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The First 7 Minutes of SPEED RACER Are Online Now!!
Merrick here...
The first seven minutes of SPEED RACER are online via relatively crappy streaming video, and multiple forms of particularly Glorious QuickTime.
CLICK ON REX TO WATCH!!!
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Go Go Go
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You just know it will.
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Yeah!
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Dammit. Whatever.
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... lame. I can't believe keep destroying my childhood.
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But releasing the 7 minutes screams "we are trying to counter the early bad buzz". Anyway, I will be there for it.
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You still have the stones to show your face around this site, after what you perpetrated earlier? I wish I had that kind of gall.
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and that way is the brilliant use of color.
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If it strays too much from the source, it ruins your childhood. If its exactly like the source, it ruins your childhood.
How about this... DONT WATCH IT! Then your weird-ass childhood wont be ruined.
Oh yeah, and YOURE NOT A FUCKIN KID ANYMORE! -
WOOOO HOOOOH!!!!!!!!
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Oh, it opens this Friday. My bad.
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Very different. It's like the digital polar opposite of Sin City & 300. This will be the most amazing Blu Ray film ever. I think it will be a "system seller" for Blu Ray. The colors............
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But only because of the wooden crappy acting.
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I tell ya, that is acid for the eyes, a straight up quad shot espresso x 100! WOWIEWOOWOO!! I think I may have found a movie I won't mind paying ticket prices for... well that and Iron Man!
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If there are any problems, I think the main one will be the fact that its little too long (this should be 90 minutes, tops) and too eye-poppingly nutso. Even based on this short clip I can see how critics, older ones especially -- the visual mechanics of videogames and such being a little out of their reach -- would tire of this whiz bang eye popping insanity after about a half an hour. Every single 10 year old on the planet, however, is going batshit crazay for this movie. If it doesn't make a gazillion dollars in the theatres, it certainly will on dvd. As for me, I'll be at IMAX on saturday, preferably stoned.
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And the movie seems to be made especially for them! Yahoo for created disorders that get you on legal speed! Yipee!
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uggggggggggghhhhh
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Glad I don't have to waste ten bucks to see this. Colors look great, but it's too frenetic already.
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That was pretty good
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i dug the subtle music cues to the old stuff,the little bits of 'ooh ahh ohh' when he was driving.
but god damned it even though i know it's a cartoon i wish their hair moved when they are driving a convertable.oh and little speed sitting in his bro's lap while rex huskily talked about the car like she was a girl....uh. hm. but half of the fun of watching the cartoon was finding unintentional porn :D -
With the 'oohs' and 'aahs' from Trixie and Speed, finally ending with "here he comes here comes Speed Racer!" as he, we assume, cums? Its great.
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but the lengthy arm flailing freakouts were spot on.
crash foam?
c'mon though- even the old ass saturday morning cartoon had cars explode. it could have just crashed without doing the foam bubble junk :/ -
I'm more worried that this will suck than Indy 4. Of course, what I really want to know is what Merrick's kid thought about it. Because that's what's really important.
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is badass. His reviews are what I choose to follow.
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that Merrick's kid says Speed Racer is fast while Indy 4 is slow. Slow and old. Speed Racer is fast and young. It's a great review, I wish I had a link to it.
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This will flop at the box office.
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but i could watch this... on dvd... i think watching this in the theatre would make me sick... god, i'm old.
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SMOKE THAT PURPLE!
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The success or failure of this rests on the shoulders of the world's 10 year olds, who will undoubtedly go batshit crayzay for this, want all the toys and videogames, and ensure the movie makes a mint. The problem will be with whether or not parents will be willing to take them. Cool parents will, uncool parents won't. C'mon cool parents! Take your kids!
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I think there's even a 4:20 showing!
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Of course, the original show was cooler because people died left and right, but I like the idea of the crash bubble stuff. It looks neato and insane.
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if it does 20 million this weekend I'll be shocked.
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You would think that with all those flash forwards and flashbacks, that it was an economical use of 7 minutes of screen time, but I was actually bored watching that clip.
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Looks like Space Jam 2!
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I'm still excited to see it. eye candy alone is worth my $9 to watch something that ive never visually seen before.
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Colors galor and I don't know about anybody else--but that music bugged the hell out of me. Where's Praga Khan when you need him?
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I'm not going to see this movie. not saying it sucks... just not for me.
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Merrick is a bitch.
