Speed Racer Review

Speed Racer ReviewThanks for checking out our Speed Racer review. I must admit that I never understood some people’s fascination with Speed Racer when it was first announced that they were going to be making a film version. Quite frankly I was confused how anyone thought that there would be enough interest in the franchise to justify the type of massive budget they were talking about giving it. Even after they announced that Matrix helmers the Wachowski brothers were going to be at the wheel (pardon the pun), i still didn’t see how even making a Speed Racer movie was a good idea.
Off I went the other day to check it out. Was it worth the hype and massive investment? In a word, NO.

THE GENERAL IDEA

The synopsis (if you can call it that) of Speed Racer looks like this: “Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized-the legendary Rex Racer – whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer, the designer of Speed’s thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company’s maniacal owner but uncovers a terrible secret-some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won’t drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line. The only way for Speed to save his family’s business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie, Speed teams with his one-time rival-the mysterious Racer X – to win the race that had taken his brother’s life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.”

THE GOOD

The visual style of the film is a two edged sword (I’ll get to the second side of that sword in the “The Bad” section of the review). As visual art, the film is breath taking to look at. The artists behind this film did nothing short of a fantastic job. The look was consistent and near perfect throughout the entire film. The amount of VFX magic it took to pull this film off is staggering.

The final race of the movie was absolutely thrilling to watch. I found myself on the edge of my seat as Speed Racer blasted around the track in the climax of the movie. For a film that advertised itself as an action / exciting type of film, it was a great way to end it.

Sadly, the good stuff ends there.

THE BAD

Dear sweet heavens the acting in this film was horrible. Yes yes yes, I understand that the film wasn’t supposed to be Shakespearian in nature and was supposed to be acted in a certain, lighthearted, half tongue in cheek way… but even on that level it failed. It’s not an easy job to act without an environment, to be in front of nothing but some set pieces and a green screen (even the decent actors in the Star Wars sequels ended up struggling with that), but that doesn’t change the fact that it came off terrible.

I mentioned above that the visual style of the film was a two edged sword. On the one hand it was done perfectly, HOWEVER… the choice of style they chose to use was the wrong choice in my opinion. The entire time I felt like I was watching a video game cut scene instead of a movie. And please don’t say “but that’s what they were TRYING to do”. Yes, I understand that’s what they were trying to do… my point is that they were trying the wrong thing because it didn’t work. At least not for me.

The story of the film was so wafer thin that wasn’t any refuge to be found in it. **SPOILER** If you didn’t know that Racer X was actually Speed Racer’s supposedly dead brother almost immediately, then you’ve never watch a movie before **END OF SPOILER** The characters are all completely 1 dimensional (either totally 100% pure as snow or 100% pure evil) with nothing driving the story at any point.

The humor in the film was terrible. Not once did it ever make me even momentarily grin in amusement. It all fell flat. And dear heavens don’t get me started on the monkey.

OVERALL

Speed Racer is a film that got a lot of people very hopeful, but ultimately ends up running on completely flat tires. Wrong choice for visual style, poor acting from an otherwise impressive cast, weak story, poor humor and a lack of thrills up until the final race of the movie all leaves you wishing you went to see Iron Man again instead of wasting your money on this one. Overall I give Speed Racer a 3.5 out of 10

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70 thoughts on “Speed Racer Review

  1. I do admit visual effects and some of the “liners” were cheesy. But every time that theme song played in the background, every time Trixie said “cool beans,” and everytime Speed Racer jump-jacked I fell off my seat. I honestly remember watching the “cheesy” show on my childhood couch, and I really couldn’t help but scream “go speed racer go” during the credits! I loved everything about this, and I will watch this movie over and over again. I am not a diehard Speed fan (the show not the drug), and I am not a nerd in his basement, but I am someone who is left breathless when he is brought back through a nostalgic portal to a time where saturdays were filled with intense races, and yes, the very “cheesy” one-liners.

