Speed Racer

Plot synopsis:
Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is an 18-year-old whose life and love has always been racing. As a young boy, Speed shirked his schoolwork, only dreaming of being able to race one day as well as his older brother, Rex Racer (Scott Porter).However, Rex eventually had an altercation with his father Pops Racer (John Goodman), and never returned home. In the 2-3 years of racing that Rex did, viewers were divided, calling him both brave and a coward. However, it was during the final leg of the Casa Cristo road rally that Rex died in a fiery crash in the Maltese Ice Caves. After this event, Speed continued racing, with his lost Brother constantly on his mind.Now the prime driver for Racer Motors, Speed Racer is quickly sweeping the racing world with his skill, driving the "Mach 6" of his father's design, but remains interested only in the art of the race and the well-being of his family. Speed father is still adamant that Racer Motors continue to be an independent in a sport where almost everyone is owned by a large corporation.Shortly after Speed's most recent win, Mr. Royalton (Roger Allam), owner of conglomerate Royalton Industries, shows up at the family's doorstep. Inviting the Racer family to tour his company, Speed is somewhat impressed, yet a little apprehensive. Royalton gives Speed a week to consider his offer.Speed eventually returns to Royalton, and declines his offer, citing that racing is more of a family affair for him. Royalton then shows his true colors, revealing that top corporate interests(including himself) have been fixing races and cheating to gain profits for years. In retaliation for his refusal, Royalton promises that Speed will lose his next race that takes place in Fiji, and that Racer Motors will come under scrutiny as well (proof of the power that he holds, all his threats come to pass, leading to Speed's loss and the destruction of the Mach 6 racer).Shortly afterwards, the Racer family is visited by Inspector Detector (Benno Fürmann) and the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox). Both men are involved in trying to uncover the unscrupulous business dealings and cheating that have been plaqueing the WRL (World Racing League) competitions for many years. Their wild card is Taejo Togokhan (Rain), the son of the owner of Togokhan Racing. Taejo has information that could incriminate Royalton, but will only divulge this if he is able to win the Casa Cristo cross-country race, also know as "The Crucible." The inspector knows the proposition is dangerous (Rex Racer was killed in a previous race), but hopes that Speed and Pops will reconsider, given that the Racer family is one of the last groups that is not tied to corruption. Pops angrily declines the offer, but Speed takes it into consideration, knowing the kind of power that Royalton can use to hurt his family. Trixie volunteers to help Speed, taking the Mach 5 under the guise that they are going skiing.Before the start of the race, a team working under the Inspector modifies the Mach 5 to counter any defensive measures other drivers will take. The first leg of the rally tests Speed, Racer x, and Taejo, with the three of them coming in behind Snake Oiler and his team.Speed and Trixie then receive a surprise when they find the entire Racer family has arrived, having seen Speed on television. Pops demands Speed drop out and come home, but Speed is adamant about winning the race, still thinking of his family's safety and what Taejo's information could do to help them.The family then decides to stay, and have Speed see the race through to the end. However, during the night, several ninjas are sent in to try and deal a blow to the racing team. Racer X handles one, while Pops takes care of another. However, Taejo has ended up being drugged, and is in no condition to race.A trade-off is made, wherein Trixie dresses up as Taejo to take his place until half-way through the race. Once they've reached a certain point, Taejo takes back the wheel to his vehicle, and the team continues to take on Snake Oiler and his team. Finally pulling ahead, the Togokhan roars to the finish.However, in the aftermath, it becomes apparent that Taejo's actions were mainly to affect his Father's stock price, and his deal to reveal secrets about Royalton falls through. Back home, Speed angrily drives the Mach 5 to the nearest track to get over his anger. It is here that he encounters Racer X, who races Speed, and is impressed by his skills.Speed finally asks a burning question that has been on his mind: Is Racer X his older brother, Rex? The clues seem to match up: Racer X appeared shortly after Rex was killed, and his driving style seems eerily similar. Racer X then reveals his identity to Speed, and the young man sees that the mysterious driver does not resemble his brother at all. Speed laments that their efforts at the Casa Cristo were for naught, but Racer X