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This looks like a lot of people who don't normally make movies their kids can see making one their kids can see, but everybody's making so much money, and nobody's career is riding on it, and nobody's really thinking hard enough about whether it really works because it's for their kids and they presume the kids will like it. Even when you're making something for the kids you gotta tap into the kid in you and make that kid in you go nuts. This feels like the filmmakers were setting out to watch their kids enjoy it and not bothering to make sure they'd enjoy it if their kids weren't with 'em. I could be wrong but I just don't feel it here, at least not from the trailers or the clips, or the reactions of the kids in the audience. Me and the naysayers could be wrong but if so then it means they had something more going in and didn't convey it with the trailers.
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cool. The animations, especially at the end, looked like a little toy car. The scale made it look as though it was an animation of a small, like match box sized racing car. And the animations physics sucked. Surprised that this is STILL an ongoing problem for animators. Not always bad but still. Definitely corny on purpose which is fine for Speed Racer of course but...I don't know. having said that, something about what I just saw really makes me want to go and see this tomorrow! LOL!
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Can't tell yet whether I think it'll be amazing or stupid.
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I wonder if the kid gets raped by the girl in class by the end. That'd be funny. Seems like it'd be best stoned, on X, or my fav acid.
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Critics hated Star Wars too, originally, and then they got on board years later. They hated Citizen Kane too, and Wizard of Oz. It sounds ridiculous, but this may be ahead of its time.
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Critics hated Star Wars too, originally, and then they got on board years later. They hated Citizen Kane too, and Wizard of Oz. It sounds ridiculous, but this may be ahead of its time.
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Holy shit! That kid playing young Speed was fucking TERRIBLE!! It was like they just grabbed the first kid that walked through the door. Jebus. Oh well, no biggie though. This movie should be a good waste of money & time. Still don't know whether or not to see it this weekend or just wait for the DVD. I haven't seen Iron Man yet so Speed may be bumped to the DVD list after all. I'll sleep on it and let all of you talkbackers know my decision tomorrow. Maybe. If you're lucky. Now, back to GTA4.
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barf if I saw that on a cinema screen. Way too intense. Wish I'd never given up drugs, bet it's brilliant if you're mashed.
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I knew it was gonna be a lot of CGI, but it's basically live action people in a cartoon land
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gives me a migraine. I can't imagine what two hours of it would do to my cerebral cortex.
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"if it does 20 million this weekend I'll be shocked." Clerks 2 made almost 20 million its first weekend. Gimme a break. I guarantee this movie will bring in close to 75 million this weekend. That's a low ball estimate btw. I wouldn't be surprised if it was closer to 90 million. Visit this post on monday and respond.
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Don't have children. Every boy in my son's class wants to see Speed Racer. They are wearing the shirts and carrying the lunchboxes already. What else is there for the young kids...The under 11 PG rated crowd? Prince Caspien next week? Yeah, right. That looks like sheer torture for any age group.
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What are you talkin bout? I think the movie looks awesome, but no way. I say itll make around 35 mil. And clerks 2 made less than 10 mil... do you mean worldwide???
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35 million? Maybe in January. This is May 9th. Iron Man, a second tier, little known Marvel character with a PG-13 rating made 100 million in a weekend. Your average Disney Pixar film makes 50-75 million opening weekend. Speed Racer has been around for 40 years, has a huge Gen X following as well as a family friendly PG rating. Mtv used to show Speed Racer every night for years in the 90's. Cartoon Network and the Speed channel have also recently shown it. It's been merchandised for decades now and many people just loooove Nascar and racing in the US. 35 million? Double that plus.
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about driving/racing has all the makings of a dirty themed, totally hilarious country song. yall know it.
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and my kid didn't even like it. He was bored to tears as was I. Speed will at least have some great action scenes in it.
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Flintstones made 37 million its first weekend.
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While I suspect those 7 minutes managed to infect me with some diabetes/epilepsy hybrid... the racing looked pretty damn cool.
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made 22.5 million friday-sunday and it had some pretty bad word of mouth before it premiered. It looked HORRIBLE but even back then people went (adjust for inflation). It was considered a bomb but it still made over 100 million in the US.
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...as seen through a 3-D ViewMaster. That's what this looks like, and I can't wait! Ah, if only the GRX car had made it into the film--the one car that went so fast, even SPEED was scared of it!
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I can already see the lawsuits piling up from people who have epileptic seizures from watching this movie.
Personally, at best this movie will be a mindless junk food movie. At worst, it is going to be a loud mess with a lot of special effects and not much else. I have to say I was not impressed with all the cliches and disjointed slow pace of the first seven minutes (minus the action scenes). I think the negative pre-buzz might be right on the money. -
Saw this movie the other night and it is retarded. You will only enjoy it if you eat a shitload of hallucinogenic mushrooms. I wish I had.
