"Speed Racer" - Film Review
The Wachowski sisters’ Speed Racer is a visual overload. The film was adapted to live action from the original anime, and the Wachowskis understood that their adaptation had to match the out-of-this-world color palette of the original. No movie since has looked like Speed Racer, a testament to the vision the sisters had when writing and directing their adaptation. It is yet another example of a movie misunderstood upon its initial release, and Speed Racer deserves a second look.
All that Speed (Emile Hirsch) wants to do is race cars like his older brother Rex (Scott Porter) when he grows up. After Rex dies in a horrific crash during a cross-country race, The Crucible, Speed is even more determined to follow in his brother’s record-breaking footsteps and bring honor to his family. Pops Racer (John Goodman) runs Racer Motors, one of the only independent racing companies able to compete at the highest level. After Speed wins a big race, he is courted by E.P. Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam) to join Royalton Industries. Arnold offers Speed riches beyond his wildest dreams and a top-of-the-line race car, but Speed declines because he cares more about the art of racing than about making money. Arnold reveals that there is no art of racing and that the wealthy racing companies have been fixing races for years. Speed vows to take down Royalton Industries and win the Grand Prix with his family’s team of Racer Motors.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Speed Racer is the story of an underdog. The little guy against the massive corporations that are ruining joyous pursuits and hobbies in the name of greed. The film’s message is saccharine-sweet, but it’s a welcome sugar rush, unafraid to offer over-the-top acting performances, visually stunning race locales, and a cacophony of sounds. The Wachowskis even purchased the rights to the sound effects of the original anime series so they could use them in this film. There’s a glossiness to every aspect of it that is reminiscent of the original and adds a cartoonish feel that fits the tone perfectly. The only instances where the Wachowskis’ CGI masterpiece doesn’t quite work are the outdoor scenes around the Racer home. The sky color is off in a way that’s just a little too different from the retro-future palette of the rest of the movie.
With the Wachowski sisters’ genre-defining The Matrix experiencing its own revival, it feels like now is the time for audiences to revisit Speed Racer. The Wachowskis’ style is very distinctive, and while The Matrix series is far grittier than Speed Racer, they share the same belief that good people and love are the answer to changing the world for the better.
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