporting. There is a sense of humorous phoniness as well. Then at Royalton tower, we feel impressed by him but also feel a little intimidated and unsure. When Speed comes back to Royalton tower, we know that Royalton is unsavoury but even we as the audience are taken aback by him laughing at Speed’s tale. By the end of Royalton’s “history lessons”, we fully agree with Speed that he is the devil. I liked seeing Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon in this film also. I heard that Keanu Reeves was approached to play Racer X and that would have been fun. It probably wouldn't have worked though. The humorous characters do their part and we end up with a cast of enjoyable characters. This makes the story a delight to watch.

This film is something different coming from the creators of “The Matrix”. This film was obviously made for families and you wouldn’t have expected something like this from the makers of an R-rated trilogy. The editing style is very reminiscent of anime as are many special effects. You can tell that the Wachowski brothers love this genre as well as the comic book genre. They use slow motion just like they did in “The Matrix”. I also get a kick out of how they incorporate fight sequences. I guess there are some things that directors can’t let go of. They even make Pops a Greko Roman wrestler. That adds great humor. The fight sequences bring a little fun from “The Matrix” trilogy into this film but the Wachowski brothers present them differently. This can best be understood by looking at the fight between Block’s men and our main characters. There is reference to the anime genre as we move in 3D from one part of the fight to the next. The use of cheesy special effects is typical of this style also. The Wachowski brothers’ style assists in making the story feel original and entertaining.

This film is perfect for those lovers of anime and comics. While I am only a mild fan of those things, I am a fan of good stories with good characters. “Speed Racer” is a captivating tale with a great cast of individuals but also has a unique style that creates a fun experience. The importance of family is a strong theme and I love that too. The film also explores the themes of virtue overcoming corruption not to mention David versus Goliath. The music of Michael Giacchino also adds to the fun. I can’t help but repeat what I wrote on Facebook upon seeing the film for the first time: “Go Go Speed Racer!”

4 Stars