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Mach 5, Trixie, Chim Chim, Spritle, Racer-X, Mom and Pop Racer, drama and comedy interludes, high octane overload...this has gold written over it! Sold gold!
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That shit was fucking terrible. If you could sit through that pile of rancid garbage and still want to pay money for that retarded bullshit you're a dumb ass. The Wachowski's are washed up hacks. They've done one decent movie and everyones been sucking their rods ever since. These two fucks are done.
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30 million for the weekend. You heard it here first.
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People always show up on these talkbacks and say "I just saw it. It sucked balls" and that's it. Well break it down for us. What works, what doesn't?
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rat's ass about who's kid likes what movie. the fuck does that have to do with me!? all i know is that this looks like Dick Tracy 2279, and will be a PASS come this weekend.
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exactly, he didnt see it... hes bored and on the internet all day like usual and just figured he'd flame on the movie for no reason.... i always love how people said "oh yea i saw the movie" when it hasnt even premiered yet.
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is the only word for those 7 minutes.... especially the racing..should make tons of money....i never even spent a second on the cartoon and these clips and trailers have got me interested in actually going out to the theatre which i rarely do.. usually on spend money on the big movies, like iron man or the dark knight...i might just have to go see this and sit in the 2nd row to take it all in.
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Poople, shitreuce, pstink, etc.
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slkboxrman: I can't personally vouch that Doc_McCoy has seen Speed Racer, but the movie did premiere in LA on April 26 and there have been several press screenings since then. It's quite possible that he's seen it. Quake II: You do use a lot of facts to back up your assertion that Speed Racer will make $70+ million this weekend, but I think you're missing two things: First off, fairly reliable websites like Deadline Hollywood Daily and Hollywood Elsewhere predict a $25-$35 million weekend. Second, Iron Man has been a powerhouse box office performer and I think it will cut into Speed Racer's potential box office this weekend. No disrespect intended to either of you (and for what it's worth I do plan on seeing SR this weekend), but I hope you each take this info into consideration.
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May 09, 2008 12:47:51 AM CDT
Whoaaa! What have I done? My brains are going into my feet.
by buck turgidson
BARF: "They've gone to plaid."
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I grew up on Speed Racer, but this shit just looks terrible. My instant thought was "holy shit - it's that damn terrible pod race from The Phantom Crap expanded to 90 minutes".
This thing is going to shrink like Larry's penis before his surgery. -
I've got a $100 that says SR comes in under $75M this weekend.
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how can they make a good show in to abad movie.
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Dude, they've been turning good shows into bad movies for years! Where have you been?
As for Speed Racer, the thing just looks like it is trying too hard, like that kid constantly screaming for attention. And lets be serious, there has only been one good racing movie and that was Days of Thunder. But on a positive, with the direction the Wachowskis have evolved into via this flick, I am really interested to see what they're like five to ten years from now. -
Obviously I missed something and I didn't see anything on the home page. Deleted?
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To see Iron Man because I couldn't go last weekend. :p Said before, I'll say it again: Surprise box office bomb of the summer.
It'll make 45 mil tops, then Prince Caspian and Indy IV will take over the next 2 weeks. -
i want to be upset too.
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I was expecting to hate it based off those trailers, and I think this is going to bomb terribly at the box office, but it truly is like nothing Ive ever seen before. People will check this out in years to come on DVD and then realise they fucked up big time by not seeing it at the cinema.
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The hate for this film is unbelievable. So fucking sad that you idiots can just enjoy a big dumb movie anymore. Go back to jacking off to your Iron Man posters you losers.
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I hope this overblown kiddie crap will bomb at the box office this weekend, 'cause I'm reaaaaally afraid of a sequel... *shivers*
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That's great. Like almost shitting but only farting? I like that.
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And HOLY SHIT is it awesome! Mori, I know you said it was good, but why didn't you mention that it's THE BEST FAMILY ACTION MOVIE IN NEARLY 2 DECADES!!! I mean, shit, this has actual characters and relationships and themes in it, stuff I all almost forgot existed in Summer movies. This is just so fucking AWESOME!!! This movie is everything Transformers so clearly wished it was but shit the bed at being!!! This is so good, that it makes you look back at Iron Man last week and say, "Now WHY did I think that was such a good movie? I'm sure there must have been a reason..." Speed Racer OWNS the month of may! And I don't care what the box office is, because I'm sure that geeks here will try to point out that Speed Racer's weekend wasn't up to snuff to Iron Man's and rub it in the movies face, but fuck that. This movie OWNS. and PWNS. Now I gotta get my 3 year old nephew to this thing and watch him jump up and down and say it's the best movie ever! That's the mood it puts you in!
