Speed Racer Review

I refused to watch this in the cinema simply because, after the genius of Bound and the original Matrix, the Wachowskis repeatedly rubbed my face in the crap that were The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. I can't really explain the depth of my hatred for these two films but believe me you could easily hide a a lost Greek city in it. Anyway by the time the trailer was released I was ready to hate this movie and the ridiculous trailer made it all the easier to do so.

So what is Speed Racer? Well it's a live action movie version of an old 60s anime based on a family called the Racers. Pops Racer builds race cars, eldest son Rex Racer races race cars and middle son Speed Racer obsesses over racing. However when Rex dies in a car crash Speed steps up to the plate and, years later, proves to be every bit as naturally talented as his dead brother. This excellence attracts evil corporate boss Mr Royalton who wants to buy up Team Racer to destroy it but then a mysterious masked racer (Racer X) turns up and all becomes a lil more complex.

Man this is a crazy movie. It's basically like a twelve year old boy's perfect film. It has cars that have boosters and buttons that make your vehicle fly and somersault. It has ninjas and cool mysterious costumed anti heroes. It has ludicrous Japanese pop music and the kind of visuals that will burn your eyes out that fly at you at break neck speed. It's the equivelent of living Wipeout.

However as ridiculous as it is Speed Racer also tends to be overly complex with its story telling. What is actually a very straight forward hero's tale is complicated through excessive exposition, non linear flash backs and those anime narrative techniques that involve the comic relief characters (the youngest son and his pet chimp) doing annoying things at otherwise important plot turns.

Regardless I couldn't help but enjoy Speed Racer. It really grabs that pre pubescent fantasy and runs with it (at over 300 miles per hour). I actually wish I'd seen the iMax version too as the visuals are truly insane. If you love computer games, Japanese pop culture and very fast cars doing loops and futuristic Ben Hur antics then this is the film for you.

4 out of 5