Speed Racer (2008)

Directors:

Andy Wachowski
Larry Wachowski

Writers (WGA):

Andy Wachowski (written by) &
Larry Wachowski (written by) ...

Release Date:

9 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Family | Sport

Tagline:

Go

Plot:

The story begins with Speed Racer who is a young man with natural racing instincts whose goal is to win The Crucible...

Plot Keywords:

Speed | Racer | Race | Racing | Mach 5

Awards:

8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 30

4:00 PM

HBO

Cast

Emile Hirsch	...	Speed Racer
Nicholas Elia	...	Young Speed
Susan Sarandon	...	Mom Racer
Melissa Holroyd	...	Speed's Teacher
Ariel Winter	...	Young Trixie
Scott Porter	...	Rex
Gian Ganziano	...	Everyman Announcer
Peter Fernandez	...	Local Announcer
Harvey Friedman	...	Harold Ledermann Announcer
Sadao Ueda	...	Japanese Announcer
Valery Tscheplanowa	...	Russian Announcer
Sami Loris	...	Italian Announcer
Olivier Marlo	...	French Announcer
Sean McDonagh	...	Celtic Announcer
Kick Gurry	...	Sparky

Also Known As:

Race Chasers (USA) (fake working title)
Speed Racer (Germany)
Speed Racer: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sequences of action, some violence and language.

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA | Australia | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Ireland:PG | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Germany:12 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:U | Venezuela:PG-13 | USA:PG (certificate #44193) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | Brazil:10 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/6 | Taiwan:GP (original rating) | South Korea:All (DVD rating) | New Zealand:PG | Austria:10 | South Africa:10M (theatrical rating) | South Africa:13V (DVD rating) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The view inside Speed's locker at the start of the film shows his watch to be a Heuer Monaco Sportiva, the same watch worn by Steve McQueen in the classic racing film Le Mans (1971).

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time you see Speed Racer in a race (the opening 5 minutes) the visor on his helmet disappears and reappears.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Race Announcer: All drivers to your cars, please. All drivers to your cars.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Free Bird

A bad misfire

At the weekend I took my Nephew to see "Speed Racer". My Nephew is 12 years old. Midway through the film I leaned over to him and whispered, "What do you think?" and this is what he said to me.

"It's rubbish, man!"

My Nephew was right as well. "Speed Racer" is very rubbish.

I will admit that "Speed Racer" looks absolutely fabulous. It shows us a big, bright, day glow universe. A multi-coloured extrapolation of how somebody living in the 1950's would think that a car racing obsessed future would look like. Breathtaking production design.

However... Other than the great visuals, "Speed Racer" is possibly the emptiest, shallowest, dullest movie experience I have had in a cinema, since my misfortune in shelling out a couple of quid to see "The Matrix" sequels. Very long and very boring. (Sorry guys, but a 2 hours and 15 minutes running time for a film aimed ostensibly at small children is way too much). "Speed Racer" is all glittering surface without a decent script underpinning it.

Sigh... I know it's dull, but let's repeat the mantra once again, shall we?

Special effects alone do not a good movie make.

Personally I felt sorry for the cast in getting involved in such a clunker. Emile Hirsch had good notices in "Into The Wild" (I missed that one), and I thought he was funny in "The Girl Next Door", but here he is a personality vacuum and wears one expression of mild bemusement throughout the entire movie. Fine performers like Christina Ricci, John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are totally wasted. Lastly, the less said about Paulie Litt as Speed's irritating younger brother the better, and let's not mention the comedy chimp at all. Life is too short. (Whoops! Just did.)

A bad misfire, then, but in recent times I have learnt to expect nothing much from the Wachowski's. "The Matrix" had it's moments (the first DVD I ever had, fact fans), but the best movie they were ever involved in was the lesbian film noir "Bound" and that was released way back in 1996. I would love the Wachowski's to do something as good again, but I doubt that they will. They have discovered the paintbox of digital special effects and, as long as those films continue to make money, I doubt they will ever want to close the lid on the paintbox.