I love the message about family. It's so beautiful. And it's kind of a refutation to the Matrix. The Matrix said you had to give up everything and everyone you love to be a Hero. Well, Rex does that, and yeah, he's a cool Superhero and saves the day and rah rah rah, but he ends up totally alone. Speed still gets to be the hero and have his family and his girl that loves him! that's awesome!
I'm sorry 33.3 that you won't even watch this for a hundred dollars. To me, that's like not accepting a blow job from Marion in Indy for a hundred. I mean, It's a Marion blow job and a hundred bucks! and I would have paid for the blow job! Anyway, Sorry Speed Racer wasn't a marvel comic book or a cartoon from the 80's so you therefore can't care about it. Cause It's the best film of May! (with the likely exception of Indy.)
Click for previous story Talk Back More on this story Click for next story
Quick Talkback
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My comments apply to the whole movie because I just got back from the Midnight show, not just the first seven minutes.
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this looks horrible
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except for susan sarandons gorgeous breasts
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you have no inner child. It died and I feel sorry for you.
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1. A nostalgia most here aren't a part of. Speed Racer goes back to the 60s. And for anything to be cared about in modern geek culture it has to be either a DC or Marvel comic, or be a cartoon from the 80s. Speed Racer is neither, so the geeks feel left out, therefore there's resentment.
2. Lingering resentment over the Matrix sequels and how most fans felt betrayed by them. Hey, I felt that way too. But, I learned to let by gones be by gones. The Wachowskis make up for it here and I totally forgive them.
3. an ill-defined resentment towards auto racing, probably because it reminds them of NASCAR and NASCAR reminds them of RED STATES and RED STATES remind them of Bush. Which I still sorta get, but, look, this is Speed Racer, not Nascar.
4. The repeated message that this is a family movie and it seems like now days all geeks come from broken homes or at least have a great disdain for their parents.
Reading all the comments, that's the subtext I get for people being against this film. Because No one who approaches it objectively with working eyes and ears could dare say it sucks. Because, well, it just doesn't. It rocks so hard, and leaves Iron Man, (which I really enjoyed) looking sort of lame by comparison. -
Damn You Michael Bay
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if you thought that was good, you are either 6 or retarded
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It's so gimmicky the effect in speed racer.
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I'm an excellent driver. Dad lets me drive slow on the driveway every Saturday. 'Course the seats were originally brown leather now they're a pitiful red. Dad lets me drive slow on the driveway. But not on Monday, definitely not on Monday. Uh oh, fifteen minutes to Judge Wapner.
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...the fucking chimp joke and the fucking fat little kid and the fucking overblown "action" sequences and the fucking lame kiddie look.
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It's the first 7 minutes stretched out to 2 hours and 15 minutes, except Christina Ricci shows up and is criminally under used. I kept expecting her to crack sarcasm to spark things a little. If the script and story had been half as good as V For Vendetta, then it might have been really interesting. Visually it pops and is inventive, maybe at times brilliant, but by the last third I just didn't care. When last race comes it's like, "Oh boy, yet another race." I'm disappointed by the Wachowski Brothers and really want them to attain the level of Bound or the original Matrix. Maybe next time around. (sigh) However, I can see this becoming a cult movie for stoners. Does anyone see the irony of blockbuster movies saying how evil and horrible soulless corporations are when said movies are made by corporations?
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May 09, 2008 5:34:10 AM CDT
The Hate Is Typical For Rageaholic Teens And Bitter Old Men
by laserpants
I'm not surprised at the hate, actually. This film is directed at kids and nostalgic and/or stoned adults who haven't strangled their inner child yet. Rageaholic teens and bitter, broken, sad old men hate everything. They'd actually make a good team. Next time one of you rageholic teens is on yr old neighbors lawn and he starts screaming at you to get off of it, you should reach out a helping hand of hate and share your mutual bitterness at a world that doesn't give a damn what you think, who you are, or what you do. It could be a match made in hell er heaven.
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...bitched about T2. And now he comes here to kinda defend Chimp-The Movie? Hilarious! Oh, and actually I'm neither a teen nor a bitter old man and I'm not hating "Speed Racer" -- I just don't give a flying fuck about this eye-fucking kid-friendly borefest. Those friggin seven minutes plus the 30 different trailers and music vids and whatnot were enough already.
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...defends the unbelievably awful T2. And now he comes here to hate on Speed Racer? A movie he didn't see?! Hilarious! AND pathetic.You may not be a rageaholic teen or a bitter old man, but you are, I suppose, a sad, lonely, hateful, morbidly obese middle aged virgin who named himself after a female anime character in the vain hope that he would actually become a woman and thereby know what one looks and feels like whilst naked.