    Encore…

  2. I can’t believe this movie didn’t’ blow out it’s production costs. My wife and I watched the Blu ray version Feb-27-2009. We were blown away, absolutly LOVEd it. It was a ride worth any costs. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The theme was cute, the animation Over the top, the actors stupendous. Those who don’t rave about this movie nee to get a sence of humar and learn to have fun. Toatal hats off to the animators you have reset the bar, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for the Wonderful night of eentertainment. We’ll be watching it twice before sending it back to Netflix. :)

  3. this was a nice movie for those who have low expectations for it. since its a kids movie ppl should expect that type of acting, and fit the mood perfectly, the younger brother of speed was hilarious. if it was made to be more of an adult oriented (not as in xxx but more mature) then they shouldve changed it. but from the start this movie was never intended for that purpose, so i think even though ppl r giving bad comments about it, i think it was a very good movie for that type of genre they put in.

  4. Until I read this review, I was not even aware that Speed Racer had been getting bad press. I took my kids (nine year old daughter, four year old son, and another five year old boy) to the movie the opening weekend. The boys were jumping up and down in their seats they were so excited. Even the one year old in my wife’s lap sat through the movie with eyes wide open pretty much the whole time. It was great campy family fun, and I’ll definitely buy the DVD when it comes out. The boys continue to play “speed racer” when they ride around in the driveway in old pedal car. People should remember that this was targeted to children, not jaded teenagers or refined adults. I’m no prude, but I’m really glad to see Hollywood put so much into a movie that isn’t full of violence and sex.

  5. Even as a “kids’ movie,” it sucked. Too flashy, too long, and too boring. It should have been more gritty (similar to a futuristic Fast and the Furious) and been cast with older actors (as originally planned). For some reason, the studio takes its audience for idiots, which explains 80% of the films released each year.

  6. (Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)

    As a man in my 50’s I went to see Speed Racer while the wife shopped.
    I watch a lot of movies and consider Speed Racer to be the best film for pure entertainment since Titantic. Frankly I was surprised with the above reviews. The storyline, acting that fit the menu, the amazing race scenes,
    and the triumphal finish left me so lifted up after leaving I felt compelled to give this review. Great job!

  7. Ok, so I use my 11 year old son tho has no desire to see this movie as a decoy. This is what I referr to as a VW movie. It’s a lot like driving a VW bug or making love to a large woman. It’s a lot of fun, but you hope no one sees you doing it.

    I loved it, but keep in mind I was forced to see Sex and the City only a day before.

  8. It’s such a shame that people are taking this movie so seriously. I think people forget that not only was this based on the corniest show to ever exist, it was based on the horrible 60’s DUB of the corniest show to ever exist. This movie was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and it succeeds in capturing the cheese, the excitement, the flash, and the heartfelt warmth that the old show had.

    I’d recommend that anyone who hasn’t seen it at least give it a chance before it goes out of theaters. Go in with an open mind, don’t take it too seriously, and you won’t be disappointed.

  9. Speed Racer was sooooo good! I loved it and in fact saw it twice. I was never a fan of the cartoon (a bit too old, I must admit) but appreciated the super saturated visuals and the wholesome story.

  10. (Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)Well, everything is relative, I really think this movie is the best, it has a very deep message that unfortunately in this material world we live today, just a few people will be able to catch, this is a masterpiece movie, great story (if you really understand) I have seen the movie 4 times already, cant wait to see it again!…great development of the vibe, is like a DJ set with the most amazing visuals being on the background while the music is taking you to a state of trance. Drugs!!….ha!, there is no need of drugs, no drug supersedes the enjoyment of living a plentiful live!…..wish the best to all readers!!(apology for the typo!lol)

  11. It’s weird to say the acting was bad, since the actors did a great job of sounding like 1960s era narrators, reading a translation a Japanese movie into english, where their script was translated by people whose native language is not english. I didn’t grow up with Speed Racer, but I was obsessed with Johnny Socko & his Giant Robot and Ultraman, and the script is definitely on par with that type of source material.
    Think of this movie as a cross between the deceptively simple plot line masked by a web of convolutions of a Bond movie and the pyschadelic colorwash of Moulin Rouge, minus anything sexual except for Austin Powers type outfits for the women.
    In short it’s worth $15 at an Imax but not $10 in a regular theater. If you see it at home, turn off all the lighs, sit no more than 3 feet away from a 50″ screen, or project it on wall, and then you’ll have a chance at making it through the 2 hours and 15 minutes. Oh and if you take a 6 or 7 year old with you that will also help.
    And yes Iron Man is awesome, but that is completely for adults.