tries to help Speed see the silver lining in the situation.Back at home, Pops and Speed have a heart-to-heart, and Pops laments how he drove Rex away all those years ago, and how he felt in danger of doing the same thing when he attempted to deny Speed the chance to finish the Casa Cristo. Speed understands Pops' concern, but the moment is interrupted by the arrival of Taejo's sister, Horuko (Yu Nan). Horuko expresses regret for her Brother and Father's actions, and presents Speed with an invitation to the big Grand Prix race coming up. Taejo was planning not to enter anyway, but the rules also state that any member of the winning team can use the invitation and race.Reinvigorated, the Racer family and Trixie work round the clock and rebuild the Mach 6. Showing up just before the start of the race, Royalton is incensed over Speed's entry, and a number of drivers are informed to take Speed out during the race at all costs.Speed manages to dodge almost everything thrown at him, but runs into trouble when going up against Royalton's famed racer, Cannonball Taylor (Ralph Herforth). Taylor uses a secret weapon called a 'spear-hook,' almost causing Speed to wipeout. At the last second, Speed manages to send the two flying, with the illegal item being caught by the race cameras. As the two cars crash to the ground, Royalton's racer is dislodged and crashes.Speed has other problems when the Mach 6 refuses to start. After concentrating, and realizing just what his racer needs, Speed manages to get the vehicle started, and takes off, leading to an unstoppable finish and a surprise upset against Royalton and the other racers.Inspector Detector watches the celebration with Racer X. When the Inspector asks if X would like to be with the family, we realize (through flashbacks) that Speed was correct about Racer X. Rex Racer actually faked his death, and through plastic surgery, changed his identity to protect his family, as well as try and stop the corruption in racing with the inspector.In the aftermath of Speed's win, Taejo reveals Royalton's secrets, and the Corporate head is jailed, with the judge delivering the caveat, "Cheaters Never Win."

Tags: cult, entertaining, flashback

Review:
Good and bad guys with crazy cartoon anime hairstyles, crazy over-the-top kung fu, elaborate motion line effects just like in mangas, crazy death defying races, cheesy as hell dialogue which fits perfectly in context!
Go into this movie expecting high adrenaline scenes and all campy fun that only a 60's anime adaptation can provide, but don't just to go and watch it just to 'see what the fuss is about' until you actually understand what the source material was like.
I must admit that I know, or knew rather, very little about the story or history of Speed Racer- and his TV series - and maybe that is why I enjoyed this movie so much.
I've never smiled through a movie as much as I have with this one in a long time.Huge 10/10 for Speed Racer and a big thank you to everyone involved in making this masterpiece.
The effects used are so fitting for this movie because they're almost cartoonish and the movie doesn't take itself too seriously.The film, an adaptation of the long running Japanese anime, revolves around natural racing phenomenon Speed (the wonderful Emile Hirsch) and his family, which somehow includes John Goodman and Susan Sarandon (whoever pulled off this casting deserves some kind of award).
The buildings, the cities, the homes, the cars themselves...all beautiful.The Wachowski brothers get an A+ for keeping the movie in the spirit of the show as much as they could (they really did a great job), however the film has a major flaw: a runtime of just under 2 and a half hours.
The film also has a sensual scene or two featuring Ricci and Hirsch, not to mention occasional language.My advice: don't listen to the critics, see this movie for the fact that it's pure entertainment for the audience, and it will take you away to a visually stunning world for a couple hours.
This may be a spoiler, but honestly, if you don't know by now that "Racer X is really Rex Racer, the older brother of Speed who ran away from home years ago and is secretly racing behind the mask and the wheel of the number nine, the shooting star" then you probably need to go watch the series.
This movie really caught a good look at Live action Speed Racer without losing the characteristics of the Cartoon.
I didn't think even the Wachowski brothers could pull this off, but as usual, they did.As far as the actors performances, Emile Hirsch did exceptional, but my eye was mostly on the brilliant performances by John Goodman, and new comer Paul Litt who plays Spritle, Speed's mischievous little brother.
I agree with the critics that it is very different than the original Speed Racer, but I think that the directors properly modernized it for todays audiences and to fit with the extensive amount of computer animation used in the film.