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seen iron man last week and still wanting to let it settle before digesting another movie.
studio screwed up and put this out too close to ironman. should have came out a minimum 2 weeks after, not 1 week after. -
...that I absolutely love that stunning, groundbreaking, mind-boggling, eye-melting, highly influential Anime and try to honor it wherever I can.
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...that you've never been with a woman and therefore want to become one. That is, a fictional, animated one. Btw, I love GitS too, so we at least agree on that.
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Here's the review, it's rather sarcastic:
http://tinyurl.com/3hbl8c
I'll still try and catch this movie this weekend but I'll keep my expectations really low. -
Read the Top Critics reviews at rottentomatoes and see the pattern. There are quite a few critics who panned the movie because they just didn't want to watch something that LOOKS like this for over two hours. And I can understand that, because I can't actually make it through any of the two minute trailers. It's worse than the worst overblown shots from the prequels. I like the Wachowskis so I hope this doesn't completely bomb, but I don't know anyone outside of this site who has seen any of the commercials or previews for this who did anything but roll their eyes at it. Maybe the ten year old kids will save it - I don't know any ten year old kids - but ten year old kids need rides to the multiplex, and this isn't exactly Shrek, you know.
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Looks like this crew would make a fantastic Rainbow Bright though.
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I'm impressed. I've seen anything that looks and feels like that. I'm glad they didn't go the kitsch route like The Brady Movie. I think we're beyond that.
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That's the far inferior Jim Emerson writing the Speed Racer review. I don't think Roger is going to use his remaining years to even review confections like Speed, for better or for worse.
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Utter garbage.
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Nobody is going to take anything you say seriously if you call T2 unbelievably awful.
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ya aint doin' yaself ANY favors ...
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And 'Something's Gotta Give' makes me feel like a post-menopausal female! If you don't think a clip from what looks like a PS3 racing game with wooden acting is wonderful, then you are devoid of any sense of childlike wonder, innocence, or hope, and I pity you.
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Lord that was FUCKING boring...sorry if im not so MORONIC and 'open to mindless fun' that i let my brain fall out to excuse how fucking CRAP that looked, how badly ACTED that was and how CHEAP that CGI looks..it looks like a fucking PLAYSTATION game only slightly better rendered.
and those australian actors, particularly the school teacher is fucking woeful..please give us some camp cliches if you're gonna do a Miss Crabtree character..
Anyhow go have your 'fun'..it takes all kinds.. -
The script involves cars, goofy paranoia about big business, and a silly overblown family drama. And that's it. The script is negligible. This movie is relying on empty, hollow visuals to entertain people.
A message to the Wachowski brothers: look, if you're going to make a movie that's essentially Tom Wolfe's "Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby" that's fine and everything. Just don't expect anyone to take it seriously, ok? This movie is empty, meaingless fluff and it movie has no value to anyone over the age of 10. Why AICN continues to pimp the hell out of it is a complete mystery to Rickey. -
has Larry's hairdo!
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saying "Miiiiister Aaaanderson" and start kicking people's asses.
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Nice review!
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Which is strange because it was a link beneath Ebert's face and name on Rottentomatoes. It's a well written review regardless. Although, I might have to find out on my own if the film is really as bad as everyone claims.
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May 09, 2008 9:51:19 AM CDT
BTW, there's a segway race in this movie. I shit you not.
by rickey henderson
A freaking segway race... What, seeing a bald cigar chomping Jeffrey Lebowski roll up in a Segway in "Iron Man" wasn't goofy enough? Now we need full blown segway races?
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Because this clip gave me one.
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There's no segway race in this thing. There is a scene where there's a bunch of people on segways, but they aren't racing. It's just a "Look at how rich pompous and arrogant this villain is to have everyone on Segways. What a waste" kind of thing. Based on the information you've gotten from these reviews, I'm starting to wonder if these critics even saw the film, the points they say are so inaccurate.
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Now that would be a movie!
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from Phantom Menace into a full length film.
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When's it coming out for Dreamcast. I want to pre-order it.
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Hydro Thunder or Daytona USA, even with the kid from Into the Wild and Wednesday.
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Yeah, Rickey hadn't seen it so he had to take the reviewer's word for it. Here's the thing: segway scene or not, based on all the previews Rickey has seen, the movie is just too much for Rickey. It's visually overwhelming. And yet the script is vapid and empty. Some nonsense about a family standing up to a big greedy corporation. Where in the fuck do the Wachowski's get the balls to try to tell a story about corporate greed when thier movie is being produced by Time-Warner, the biggest media conglomerate on the earth? What a vapid moral story this is... as if they're NOT making a movie to sell toy cars and speed racer dolls? Please.
