Speed Racer film rating and review

Speed Racer (2008) film images :

 

 

Speed Racer (2008) Film Rating and Review :

Rating :

Acting – 5/10
Direction – 4/10
Screenplay – 4/10
Music – 6/10
Technique – 5/10

Review :

Speed Racer hits speed breaker

Speed Racer hits the gas but unfortunately doesn’t make you “smell the rubber burning”, despite what its theme song promised. Far from repeating The Matrix magic, the Wachowski brothers end up creating a hash of colours, racing and a lot of needless drama.

Adapted from the Japanese anime television series, it is about Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) who is obsessed with cars and racing. Also part of the plot is his girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci), John Goodman and Susan Sarandon as Pop and Mom Racer and Matthew Fox (the hottie from Lost) as mysterious Racer X.

The movie starts with a jarring race that is alternated with confusing flashbacks. Speed has grown up hero-worshipping his brother, the legendary racer Rex, who died in a racing accident. Speed’s family-run company Racer Motors is offered a deal by car-making biggies Royalton, who are keen on an alliance. When Speed turns down the offer, he discovers a nexus between a number of companies and a sort of a racing mafia who fix every big race by manipulating top drivers. He loses a race to the Royaltons and is offered help by the mysterious Racer X in a bid to expose the bad guys.

In comes an entertaining cross-country race spanning over 5,000 miles. This turns out to be one of the few high points of the movie. The feel is of an arcade video game that explodes with colour. With an amusing sequence where the entire family gets into action in a snowy mountain pass and a racing scene set in an icy cave, the film even manages to be entertaining for a few minutes. Another visually-stunning moment of humour happens when the background turns into hearts and flowers as Trixie and Speed get mushy.

But punch all this with corny dialogues about how Speed’s racing is an art that takes Mom’s breath away and how dad loves his son for doing the right thing and even the little speed that is built up fizzles out. The inane race announcers and commentators, though fun in the beginning, try your aching nerves as the end nears.

The action and racing sequences have nothing of the awe-inducing impact of The Matrix films. Emile is insipid as Speed, and you are left praying that he quits racing and goes back to his pancake-making mommy, played by Susan Sarandon, who is completely wasted here. John Goodman is irritating as the big, brawny and hearty dad. There is also a younger brother Spritle and his pet Chimpanzee who try a little too hard to be cute and end up being obnoxious.

You are left wondering why on earth is the sassy, helicopter driving, car-engine fixing Trixie sticking to boring Speed instead of going for the mysterious and almost yummy Racer X? And also, who let the super-bright crayons lose on the sets?

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