  12. this movie was true to the show,
    if you were old enough to thoroughly enjoy the show then you enjoyed it,
    great special effects,
    worth watching, a little cheesy when they used old lines from the show but it was a little nostalgic,
    a must see,
    for everyone that doesn’t understand this classic piece of anime history,
    suckit.

  13. Speed Racer is awesome…its exactly what a life action Speed Racer movie SHOULD be. As is the general consensus, its no gripping drama or movie that you get deeply involved with..its meant to entertain the light hearted. Kids and people that are young at heart will absolutely love the message that this movie sends, as old as that message may be it is still the most important message anyone can send.

    Those who didn’t like the movie simply didn’t get the message.

    Please, show this movie to your kids. It sends the right kind of message and has tons of really cool visuals and ideas along the way.

  14. I think that most people forget where this movie actually came from …….I saw it and it was pretty much what I expected to see . I didnt expect moving scripts , amazing plots or OSCAR worthy film making but I was worried that they would bleed out all the things that I loved about the cartoon I used to watch as a kid . As far as cartoon to movies go this was one of the best for sure ….. DONT GO THINKING IT WILL BE A CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE . Just go to be awed by bright colours and some pretty spectacular visual effects. There is not muc else to get from a Speed Racer movie !!!! 7 out of 10

  15. I know all you movie goers are very concerned with this movie but, you have to remember this movie is directed towards children. I brought my son and daughter to the movie and they were way more excited than Iorn Man. The little boy and the monkey were just like Japanese animation but in life form. I watch my kids when they watch cartoons sometimes and for some reason thats what they seem to like. I think this movie will do very well for a long time with DVD’s because most little boys love cars and monkeys. So for parents this is a must see movie for little children. I’m sure as a parent with this DVD you will see it more than once. As for the Wachowski brothers I was very Impressed. I would like to thank you for the style of movie because like all of the kids cheering in the theater I also thought it was an exciting flick.

  16. This was a fun movie that a lot of people took too seriously or just didn’t get. I didn’t find the acting so bad and the movie was actually far from boring. If you have a look on IMDB on the structure of the votes, and remove the extremes (16% who gave it a 1 and 30% who gave it a 10), most people actually gave it a pretty high score. Even the actual rating of 6.5 is not so bad and it was rising during the last few days, so it will probably end up over 7 as more people see the movie.

    Also, this movie isn’t exactly a critic’s cup of tea so it’s not surprising that it scored so low on RT. I usually happen to agree with the critics but they’re not always right. Some movies are far from perfect but still enjoyable.

    It’s interesting that the review showing up on the IMDB page says “This movie will be underrated but it will go down in cult history” and “This movie is almost a guaranteed flop, but I have no doubt it will last the distance and become a cult classic.” – which did and probably will happen.

  17. I saw the movie and was surprised. I really really liked it. Yeah, the story was predictable the characters were 1 dimensional but it was really well done. I advise everyone thats a fan of the series to check it out. To all those who immediately write it off, or listen to pretensions assholes rag on the film actually WATCH the film. I disagree with the premise that it is a precondition for a “good” film to have an intricate story line, or characters riddled with self destructive flaws. A “good” movie is a movie that entertains. Ime not saying everyone should like the film, but that people should give the movie a chance and make that derision themselves rather then listen to an Internet reviewer hack.