The movie is simultaneously too much and too little. The visuals are too cluttered and the story is bankrupt. Rickey doesn't feel like snorting ritalin and going to see this movie. For those that do, well, more power to ya. Rickey's sure that it will be a SUPER HAPPY FUN TIME! But to the rest of us, it just looks like a painfully empty and stupid flick. As the quote goes:
"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." -
No movie studio can EVER put out a movie about standing up to corporate greed. So, that ones out the window. But alright. But the thing that really sold it for me was the relationships in the film, especially between Speed and Rex. But Speed's relationship to everyone is great. To trixie it's innocent and guileless, to his father so pure... I mean, Speed literally has the relationships we all wish we had. and it's not tacked on, it's earned.
So I don't know. Admittedly thin story bolstered by good characters and great action equals win in my book. Many other great movies have had that combo. -
is going to seperate the men from the boys. Seriously, the only way you are going to enjoy this movie is if you still enjoy kid shit. Which I do and its my birthday and only good movies open on my birthday.
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in that case, happy birthday. It's my daughter's birthday as well. She's 9. Billy Joel is 59. Stadium Arcadium by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is 2 years old.
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was "The Rock." I didn't care for it.
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I honestly now know that critics and most of you cynics really don't know what you want... The Wachowskis build a highway and give us crazy lengthy cool slo-mo action scenes and you fucking complain... The Wachowskis then give you the fast frentic car racing and intercut the long races with flashback scenes and other stuff so you don't feel the action is overlong and you complain... there's no pleasing you because you clearly don't know what you want. You want new thigns but when you get them you bitch... you bitch about endless unnecessary sequels and you all are only too pleased to see them even if they have to drag aging actors back to reprise their roles. I'm looking forward to seeing this on IMAX sometime this week. It looks like the Wachowskis delivered on everything they promised this would be. If you're not on board then go see Iron man again. Now there's an overhyped movie. Iron Man was pretty much summed up by the trailers. I wouldn't even say it's teh best origin tale of superheroes. Spider-man and Batman begins were far superior, but hell I liked Iron Man, I'm not complaining about it... I'm complaining about you people! Speed Racer definately looking better than Transformers, 300 and Sin City judging from these opening minutes. And I liked all those movies too... although Transformers doesn't really have replayability for me... It seems to me that there's really some fucking high standard that you will always judge every film by. You expect everything to be of the same depth and planning and pacing as Godfather or Citizen Kane or some shit. Not every movie can be that! Hell As others have brought up, critics and audiences of the day shat on many of the films you hold dear to your heart today. Star Wars, Blade Runner etc. were all considered shit, pretentious, boring, visuals for the sake of visuals amongst other things. Your opinions today could turn out to be as disregarded as theirs with the passage of time.
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Weee...missssed...youuuu.
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The highway sequence had its ups and downs and exactly that was the problem: according to Joel Silver it should've been the be all end all of chase sequences but unfortunately is was heavily flawed and kinda underwhelming. In that year Michael fucking Bay got the prize for best highway action sequence. Unfortunately.
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The effects aren't as crisp on the big screen, but it was still alot of fun, and the colors and CG would be wasted on a standard DVD release.
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If the goal was to make sure you'll do everything in your power to never see the whole film: SUCCESS!
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Somebody had to say it.
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That is so wizard, Annie!
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Thanks man, and happy birthday to your daughter. And not that creepy happy birthday to catch a predator, just happy birthday. The last movie that I remember opening on my birthday was Anaconda, when I lived in England. I see a similar theme with movies opening on May 9th. They are ridiculous, and they are usually critically panned. HAHAHAH Gojira opened on May 9th back in the day. Man I can't work today, I just want to go home and play Mario Kart Wii all day and then see Speed Racer in the IMAX.... too bad they fucking closed down the Imax here. Closest one is 2 hours away. And I don't think my buddies care enough to drive that far to see Speed.
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It's that by that point in the movie who gives a shit? The best car chase is a car chase in a good movie. The worst car chase is a car chase in a bad movie. This because of the presence or absence of tension. I'd rather watch Kyle chase Cartman on big wheels than watch cars that can just do magic shit any time the director wants. How is there supposed to be any jeopardy in a race where if somebody pushes a button just about anything can happen? Tell me that there are consistent rules to the way these cars work that are accessible to the audience and are known in advance, and maybe I'll relent with the Debbie Downer routine. But somehow I doubt that's the case.
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Ha HA.
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Does he think that the trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie is too slow?
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Watching this at London IMAX as a tech demo.
