17th June, 2008
DAVID ADAMS
Speed Racer (PG)
In A Word: Frenetic
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IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW FAST YOU CAN GO: Speed Racer slides along the track in his Mach 5,
"It’s a movie for the computer game age - all about visual effects - but it also a strong plot and some great themes embedded within about the importance of family and loyalty; of fighting for what is right regardless of the cost."
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Go, Speed Racer, go! And go he does. So fast, in fact, is this film - such a blur of psychedelic color and sound - that it takes a while for your mind and eyes to adjust to its frantic pace. And to come down after it ends.
The film is based on a television cartoon series which, in turn, was based on a Japanese anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida. Directed by the Wachowski brothers, it brings to life the colorful alternate reality in which Speed Racer, second son of the straight-shooting Racer family, rises against all odds to become a car racing champion.
Racing is all Speed (played by Emile Hirsch) cares about from a young age and he is devastated, along with the rest of the family, when his older brother Rex, is supposedly killed in a race.
Under the shadow of the tragedy, Speed continues to pursue his racing career, aided by his impressive car - the Mach 5 - and his family - including his father Pops Racer (played by John Goodman) and mother Mom Racer (Susan Sarandon) - as well as his ever faithful girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci).
Despite the lucrative temptation to leave his family and sign with Royalton Industries (led by the slimey Royalton, played by Roger Allam), Speed remains loyal and, incurring the wrath of Royalton, soon finds himself negotiating his way through the sticky web of intrigue and corruption which surrounds the racing world and coming face-to-face with the shadowy figure known as Racer X (Matthew Fox).
This is an intense experience - although Speed’s younger brother Spritle (Paulie Litt), and his chimpanzee sidekick Chim-Chim do their best to lighten the mood - and at two-and-a-half hours, it’s also a surprisingly long one for a kids film.
It’s a movie for the computer game age - all about visual effects - but it also a strong plot and some great themes embedded within about the importance of family and loyalty; of fighting for what is right regardless of the cost.
Take a deep breath, clear your mind and dive in for an action-packed experience!
~ http://speedracerthemovie.warnerbros.com
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