  18. a comment about the acting on the review: This is an adaptation of a classic anime TV show, so of course the performances of the actors are going to be over acted. To understand this movie fully you have to have see the anime. It really captures the corniness of the orinigal. The acting is suppose to be over the top! Just like everything else the acting was meant to seem like a cartoon. I thought the movie kept true to the anime and really delivered. It is meant to be colorful and silly in every aspect of the film. It may have been a childern’s movie but if your a fan of anime you are going to love what the wachowski brothers have done with this movie.

  19. saw speed racer on fri. it was fun. i enjoyed it (monkey inna hood! come on!)

    over the weekend it has stuck with me. sure it has it’s flaws, so did it’s source material. but i think it was successful in what it set out to do. but what stuck with me was the film making aspect of it. the visual design of the film is more integrated in the story telling than i think i’ve ever seen in a movie before.

    sure movie’s can have great prod. design but in trying to integrate anime film techniques into live action, i think the wachowski’s have out done the japanese (like cashern for example). i think this film may go down as the blade runner of it’s day.

    for the cynics out there, don’t forget this movie was supposed to be rated G initially. so if it seemed to silly for a grown up, that’s probably because it was …MEANT TO BE THAT WAY. :b

  20. Hey Max

    You asked:

    “Now what question I have for John is that despite the fact that you say “All films are subjectable”. The fact that someone liked a movie that gets 35% on rotten tomataoes. Does that discard there opinions from your mind entirely.”

    Not at all! I still think Transformers was the very best movie of last summer and it only has a 58% on rottentomatoes.

  21. I actually ended up at the theater this weekend to see “Speed Racer”. I thought that the movie was going to be an absolute waste. And well, I can fully understand where someone comes from saying that they hated the movie. However, I ended up kind of enjoying myself seeing it. It was by all means a very forgetable movie, but it had an OK charm to it. The races where kind of exciting to some degree, and the film had its moments. Not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, and I have no intention or desire of ever seeing it again. But, it wasnt a total waste of time. I would probably give the movie a 6 out of 10.

    Now what question I have for John is that despite the fact that you say “All films are subjectable”. The fact that someone liked a movie that gets 35% on rotten tomataoes. Does that discard there opinions from your mind entirely.

  22. In response to the tomatometer rating. I never trust Rotten Tomatoes. But then again, I don’t trust anyone’s reviews…which nobody should because they are all just opinion anyway right?

  23. lol, the monkey does not wear diapers, but it does wear a doctor’s uniform, a tuxedo, overalls, and at one point sun bathing attire.

    you never know, you might hate it. but i liked it well enough to go onto forums and tell people not to be so hasty.

  24. Well I love the first Matrix and like some anime so there might be some things to like…

    I believe all monkeys belong to the jungle really…and if the monkey wears diapers I’m gonna puke

  25. persetti:

    i had pre-judged it too, but i was wrong. you never know, you might like it.i hate monkeys and i had to admit that chim-chim made me laugh.

  26. The sheer fact that theres a humouristic live monkey in there makes me avoid this thing like the plague…not to mention crappy blue screen acting.

    Wish I’d be able to see the racing scenes only in HD somewhere though…

  27. John, in response to Speed Racer’s Tomatometer rating –

    There are some movies that score relatively high and you know they’re probably good; there are movies scored so low that you can trust that they’re awful; then there are movies that fall somewhere in the middle, because they split critics so violently.

    Speed Racer is in the latter category; I don’t think the low Tomatometer is reflective of a bad movie, but a divisive one. People either love it (me) or they hate it (you). I still want to see it again. This time I might even pay for it!

  28. Saw it on Saturday. The visual aspects of the film were pretty amazing. I found myself inspired by many elements (I’m a graphic designer) and hope to adapt some things I saw in the film into my work when appropriate. The way the global locations were fused together for the cross country race was just stunning. I thought the acting and script was pretty much a perfect homage to the crap-tastic wooden style and the hackneyed dialog of the original cartoon. Matthew Fox in particular seemed to embody this perfectly. Rici was very well cast.