Speed Racer is a boring and cold movie.I say this is a cold movie because,the movie does not go beyond of showing special effects.There is zero character development,so we do not really care about them.I do not think even the race scenes are good.They all look like a video game and that scenes never get exciting.So,the race scenes,which should have been exciting and tremendously entertaining,are cold and tremendously boring.Emile Hirsh does not show too charisma.I do not wanna attack him...he's an excellent actor (he showed that in Into The Wild) but directors Larry and Andy Wachowski could not recognize Hirsch's talent.At least,the supporting cast makes a very good work.Matthew Fow,Susan Sarandon,Christina Ricci and the great John Goodman show enthusiasm and conviction on their characters and they brought some points to this weak movie.Speed Racer is a failure,but not only in the economical aspect.It's a failure as a movie.This movie represents a big wasted opportunity..
The only thing they had going for them is that the cast actually resembled how I remember Speed Racer, especially Pops.If the original cartoon is out there, watch it instead.
BUT, watching them, even though I had to admit as an adult that the stories, dialog and animation sucked, watching them 30 years later STILL invoked those dreamlike sensations and mysterious aura, and I was glad for that.I cannot fathom how ANYONE, who either saw Speed Racer at age six in 1973 or never saw it, or saw at age 6 in 2003 even in the context of modernized entertainment, can like this movie.
Other than the great visuals, "Speed Racer" is possibly the emptiest, shallowest, dullest movie experience I have had in a cinema, since my misfortune in shelling out a couple of quid to see "The Matrix" sequels.
The whole look of the movie is ridiculous with acid-pop colors and an absurd family (never watched the original anime, fortunately..).
I could go on about the movies other problems such as Speed's annoying little bro and his chimp and the bland characters, but this film does have one redeeming quality,the special effects.
The movie looks great from the racing scenes to the color palate, the Wachowski's know their special effects.
One of my favorite parts is when they are fighting in the hotel bedroom, that scene was awesome, and I laughed at a lot of the cute jokes too.I understand it was mostly all for thrills in the vision department, but that is what you should have been expecting when you went in to Overall Speed Racer exceeded my expectations, and in the end I was very glad I had the chance to view it, for I loved it and think it rises above a lot of other movies out there recently.
the best word to describe this movie is ridiculous for the second time in my life i went to a movie and laughed not because it was funny but because it was so bad the first was when a friend gave me free tickets to the epic "the grinch" which is in the same ridiculous lines the movie is so long and useless that me and my gf could sleep several times wake up and not loose a thing at some point i heard someone else scream this is ridiculous, never seen that before lol people walk out of the room, i applauded the absolute reason why a person would not ridicule this movie is that they were cartoons fans, but then again that is not about the movie is it?
Christina Ricci always on top form provides much love and half of the eye candy with her petite top boyish love interest.The Matrix masterminds Andy and Larry Wachowski usher anime icon Tatsuo Yoshida's classic 1960s-era hit into the new millennium with this family-friendly story of a young race car driver who takes on the mysterious Racer X in a custom-made, gadget-loaded speed machine named the Mach 5.Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is the kind of driver that every wheel man wishes he could be: a born winner whose unbeatable combination of aggression, whose unbeatable combination of aggression, instinct, and fearlessness always finds him crossing the checkered flag with a comfortable lead.
It was Speed Racer's father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), who designed the unbeatable Mach 5, and even a lucrative offer from racing giants Royalton Industries isn't enough to get the young ace to break his family ties.Right from the word Go, Speed Racer is hugely dependent on its visual effects and sound, which are both considerably good.
This Review was originally written for South Yorkshire Newspapers and featured on BBC Radio Sheffield, Leeds, and York - Speed Racer is a labour of love for the Wachowski Brothers; the self confessed geeks behind the Matrix Trilogy have gone to great lengths to realise their vision of the cult 60's cartoon.
Right off the starting line the movie establishes its highly stylised visual appeal with a kaleidoscope of psychedelic imagery, (an epileptic's nightmare that warrants warning signs around the cinema) before entering a bubblegum Bladerunner world of neon CGI and real life actors.The plot tracks the aptly named Speed (Emile Hirsch, star of last year's 'Into the Wild') as he strives to fulfil his ambition of winning a futuristic Grand Prix.
