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Annette Kellerman spots SPEED RACER from her chopper above the rally and reports in!
Describing SPEED RACER is kinda like trying to describe an acid trip. A really fun, colorful, shiny acid trip. While some of you may cry foul at the comparison of what's purported to be a kids' film to LSD, I'm surely not the first person in the world to suggest some kids' entertainment was also designed for those experimentally inclined. I mean, I know kids keep all kinds of kooky hours, but Teletubbies at 4am was always a crack up to me. Fortunately, this should be (I hope) completely lost on the young 'uns while being blatantly obvious to the grown ups. The main similarity, aside from the jawdropping visuals and kinetic energy of course, is the simple fact that I think everyone will walk away from the film with a wholly singular experience. I think filmgoers will see SPEED RACER in their own unique way-with no mind altering chemicals required.
Kids and adults alike will be delighted with the spectacular animation style that nearly jumps off the screen. From the get go, the Wachoski's fill every frame with images of dazzling race cars that firmly set the frenetic pace of the film into motion. It is immediately clear that this story exists in its very own universe- the SPEED RACER universe where cars careen impossibly fast around the most dangerous tracks imaginable, and families live in cartoon worlds and have chimpanzees as pets. And yes, Chim Chim is a REAL chimp! No meticulously animated, yet ridiculously fake looking cyber-chimp that took an army of artists to render into existence. A flesh and blood poop-throwing chimp. Its so refreshing to see a list of chimp handlers in the credits versus a list of chimp animators. I digress... Aside from the hyper-real modern animation, the Wachoski's treat us to sequences that appropriately feature various animation styles from the crudely childlike to old school anime shout outs. Even stock footage from vintage races are expertly incorporated into the modern landscape complimenting the retro feel of the film.
While adults as well as kids will undoubtably marvel at the visual gymnastics of SPEED RACER, kids also the have the antics of the ever-mischievous little brother Spritle and his sidekick Chim Chim. The screening was well attended by kiddos, and these two elicited many a good laugh from the younger (and older, for that matter) filmgoers. Grown ups will appreciate fantastic performances by John Goodman and Susan Sarandon as the parents of the famed racer. Though Sarandon is definitely underused in the film, her brief moments on screen are tender and poignant. John Goodman's generous screen time reminds me what a great character actor he is without being over the top. I also found myself reveling in the imagery of Goodman kicking some serious ass in a few well choreographed fight scenes. As for Speed Racer himself, Emile Hirsch is my new teen idol. Aside from being easy on the eyes, though, Hirsch easily slips into the role and takes it seriously without a hint of a wink or a nudge. As his girlfriend Trixie, Christina Ricci is truly captivating. It's a total bonus that she not only looks the part, she can play with the boys too. With her raven sweetheart haircut and bambi eyes, it's like she was born to play a cartoon character. Now if only that live action Betty Boop movie would finally happen...
One of the most surprising elements of the entire film was the story. I went into the screening fully expecting to be oohed and aahed and dazzled beyond my wildest imagination, but what I didn't expect was such a coherent, compelling, and actually meaningful plot with all the universal bells, whistles, and lessons. It's the same simple morality tale of just about any professional sports movie, but told in an incredibly visually stimulating context. Though formulaic throughout, the same old "will he or won't he sell out" equation takes on new meaning in Speed Racer's world.
But let's face it, if you're buying a ticket for SPEED RACER, you're probably not going for the plot. You're more than likely buying a ticket to be entertained and to see something you've never seen before and believe me, SPEED RACER doesn't disappoint.
Until the next time,
Annette Kellerman
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ever
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and I am in a much better mood now. Gosh that's pitiful
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one of the films I am most excited about for this summer. It just looks like so much fun
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I am hoping for the best. Fuck critics.
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I'm not gay, but I'd stick my penis in his mouth.
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May 07, 2008 1:18:43 AM CDT
Yikes, so far 90% of the reviews have been way positive.
by ganymede3010
I guess I'll go and see it:)
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(In comic-book-guy vox) I think you meant to say "complement." Worst. Word usage. Ever.
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women and very effeminate men.
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May 07, 2008 1:53:37 AM CDT
Seriously, can we get unbiased non fangirl female reviews?
by industrykiller!
Cause this is ridiculous. How the hell am I supposed to trust this? Yeah Yeah if I dont like it I should ignore it, but I think this site has a serious lack of female viewpoints and this kind of hyperbolic stuff doesn't quite cut the mustard. How can I believe lines like "Christina Ricci is captivating." CAPTIVATING??? I Speed Racer? No, Daniel Day Lewis is "captivating" in There Will Be Blood. It's a tad much and difficult to take seriously.
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Storytelling with a nod and wink to anime, eye-candy, pop-culture, and summer madness. Burning chrome...yeah baby!
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All the positive reviews in the world ain't getting me to shell out hard cash for this Technicolor abortion. I believe I will illegally download it and then trash it on a website.