    However – I found the film boring. My mind wandered so much through this movie. The only scene that actually worked for me, that grabbed my attention and pulled me into the film completely was the 45 seconds that (SPOILER ALERT) Matthew Fox battled the ninja. It was also one of the least CGI enhanced scenes in the film, with very little if any color enhancement (it was in a dark room at night). Otherwise it was just nonsense.

    The plot was so overly complicated, on the one had there was so little to it, and yet they layered it with so many characters and machinations that it was just mind numbing. The movie need about 30-45 minutes cut out of it.

    The races, while appropriately frenetic and visually stunning, were “shot” in such a way that they had no context. You couldn’t see where in relation to all the drivers Speed was, there was no sense of competitive tension. Yes Speed was shown constantly fighting off the shenanigans and attempted sabotage of his competitors, but the race itself seemed to just disappear.

    I did notice that all the kids in the theater were completely into it though. As a kiddie film it seemed to work. Not so much for adults. I never need to see it again, unless I’m using it as a design reference.

  29. This is what think happened this weekend…
    Everybody saw the preview and thought it was a gonna be a crappy throw away movie. So people didn’t even bother with it they wanted to see Iron Man the-greatest-comicbook-movie-made-yet. To be honest I don’t think the nostalgia was there for Speed Racer to begin with. So the people who did go were some parents with kids and curiousity seekers like myself. I thought this movie FUCKING AWESOME some people rag on the poor dialogue. It was never meant to be Shakespeare. Sure camp can repel people but when you know it’s there it can be a lot of fun. Every kid in the theater I was in wanted more Speed Racer when the movie ended. This was after an over two hour long movie! People were cheering out loud, that doesn’t happen to often. Especially for movies that people deem “crap” I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie stayed in theaters longer than people expect and it ends making huge DVD sales. Just you watch.

  30. Some of the lines were delivered so poorly it could only have been great acting . the actors did what was asked them wonderfully. Its like they had one drawing of emile hirsch and 3 mouthshapes to overlay.

    I enjoyed this, it was a great, bad live action adaptation of a bad 60s/70s cartoon which we loved as much for its flaws as its virtues.

    and i went in wanting to hate this.

  31. i forgot to mention: i really dug how they used visual cliches and techniques from anime and really made them work on the big screen. another pleasant suprise.

  32. I went to it on sunday afternoon.

    I was all set to hate it, but was pleasantly suprised. amazingly enough, everyone i was with really liked it too, and we had a big discussion about how we couldn’t believe that it was watchable.

    personally, i thought that alot of the dialogue was better then i had expected, and i thought the plot was going to be thinner. i also enjoyed john goodman, he could of been so cheesy but i thought he really pulled off his role well.

    amazingly enough, i thought the kid and monkey were funny. i was shocked. when i first saw them on screen i was like ‘oh fuck.’ but then they made me laugh, and was all was well.

    oh, and apparently i am becoming more obsessed/in love with christina ricci with everything new movie she puts out.

    i feel foolish for ever doubting the brothers wachowski. they have yet to make a film that i do not enjoy.

  33. As cheesy as it was and as colorfully offensive as well – I actually enjoyed the film. As some said before me. A great summer popcorn flick. Nothing more, nothing less. And I agree, at least the Wahcowski’s tried something completely new and different. That is more than most people. Even if it failed, the attempt is worth something.

  34. For once I’m glad I didn’t wait for a TMB review to be posted before I went to see a movie. Usually I agree with your opinions on most levels, but I gotta say, you completely missed the mark with this review. I know this isn’t a movie review site, it’s a blog, and everything here is just opinion, but I definately feel you overlooked a lot of this movies strengths. Now normally I wouldn’t trust IGN as far as I could throw them, but they’ve given this movie the review it definately deserves, and have analyzed the good and bad in a very fair way. I’d recommend checking out their review of Speed Racer over this one if you’ve now got second thoughts about seeing the movie.