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trackmania forever
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Since it's the first big Imax picture of the summer, Wehrenberg did a midnight show. It's definitely the way to see it if you can. But at least try to go for a digital projection. It's intense. This is the movie that's making me up my home theater game. I'm going to have to get a 52 HDTV for the living room and a 27 incher for my bedroom with a pair of blue ray players before I buy this movie. I can tell standard DVD will not do it justice.
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Normally Rickey doesn't enjoy mocking movies, but woo boy does this feel good.
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Greenstyle92 also knows that Speed Racer will only earn 40 mil for the weekend tops. And that Rickey will be smug about that too. And Greenstyle92 still says Rickey can shove both number's up Rickey's ass, because the critics on Rotten tomatoes just don't know what they're talking about. Oops, Greenstyle92 left a pronoun in there, what Greenstyle92 meant was "the critics of Rotten tomatoes don't know what the critics of rotten tomatoes are talking about." There. That should please Rickey.
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I'm thinking of changing my name to MEL_GIBSON'S_MENSTRUAL_STAINS for the indy talk backs. Nah, someone can use that free of charge.
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JOE_PESCI'S_JIZZFILLED_POOP.
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CHRIS_ROCK'S_CUNT_SOCKS. Ooh, I like that one.
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I went to an afternoon matinée showing to fit around my schedule, and while there were only a few people there, we were all laughing along and people were cheering a whooping. And I left the cinema with a grin the size of a crescent moon plastered on my face. The Brothers seem to have delivered a real crowd-pleasing extravaganza of a film.
The racing scenes were bleeding spectacular. I mean "spectacular" in a way that has never even been imagined. Honestly, it deserves an Oscar nod just for art design. What's so ingenious about the opening sequence is that it not only sets up all the characters with entertaining and emotional efficiency, but it also establishes how the cars work in this fantasy world. So despite the races being faster than anything you're ever likely to see, the main action beats are always delivered with a clarity and a style that will keep you thrilled beyond belief. Each race is perfectly crafted with the stakes and the challenges rising further and further with each successive scene...until we reach a final showdown that leaves you utterly breathless. Literally. And the "visual vocabulary" of the film is truly innovative. It's like the camera is no object. As an audience member, you've never felt freer. Unlike the stylistic approach of the recent 'Star Wars' prequels, which generally used locked off cameras and relatively tame tracking shots, 'Speed Racer' ducks into, under and around the action in a way that opens up the medium like no other film before it. Compared to other film in its greenscreen sub-genre, this leaves movies like 'Sin City' and '300' looking rather timid by comparison.
But at the heart of it, this is really a film about fathers and their sons. A coming of age story about hope, expectation, and the pain of loss. I found myself with a lump in my throat while watching the movie. Wait, let me rephrase. I found myself with a lump in my throat within ten minutes of the film starting. Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox and Scott Porter as the young Rex Racer all provide intimate and genuinely moving performances. Make no mistake about it, this film is the definition of joviality on celluloid. But the story is basically driven by the shadow of a lost family member from the very first scene in the film, and that's what really makes the film worth watching. As well as being immersed in a fantasy world of drop dead gorgeous visuals, of course.
In the same way that 'Sin City' was an exaggerated, impressionistic noir, and just as '300' was an exaggerated, impressionistic war movie, 'Speed Racer' plays as an exaggerated, impressionistic 1960s kid's show. Which is exactly what it is. It's campy. It's fun, And it's full of humour and heart. Of course, brooding characters and over-the-top gore is easier to sell than camp, colourful fun, but allowing oneself to become absorbed in the film's style makes for a rewarding experience. I've heard complaints about the film's exposition, but the only scene where I could perhaps understand that criticism was about half way through when Taejo's family troubles were being told. But even that zipped by very quickly and the audience still understands exactly what was at stake in the upcoming race. So if it is a flaw, it's a minor one at best.
The characters are warm and lovable, the villains are wonderfully hissable, the actors' performances are all suitably camp, and the morality tale at the centre of it - the battle of family versus corporatism - gives the story a real spirit. And makes the races all that more enthralling to watch. It's infectiuously charming, and even at 129 minutes the film glides like a T-180 on ice. I was convinced I was only in there for about thirty minutes, and when it finished I was left gagging for more.
So what's the verdict? Well, it's a tricky decision between 4 and 5 stars. While the story wasn't exactly the peak of literary greatness, it was very well told. Despite its two hour plus running time, the narrative was sharp, the emotionality was touching, and the plot turns were genuinely exciting. If the film was not such a special effects extravaganza, it would probably have been given a 4 star rating. But the film DOES have incredible special effects. And it DOES offer an absolutely sublime spectacle. Not only that, but the Wachowskis seem to have yet again set another industry standard - one that will likely be copied and mimicked for years to come. Until the Brothers reinvent the wheel for a fourth time, that is. And as such, the rating for this film is for something that could easily end up becoming highly influential classic.