The story follows a tight racing line, to the point that it feels very much like it's on rails, as the young hero must prove himself against the odds, with the help of his family, friends, and some fantastical driving feats on roller-coaster race tracks.The Racer family are a colourful bunch, headed up by Super Mario look-a-like Pops (John Goodman, who clearly seems to be drawn to cartoon adaptations with this and the Flintstones movie on his CV), Mom (a free-wheeling Susan Sarandon), girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci, who looks every bit the wide-eyed cartoon character) and for the kids  the daft comic pairing of Speed's younger brother Spritle (newcomer Paulie Litt) and Chim-Chim the monkey.
These two are clearly intended to provide some light relief during the too frequent dialogue-heavy points of the film, playing as close to the exaggerated actions of their animated equivalents as possible.It's unfortunate that in reality this type of visual humour feels ridiculously kitsch and more often than not falls flat.
Speed Racer also bares some similarities to some of Warner Bros' other cartoon franchises, most notably with the dastardly weaponry of Wacky Races and the futuristic family feel of the Jetsons.Considering Andy and Larry Wachowski found fame through their revolutionary 'bullet-time' special effects in the Matrix films, devoting moments of hyper-real focus to fast-paced action, the lack of clarity in this film is a big disappointment.
The races convey an intense impression of speed, but it feels disconnected, the audience left blinded by the assortment of motion blurs, light coronas and trailblazing neon effects, it's akin to watching a video game without the benefit of being in control or having the 'off' button within easy reach.Speed Racer is fast, polished and has a style of its own, but there's not a lot under the hood, it has no sense of grip and ultimately it's a really unsatisfying ride.
And what continues to baffle me is how this movie ever got green-lighted.The original Speed Racer, which ran for only a short time, was basically a campy sixties cartoon that lived on as cult television.
There's no doubt that "Speed Racer", the Wachowski brothers' version of a '60s anime series, is a visual spectacle.
What was he thinking?"Matrix" is by far my favorite movie of all times, and after watching "V fro Vendetta", I thought that the Wachowski brothers could do no wrong.
not an ounce of grandeur here that's needed in a fantasy film - just a big, overblown grunt of a movie that feels like it was the result of the sound John Goodman makes whenever his "character" is upset at something..
It also reminded me of racing car game i used to play with my PSI I will safely assume that if you like video games and cartoons (especially the original speed racer), you will enjoy this movie.
A tremendous job making something I thought was never possible into one of the best action movies I've ever seen.Anyone that doesn't know what they are in for, and has never seen the anime, will probably not enjoy themselves, but for anyone who is a genuine fan, you will have an absurd amount of fun with this film..
I listened to everyone about their doubts, but I remained faithful and excited, knowing that the WB's would do great.I signed up for my screening of Speed Racer ever since I saw the teaser and I definitely felt it was worth the wait!
My eyes were constantly busy with all the color, the style of the editing, the action and the fun of the characters.I MUST congratulate the Wachoski Brothers and everyone involved with the production of this film for holding my interest during the awaiting and watching of SPEED RACER!
No qualms about Emile Hirsch in the titular role, and I thought the entire Racer family was well cast, from Pops (John Goodman in yet another series-to-movie role after his Fred Flintstone stint), Mom (Susan Sarandon), mechanic Sparky (Kick Gurry), kid brother Sprittle (Paulie Litt) who provides most of the slapstick together with pet monkey Chimp Chimp, and hot loyal girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci).
What I liked about the narrative flow was how the races blend seamlessly with moments of drama thanks to creative editing, and of course, throwbacks to the animated series again with many a close up shots of drivers looking cool, or looking mean.What's the best way to enjoy Speed Racer?
It is a flawed movie, where the story- of Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) and his battles with the corrupt owner of Royalton motors (Roger Allam) with the help of Trixie, his girlfriend (Christina Ricci) and the mysterious masked Racer X (Matthew Fox), not to mention winning the big Grand Prix race- is told at times in such a jumbled way that one starts to loose the momentum built up in the race scenes.