  35. Heh. I knew you’d l hate it, and you did. Personally, I had a blast. I’m not sure I agree with you mantra that ‘movies are subjective’ (if I say that ‘Glitter’ is better than ‘Citizen Kane,’ does that mean I’m *right*?), but I do agree that two people can disagree on a film’s quality without one of them automatically being an idiot. Just like now.

  36. Ok all I have to say is that you’ve never seen a movie before if you think for one second this movie was bad. It was done in the exact way that the directors wanted it…which is to say that it was excellent. It depicted the cartoon from the 60’s perfectly and paralleled every aspect of it beautifully. Just because you aren’t a fan of this type of fast paced, quirky, drug induced cartoon adventure doesn’t mean that you have to give it a pathetic 3.5. I personally think that you are pathetic for giving it such a low score. I think that we are going to see this movie doing well following the opening weekend and it’s because of this type of negative attitude toward the Wachowski’s that sparks these negative reviews of their work.
    Peace I’m done with this

  37. I saw this film over the weekend. I thought for what it was it was great. they really took a chance with this film and I commend then for that.

    @Kristna

    Why would you be happy that they lost money on this film. They took a risk with a film and style and in you opinion it didnt work but why would you be happy at someone elses misery? Especially as their next film could rock. (ninja assasin)

  38. I saw the film in IMAX on Saturday and while i thought it was a hugely flawed film, i did have a great time watching it (never had a bad experience at the IMAX).

    On the positives; i actually enjoyed the performances from most of the actors and they made me care about the characters, and it was the focus on the family which carried me through the film because i wanted them to win. It also looks friggin trippy. I don’t care what actors and co. say about how normal the Wachowski brothersare; only madmen could have created this film. I do admire that the film was specifically designed to make a 10 year old boy go out of his mind. We don’t have enough films like that.

    On the negatives; the dialogue was horrible (which i’ve known about the Wachowski’s for a while anyway), despite being for kids, the plot is about corporate greed and is practically indecipherable even to adults. You really don’t know what’s going on during the races, nor do you care. Finally, for all the hype about ‘car-fu’. all that added up to was the same shot where two cars leap into the air to smash and deflect each other (a shot we saw about 50 blood times). I couldn’t see what was going on during the races and wasn’t thrilled by a single one.

    Overall, i’d give the film a 6 out of 10.

  39. I took my 5 year old daughter and she loved it. She knew nothing about Speed Racer but was laughing at Spritle and Chim Chim. I enjoyed it for the the visuals and I thought Racer X was cool. (Just like he was in the cartoon)
    This was a great “summer popcorn flick”. No it’s not the greatest movie of the year, and I wasn’t expecting it to be. Maybe they shouldn’t have released it right after Ironman, but what do I care on how much money the movie makes? This is gonna look sweet on Blu Ray. I wish the Wachowski Bro/Sister made a Star Blazers movie instead tho. :)

  40. Yes, and I remember when this was announced we were all quite exited. Look at the mess it’s turned into… I’ve already made up my mind not to go see this.

  41. Rereading my comment, I guess I made it appear that I was knocking Pathology, which i wasn’t. I’m looking forward to seeing it if only for Lauren Lee Smith…meooooow. So really John…what about the monkey?

  42. Hey Grant,

    Well, if they were TRYING to make a horrible, badly acted, boring movie… then sure, they did it. Congrats to them.

    It’s not about taking something too seriously. There are LOTS of great silly fun movies that are also good. This was bad. In my opinion anyway.

  43. You know, this seems to be a movie people take way too seriously. This was meant to be a visually arresting movie that was supposed to be a homage to Speed Racer, the kind we’ve all grown to know and love: a campy, horribly acted anime that made you laugh at how bad it was. For the most part, I’d say it succeeded. Hell, even Christina Ricci looked like a live action anime character (her huge eyes did it… they bothered me for some reason). I will admit that if this was a movie you were SUPPOSED to take seriously, I would agree with John. It had none of the aspects as a movie that tried to be a work of art, but as a movie of its own creative style, I say it succeeded.

