My Speed Racer review

 My Speed Racer review 

 

Intro: Considering this movie came out after Iron Man and before The Hulk I mean The Dark Knight I can see why people overlooked this movie.

Speed Racer: This movie is centered on a track racer name Speed Racer who is good at what he does. One day he gets the attention of Arnold Royalton the head of Royalton Industries who makes him an offer. After Speed turns him down his life has gone upside down and his worldview is challenged. So, Speed must fight back, come to terms with a family secret and figure out if he can continue racing? 

This is the closest Mario Kart movie that you’re going to get! That’s what the races in this movie remind me of because of how over-the-top the races are. Also, this movie feels like a live-action cartoon and it makes references to the source material. The soundtrack complains the scenes in the movie. I find it hard to believe that the Wachowski directed this movie because it feels like it was directed by the man who did the Spy Kids movies. The story is told by showing us visuals of what happened instead of telling us. This movie tells an underdog story in a way that will take you by surprise. The jokes may be cheesy, but it has a charm to them. The themes of the movie are family and capitalism. This movie improves on some of the elements from the cartoon it’s based on like the characters and why the Mach 5 is so advanced?    

Speed Racer is much more likable than he was in the cartoon. In the cartoon, Speed is a self-centered crybaby. In the movie, he's a noble character and we see how his family played a role in the type of person he is. We feel sorry for him as we see him struggle with the downside of racing.   

Mom Racer is a supporting character who comforts and gives speed reassurance. 

Pop's Racer is a mentor to speed. He may seem grumpy, but he does have a heart. 

Spritle and Chim-Chim are the weakest part of the film for me. I know they are the comic relief, but it's distracting for the most part.  

Trixie (Speed's girlfriend) is also a supporting character who aids Speed. Trixie and Speed feel like a real couple unlike in the cartoon. 

Racer X is a cool and mysterious character. 

Arnold Royalton is a good villain because of how manipulative he is. There is one scene that reinforces that. He also threatens the two things Speed loves the most, they are racing and his family. 

One of the problems I have with this movie is how colorful and ridiculous it is. I know the cartoon is like this, but that didn't affect the action scenes or the seriousness of the cartoon, unlike this movie. Because the movie goes back and forth between being serious and lighthearted it creates moon whiplash. The movie looks cheap being shot with mostly blue or green screen. I wouldn't have minded this if the movie had half of its budget. The Wachowski are rough around the edges with making this movie family-friendly. The ending wasn't bad, but it feels like a cop-out. 

Overall, this is a good adaptation of the cartoon! I would recommend this to fans because this movie is an overextended episode of the show in the best way. 

Rating = Rental