If there’s anything that I hate about the state of the film industry in the 2000s, it’s that they did a lame job of adapting motion pictures out of cartoons and car-centric shows alike. Look no further than Garfield, The Dukes of Hazzard or the widely-panned Herbie: Fully-Loaded.
In case you aren’t privvy to the Mach 5, here’s a little synopsis. Based on the popular 1960s cartoon, Speed Racer finds our titular hot-shot zooming through ridiculous racetracks of the future, all while keeping good on the family business. Yet, past all the ups, downs and spin-arounds, the one thing keeping Speed from crossing that finish line of satisfaction is the fear of having a similar fate that killed his brother. And if money-grubbing CEOs can make the same happen for an extra buck, then so be the end of the Mach 5 maniac.
TL; DR? – Here’s a trailer.
How couldn’t you love this movie? Off the trailer alone, you’ve got all the necessary assets. A directorial duo to reckon with! Trippy visual effects! John freaking Goodman! It’s a blockbuster to end all summers. And yeah, it’s a little cheesy for 2008. But with the depressing way our economy was looking like back then, who wouldn’t want to escape alongside Spritle and Chim-Chim? I’ve got my own reasons, besides those listed, to enjoy the film. So whether you’re a car enthusiast or not, buckle up. Because this will either read as very exciting or very not!
Speed? Meet Michael Giacchino.
Homeboy’s behind some of the greatest original soundtracks for the cinema of CGI (computer-generated imaging). So to bring his already three-dimensional orchestration to the Wachowskis felt oh-so-right. Especially since he had the temerity to harken back to the original with cues from the classic series. Additionally, the cover of the main theme by Ali Dee and the Deekompressors is just goofy / multilingual enough for anybody to love.
Love For The Lanes
From Emile Hirsch having visited NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson for methodical advice to the homage to Jurassic Park with the rear view display trope, this movie is a love-letter for the future of auto racing. I was going to say should-be but I’m confident in my opinion and it gives my SEO a better readability. Seriously though, even the pedestrian cars are based on actual high-concepts! The Rinspeed E-Go Rocket, the Peugeot 4002 Lion and the Moonster, to name a few.
THIS Fight Scene
The choreography and camera techniques on such a film are pretty, dang admirable. I especially love how Sparky barely gets a punch in at all while Christina Ricci and – again, John Goodman – are giving them the one-two in almost a video-game like setting in the mountains! Enough said. Race scenes are great as well but nothing like some minuet melee to get the endorphins flipping.
All in all, I love Speed Racer for it’s temerity to not specifically fit in with any one genre. It’s an action-comedy-drama-ensemble-breakout-predictable-wild movie that should get more love than what it did at the box office. (Only made $18,561,337 from it’s opening weekend to make up for the $120,000,000 budget.) In any case, it’s got heart. And I hope you’ll consider revisiting this fast flick. Because if tugging at your heart strings is the goal, you bet your life Speed Racer’s gonna see it through.