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Been trawling the Speed Racer boards for weeks now and I can honestly say I've never seen a film that totally polarizes opinions like this one.Some think it looks shit (me for one) and some are hailing it as the second coming. Coriously, most of the paid reviewers seem to be saying something along the lines on 'Hey, go see it, it's really not as bad as you think!'Weird how there's almost this pre-programmed 'love' coming out of these reviews, like they've been brainwashed not to diss the awesome technical marvel that is Speed Racer.I blame all those flashing lights...
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I just want this to be good.
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Or maybe your "hatred" is pre-programmed...
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...sadly enough, it's true. This movie should have been made 10 years ago when the Xer's had a little disposable income and a jones for ironic versions of 1970's icons. The new kids are just clueless about Speed Racer, 70's nostalgia, irony, anything less accessible than American Idol, Dancing with the Stars or the latest NLT video. The Wachowskis, god bless 'em have made the perfect Speed Racer movie for an audience that isn't there anymore. Sad, really.
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Right of the bad, way to go Harry for giving your wife a job. I predicted this months ago, but here's a reminder: six years from now, Harry loses this domain in a nasty divorce. But not before Ringo and Paul say screw this and bail.
anyway, here's my point: is this article SERIOUSLY taking 3 screens worth of text to praise the fact that the monkey was not CGI? Did Yoko even WATCH this movie? "Hey Wachowski's - remember that movie you made that had more green walls than all three Star Wars prequels combined? I really want to drop some kudos on you for taking a risky but bold chance on a real actual MONKEY in your entirely computer generated video game/movie."
Seriously. Is that what this article just did?
FACEPALM. -
Calm down and quit spraying your haterade all over the place. I'm not Yoko. With a quick search of the site, you'll see I've been contributing since '98. In fact the archives don't even go back to my first posting.
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Take a friggen look instead of regurgitating this 40% crap. How the fuck does ELEVEN REVIEWS merit people saying it isn't "tracking well"? And you'll see that those eleven are heavily skewed to stick-up-their ass, childless, probably gay, self-annointed "cinephiles" from places like the New Yorker, New York Magazine, Variety & The Hollywood Reporter...and/or are absolute nobodies nobody's ever heard of. Take a look at the reviews from the naysayers; Kirk Honeycutt loved 10,000 BC & Street Kings...80% of his reviews seem to be art flicks. Alonso Durante seems to hate everything, save for turds like Hot Rod & three excruciating family films; Spiderwick Chronicles, Mr. Magorium's Emporium & Golden Compass (OK, I kinda liked that one, but most people/critics didn't). You know Ebert...who's opinion counts for more than all these no-names put together...is gonna love it (Dark City was his #1 movie of the year when it came out...he loves him 'dem viz-yul flicks!). Roeper's hinted he does, too. I know the positive RT reviewers probby love things I hate/hate things I love too, but c'mon people, we're talking ELEVEN FUCKING REVIEWS here, and not a critical heavyweight in the bunch. Don't jump on the hate train until a) you see it & hate it, or b) there are like 50+ reviews on file @ RT...including ones from people who actually matter.
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Woldn't the real annettekellerman would have a black/gery textout and list herself as 'TheRealAnnetteKellerman'?Just a thought...
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This just looks like fun.
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Maybe I'll get back to Harry on that one. It's really me.
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to the Moms and Pops that will be taking the juniors and misses? Me thinks the older set will not be able to handle it...look at Rotten Tomatoes already...
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the ripest fruit of the bunch, and wonder who he blows to keep his critic credentials, but I have to admit, his quote "I can sit through just about anything, but I draw the line at two hours and 15 minutes of fuchsia vomit" is pretty funny.
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movie sounds great
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Large bobble-head on skinny body. Yep.
And she used to be HOT, when she had curves. Now she looks like a stick with a tennis ball on top of it. -
Ok. I believe you.Like the picture, though the camel's foot is a step too far...Interested in your opinion of Iron Man. Care to post?
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Moriarty, Harry and you write well, you paint a good picture of what the film is like and have flow and spunk. And that downunder guy too is cool. The rest of the gang....
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Did you actually see the movie?
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Every detail of my avatar can be blamed on Cartuna and the Head Geek. I've always been found of it.
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Is any kid under 12 talking about Wal-E or Indiana Jones? Hardly. They all want to see Speed Racer. Americans love Nascar and cars and anything that deals with racing. Turn that obsession into an action packed mind fuck of a PG rated movie and you have a guaranteed hit. I predict that Speed Racer makes close to 75 million this weekend.....
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to come back when I am wrong. Ms. Kellerman has been posting here for a a few years. There's no way she can be our beloved Yoko Knowles, because Ms. Knowles would have been 11 then. So to Ms. Kellerman, I yield. Im still not sure about the whole bionic getaway stick, but if Terminator taught us anything, its that cyborgs are people, too. People who write 3 pages of text about monkeys - but i can't keep trying to force the universe to bow to my power. It gets tired from all the constant bowing.
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