Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures present a PG rated, 129 minute action, family sport film directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski and starring Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer), Nicolas Elia (Young Speed), Susan Sarandon (Mom), Scott Porter (Rex), John Goodman (Pops), Kick Gurry (Sparky), Christina Ricci (Trixie), Matthew Fox (Racer X), Roger Allam (Royalton), Rain (Taejo Togokhan), Hiroyuki Sanada (Mr. Musha) Willy (Chim Chim), Paulie Litt (Spritle) with Ariel Winter (Young Trixie), Melissa Holroyd (Speed's Teacher), Christian Oliver (Snake Oiler), Brandon Robinson (Big Mouth), Benno Furmann (Inspector Detector) and a whole lot of announcer characters.
The film opens setting the story line of Speed as a young boy looking up to his older brother, Rex, as the best of the best in the racing world. The story also sets the way for the cliché boy meets girl in school and later in life continues this crush into a relationship. Pretty much the world of racing runs through the entire Racer family from brothers, to parents to monkey. Right from the beginning when Speed is a young boy taking a test in school he fantasizes a bit about racing and the sequence takes on a whole new special effect which leads the way to what the film will entail throughout it's lengthy duration.
Based on a Japanese television series this movie moves from real life images to video effects that make you feel like you're right inside a video game. Now, for the older audience this can be confusing, too fast, and irritating to the eyes and possibly the brain but for the young audience it will make them feel like their sitting at home with a control in hand playing "Speed Racer" on their X Box. The use of color imagery in this film is excessive but fascinating to the visual senses.
Rex, while competing in a cross country race wipes out in the ice cave causing his death to the known world and his family leaving a mothers tears, beautifully played by Sarandan, and a Pops guilt, wonderfully played by Goodman. So, young Speed grows up and becomes the shadow of his older brother, a talented and winner race car driver. Soon, the sponsors come out looking to flash their brands on Speed but he believes that the big corporations are the devil to the religion of racing. The route of all evil, Royalton, is the one out to steal Speed's racer soul along with the help of the evil cartel. An alliance is not something Speed holds dear, so after what seems like a theme park ride through Royalton's corporation the contract offer is declined.
The film takes on a bit of the old "Dick Tracy" film feel, like the one starring Madonna back many years ago in the way it uses many of its scenes, action and characters. An interesting move by the director but sometimes a bit to fast and confusing, much more so than their trilogy, "Matrix". As for the laughs the real scene stealer most of the time involved the chimp. Even the many flashbacks and the way the movie projects them is quite comic book-like and interesting but the many different foreign announcers gets to be a bit over-done. In the sport of the WRL, World Racing League, there is much competitiveness. This story portrays the crooked evils that sit in the drivers seat and hide within the cars mechanical parts, all done in a whimsical and entertaining animated mixed with real life moments that make the film a bit like "Roger Rabbit" meets the first day of hunting season. Even though the race may be animated to a point, accidents will still happen to the true to life drivers behind the wheels.
Albeit, as Speed continues to race he forges an alliance with Inspector Detector, Racer X, big fan of Matthew Fox from "Lost" by the way, the C.I.B. and eventually Taejo as a way to uncover the wrong doing and evil ways of the racing world, the cartel and Royalton. Evil Ninja's try desperately to take out the good guys but end up more like Nonja's, making this moment in the film a bit comical and slapstick! All this leads up to the cross country race of which Speed embraces, trying to push aside the memories that this same race caused the loss of his brother. But with the help of his new found friend, Racer X, Speed not only enters the race but does so with the feeling that his brother is truly racing by his side. All this leads up to the ultimate race, the Grand Prix. Obstacles are conquered, dreams are made, enemies are battled, memories are forever embraced and Speed Racer drives not just a race but the ultimate show down in hopes of uncovering the truth. "It's a whole new world, baby" and in the end the truth is always exposed, sometimes leaving mistakes to live with.
The writing behind the film was adequate to the story and perfectly performed by all the actors, including the chimp. The direction was well done but the sequences from live action to the actual animated-like races was a bit distracting and sometimes overwhelming for my taste. The scenes between Mom and Speed were extremely well received, projecting a true sense of love between mother and son. This film had a great cast of actors and they all attributed a phenomenal job to this story which will probably be nominated for special effects only come awards season. It definitely brought back memories when the "Speed Racer" song resonated on the screen to my own younger days but for me it was the mix between the live action and special effects that made the film a bit stuck between demographics. The younger audience will love the special effects but not so much the story line whereas the older audience will get snatched into the dialogue while reliving moments of Woodstock thanks to the fast colorful rays of light that flash by like a rainbow caught in a twister.
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.