Speed Racer

Directed by: Larry and Andy Wachowski

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon

Synopsis:

Speed Racer (Hirsch) has had racing in his blood since he was a child when he looked up to his older brother, Rex. Now, an accomplished driver himself, Speed is being wooed by the Big Corporations to join their racing teams. None are more enticing than Royalton Corp. However, when Speed declines, he discovers that the Big Companies are a cartel and who are willing to do anything to stop a small, independent racing team getting in the way of their business. With the help of his girlfriend Trixie (Ricci) and the mysterious Racer X (Fox), Speed vows to win the Grand Prix - but first he needs to take part in the deadly cross country rally that cost his brother his life...

Review:

Whilst I am not overly impressed by the style of the movie - to my mind it runs a fine line between tv's Pushing Daisies and the dreadful Batman and Robin - I will admit that there was a lot to enjoy amongst all the mayhem.

For starters, the first 10 minutes of the movie are near-perfect storytelling. As Speed prepares for and takes part in the first big race of the movie, we learn all we need to know about Speed's passion/obsession, his love and heartbreak for his brother Rex, his parents, and most of all, Trixie.

Things go off the rails for a bit then, as we go through Royalton's attempt to woo/bribe Speed onto their team (these scenes, and the scenes of the city, reminded me too much of the latter Star Wars movies (too many bad memories...)- similarly the scene of Spritle and Chim Chim on a candy binge were a turn off.

Matthew Fox does a good job of the mysterious Racer X, even if his costume is a little too similar to the old comic version of X-Men's Cyclops. The movie does a good job of keeping the audience guessing to his true identity, right up to the end of the movie.

Christina Ricci is gorgeous in this movie, there is something just a little kinky and sexually playful about her performance - kind of like Dianna Rigg in The Avengers. Her karate chop moves in the Big Fight Scene also harken back to that vibe.

John Goodman hasn't been so much fun since he worked with the Coen Brothers. His larger-than-life persona is perfect for the role of Pops. Susan Sarandon doesn't get to do a lot but her role is integral to showing how the family gels together in a crisis.

You'll notice that I have yet to mention Emile Hirsch, the supposed lead character - other than the racing scenes, he actually doesn't do a lot other than mope and scowl, and therefore gets overshadowed a lot by his co-stars.

The races were actually a lot of fun, but a lot to take in - I'm glad I took some paracetamol. There were moments when you lost who was in which car making it a little difficult to follow, but the neat little tricks the cars could do were pretty cool.

I felt the badguy plot was a bit dense for the intended demographic (corporate cartels and backroom deals), although there were plenty of badguys on the racetrack to keep things interesting.

The editing of the movie was actually quite restrained off the track - it only got crazy once the races were underway. But the whole greenscreen experience left me a little cold, because everything was left looking very cartoon-y rather than photo-real. Other reviewers have made comparisons to Tron and I can see what they mean.

Verdict:

If you have to take your kids to the cinema, there are certainly worse movies to see than this, and there is enough for adults to enjoy. Thankfully, it bucks the trend by not being overly preachy and other than the cars themselves, devoid of product-placement.

6 Out of 10 (Review by MikeOutWest)