  44. I saw speed racer in imax saturday, and i felt like i was going to a FREAKIN SEIZURE watching that on imax, but anyway racing scenes were AMAZING especially the last one. why the heck did they put SHAFT in the movie?

  45. Hey Jeff,

    You said:

    “In other news, Pathology grossed $109,000 domestically.”

    Well, that’s what happens when it only plays in 12 cities with no TV or theatrical trailers. MGM really fucked that up… just like they’ve fucked everything they’ve done int he last 3 years up.

  46. Don’t get you started on the monkey?? But John…thats the whole reason I would ever consider seeing this movie…So really…how was the monkey? Comical? Just a delight on the big screen? Did he generate any applause at any point?? I don’t know about you but the presence of a monkey in a film will automatically add a star and a half to my final score regardless. With the words you spoke, I am beginning to fear that the monkey was more of a nuisance…which makes me sad. I even ordered chim chim boxer briefs.

    Speaking of that monkey, did you know he molested Christina Ricci on set? I kid you not, it was on Fox News. Grabbed her boobies. Good monkey I say.

    In other news, Pathology grossed $109,000 domestically. Damn. At least it beat out Blonde Ambition and the Hottie and the Nottie.

  47. I agree with the positive parts that were mentioned in this review. I thought the movie was ok in general and wasn’t as bad as I would of thought. Like in all movies, the director could have made the film much better. I like the visual style that they were aiming for but, the colors IMO could have been more balanced in a way with the environment. To really enjoy a film like this, watch it in the Imax and have low expectations. I recommend this movie to those who just want to take their child or want a movie that just entertains and of course to those who are a fan of the series. In the end it did its job; which is to entertain me so, I give this film 7 out of 10.

  48. As a father of two boys, one of which has been begging to see Speed Racer, I voluntarily ended up at the local IMAX yesterday. I had VERY low expectations, but I came away quite pleased at the experience. Part of it could be blamed on how happy my son was, but the other part is, it was a far more enjoyable film than I expected.

    The movie was fun – far more fun than any other movie I’ve seen in years. Was it stupid? Yes. Was it silly? Yes. But that’s what it’s meant to be.

  49. You know I didn’t mind this movie much. All I did was keep my expectations really, really low and I enjoyed the flick. The film is slow as molasses at times but the racing scenes do indeed really, really work (this goes to show you that the Wachowski brothers never care about story). They are both exciting and exhilarating. I’d give Speed Racer a 7 out of 10. You have to give it to the Wachowski brothers, at least they tried something different.

  50. Jon H

    hehe..niiiice.

    and. if they would have taking this movie seriously it would have been good to watch. this was a pg movie- which fits the cartoon which had the happy 60s look but still- it was way to cheesy and should have been taken a bit more seriously.

    it was a great idea to make a spedracer movie but to fuck it up like this making it PG and with all the colors making it look like san fransisco in the year 3000 was taking it too far. mach five looked perfect. racer x was awsome. but THAT WAS IT. they needed to take the gay colors out and get some real racetracks in it.

  51. I actually did end up at the theater, waiting in the line for a ticket to see Speed Racer, and then decided “fuck this” and spent my $10 on a second showing of Iron Man.

    Can’t say I’ll ever regret that choice.

  52. The first thing I said when I saw the first trailer of Speed Racer was “This movie is not even worth a download”. I guess I was right, thank you for the heads up John, never actually had any hopes for the movie at all, it makes me sad that little by little all of my childhood heroes are being destroyed by the combined stupidity of Hollywood. I’m not pointing actual fingers here but the Wachowsky brothers should only stick to what they are good for…..directing matrix spin off’s and animations. And Yes John completely agree with your thinking that money should go where it deserves, IRON MAN (saw 5 times already). Let mi just point out the movies that this summer deserve profit…. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Dark Knight, The Forbidden Kingdom (if its still on overthere) and Hancock. Now let me ask you John, do you think that Indy is going to be as bad or a little bit better that this crap.

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