Enjoy their films or not, nobody can argue that the Wachowski brothers aren’t cinematic visionaries. They are most certainly not above spinning
To praise this film blindly would be obtuse of me, because there are a great number of faults to be found; although none of these follies in any way relate to the films visual aspects. In this case, it is the story and script which become smothered by the very visuals that make Speed Racer what it is, which stands to question if it would have been better off with less of a story, or with more time devoted to it. The overlying problem that encompasses these faults is the fact that it is a cartoon adaptation, spawning from the cult Japanese series of the same name. The Wachowski’s have tried to stay as loyal as they can to the original material, yet still trying to meld in their own creative visions. The result, hinders the character development and story, which could have most defiantly benefited from some creative interpretation, such as with Batman Begins or other successful comic or cartoon adaptations; A reinvention, instead of a incandescent conformation of the material. Yet, in the end, this film is about the races, and when it comes down to the nitty gritty it is this that makes Speed Racer a success.
Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), loves racing and racing alone. School is simply a channel for him to zone out and dream about what he loves. Speed idolizes his brother Rex (Scott Porter) who takes him to the track and spurs his love for the sport. A star driver for the Speed family, including Pops (John Goodman) Mom (Susan Sarandon) and Spritle (Paulie Litt), Rex is a hero to all, until he abandons the racer family and is subsequently killed in a horrific crash. With the support of his girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci) and the Racer family, Speed follows in his brothers skid marks and takes the Mach 5 to the track. Quickly rising to fame, he must hold the sea of corporate corruption at bay, while trying to uncover the aura of mysteriousness surrounding Racer X (Mathew Fox). All the actors are adequate in their roles, with Roger Allam playing a powerful conglomerate head, Arnold Royalton giving the most memorable scene chewing performance. Alas, the continued presence of Spritle Racer almost single handily destroyed the film, consistently breaking scenes of tension and more simplistically, being a mammoth annoyance and distraction.
The script is overly simplistic at times, but there are certainly scenes where the Wachowski’s charm shines through, yet compared to the layered scripting of The Matrix, it is tad disillusioning. There is certainly no doubt this is meant to be a cartoon, from the overlapping scenes and shots to the shimmering rainbow that are the sets. Created entirely on computers, the biggest accomplishment of this film is the clarity of the cinematography. Not by any leap to say that the camera direction is steady, and completely effortless to follow, but simply to say I was never confused as to what I was seeing during the race sequences.
Running at over two hours, the spans in between the races are tedious at best, yet nobody has the ignorance to belive that Speed Racer should be about anything but those high speed showdowns. Creative, bright and gripping, the automotive contests are fully realized and impactful. It is this aspect that will make Speed Racer a cult classic and makes it a spectacle that is worth the price of admission to see on the big screen.
© 2008 Simon Brookfield