I really wanted to like this because I was a fan of the first Matrix movie and thought a live action Speed Racer had a lot of potential.
For those, like me, who like special-effects and stylish visuals, it was definitely worth a look, particularly on a Blu-Ray hi-definition disc.Many of the characters were over-the-top, especially the villains, naturally, led by Roger Allam as "Arnold Royalton." The good guys - meaning "Speed Racer" and his family, were okay.
The younger brother "Sprittle" (Paulie Litt) and the chimp, I'm sure, drew most of the laughs from most audiences.This film, however, is not really about the story or, more specifically, about futuristic auto racing, although if you love auto racing you should like this - it's about the incredible colors and special-effects extravaganza.
I love the Wachowskis, but this should have been Speed Racer: The Movie!
Batman is reduced to an artifact in his own movie, an echo of an unwanted element in this serious character study/action film.Speed Racer is completely without shame for its source material.
This was advanced, engaging, nifty, bypassing the fact of the flimsy narrative itself.No, where the brothers killed it for me was in the racing sequences.Given the seemingly manifest limits on story inspiration, one thing outsiders like myself might reasonably expect from a "Speed Racer" is competent simulation of sustained, exhilarating ...
We needed a better director like Steven Spielberg, John Landis, Ron Howard, Joe Dante or Robert Zemeckis for this kind of project, not two guys who only made one good movie out of 4 ones before Speed Racer.
I find it highly ironic that in the same way Speed Racer (the character) would get a 10 for his driving skill, the Wachowski brothers deserve the same for their movie making.
I've watched some of the episodes (including the finale) and I understand why lots of anime fans love this show so much that in fact, I actually love this show as well.So, when I heard that Warner Brothers hired The Wachowski Brothers to direct a live-action movie adaptation of the show, I saw that lots of Speed Racer fans saw it and were excited at how it managed to capture the spirit and tone of the show perfectly, but the critics weren't completely satisfied since they complained about how the CGI seemed overdone and when it first came out, it was a failure at the box office making only 43 million domestic and only 93 million worldwide out of it's 120 million budget, but has then remained by fans of the show to be a cult classic for about four years since it's release.However, in my opinion, when I first saw it on a DVD copy that my cousin had, I did the best that I could think of: not listening to the critics because I think that this is an underrated and very entertaining adaptation of a great classic TV show.
Other actors including John Goodman (got the part of Pops Racer just right), Susan Sarandon (got the part of Mom Racer right as well), Matthew Fox (exactly the right character for Racer X due to his emotions and the past where he pretending that he got in an accident), and Roger Allam (he made a fantastic love-to-hate villain Royalton) did a great job with their performances along with the annoying, yet likable little brother Spirtle Racer and his monkey friend Chim Cham.The story is like a mixture of the 50s, 60s, and 70s altogether with a quirky and very inspiring storyline about racing that could change a lot of ordinary people.
It was a huge surprise when the Wachowski Brothers, after making two cult favorites - The Matrix and V for Vendetta, announced that they were going to make a live-action movie based on the widely popular cartoon series Speed Racer.
Speed Racer is a live action feature film version based on the Japanese animated television series of the same name from the late 1960's.
Aside from the look I thought all the actors did a good job mimicking the characters from the original and the plot while a little complicated and confusing at first was a lot of fun and filled with action, great visuals, humour and entertainment that pleased me as an adult and seemed to please the younger children in the audience, who most likely are not aware of the original show.
In fact, "Speed Racer" was some of the most fun I've had at the movies in years.
The movie isn't campy, but it's also not overreaching its own bounds to be falsely great; "Speed Racer" makes last year's SFX bonanza, "Transformers," look bloated and silly.The actors are pitch-perfect; the plot is much better than other cartoon adaptations; the visuals, cutting edge and thrillingly atmospheric.
Critics have been wrong about other films, including "Fantasia," "The Wizard of Oz," "Jaws," and "Blade Runner." I won't pretend that "Speed Racer" is a great movie like those; but it, like those classics, is simply ahead of its time..
If you didn't watch Speed Racer as a kid, you may not understand how great this film is.