Bring on 'Speed Racer 2'! -
But the rageaholic teenagers, obese middle aged virgins, and sad, bitter old men will hate it. Oh well! Who gives a fuck about them anyway! I'll be at IMAX tomorrow.
So, Ghost of Nixon, did you see it... on weed?!?! Hahaha! I'll be smokin' a big fat blunt before leaping into the Mach 5 and zooming off into a candy colored psychedelic explosion of awesomeness! All the weird sad old guys with severe father fixations can jerk off all over their T2 dvds and weep instead. -
It's the thing lingering with me most. wonderful fleshing out of the concept of the old series. Rex discovers the truth of racing and takes it on on his own. He and his father butt heads. And finally, Rex makes a decision there's no coming back from. You just want him so bad to go down and tell the truth to the family, and he just can't. He's too enmeshed in exposing the seemy underbelly of it all that he can't risk any of his family. Even his face has become a mask to hide behind. He can only watch from the sidelines as Speed finally fulfills the promise and redeems him, (not to mention a fair amount of other parties tainted by the system and wanting it to be torn down.) I love Matt Fox in this.
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Thanks for the details and well written review. Much better than the staff reviews here that somehow spent 4 paragraphs telling me nothing about the film I couldn't see in the previews.
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Fantastic movie. Can't wait to see it again.
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Let the slaughter begin!
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Thanks to Quake II, drave117 and greenstyle92. I'm delighted you guys enjoyed the movie and can't wait to see it again...because neither can I!About Rex Racer's arc, greenstyle...SPOILERS AHEAD!!!You're absolutely right. It was a "happy" ending in a certain sense, but that feeling of yearning that comes over you in the closing scenes is truly heartbreaking. The Brothers say they have ideas for a second film, so if this one does well (which it totally deserves to) then I suspect the character of Racer X will be further explored.Yep, love it, love it! :-D
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The more I see it... the more I love it! It's just growing on me! Damn, the earliest I might be able to see this is tomorrow evening... trying to go with someone at least though I practically want to just go to the theatre by myself right now... although there's no IMAX at my nearest place...
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Man...do you have to sign a seizures waiver before they let you in to see this?
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I understand that the mysterious Racer X is actually Speed's brother Rex who ran away from home years ago. Is that true? LOL! I loved how the tv show reminded us of that fact in every single episode. And the resolution was great too. In the final episode, Speed asks Racer X if he is Rex, and Racer X responds by punching him in the stomach and knocking him out! After Racer X drives off, Speed wakes up and says something about knowing that Racer X is his brother Rex. We are then left with a pastoral scene of Speed staring off into the distance as the music rises up. I LOVED that when I was a kid.
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May 09, 2008 5:01:59 PM CDT
Yes, Yes, We Know Its Very Colorful and "Seizure Inducing"
by laserpants
*Yawn.* Haven't you tired of this critique yet? I mean, seriously, time to move on and/or think of another way to 'hate' it.
It'll be great if this does turn into the next Star Wars and we slowly see all the critics slowly, but surely, completely reverse their opinions. -
"And the resolution was great too. In the final episode, Speed asks Racer X if he is Rex, and Racer X responds by punching him in the stomach and knocking him out!"------Ha ha! Fucking hilarious. I have all the episodes on dvd and there is so much politically incorrect stuff in those shows. A father smacks his wheelchair-bound son onto the floor, a father tries to horse-whip his daughter, Speed (who we assume is under 15 years old) guns down multiple villians, racers are killed right and left through accidents, Speed guts a shark (with animated blood coming to the water surface) and dozens more.....My kid loves the show as much as I did.
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How about Ranma 1/2 just to see hwo they'd handle it. Instead of casting two different people, just cast one and go for some creepy makeup.
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I'm sorry, but this is just shit.What a phenomenal waste of time, money and talent. I'll be surprised if it even makes it's money back.If I was the chimp, I'd fire my fucking agent...
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I only have the first one, but I have the whole series taped from tv. But yeah, its time to buy the whole dvd set. That new manga collection is friggin' sweet too. Its kind of a shame that they had to take out alot of the casual murder and whippings and such, but I don't think I'll mind. Them movie looks insanely awesome to me.
Oh! Another great episode was the one where Speed gets hooked on speed! The engine thats so fast its like a raging meth addiction! It was great! Totally freaked me out as a kid too, cause it was clear that Speed was a raging speed addict and lost his mind. -
Akira, Robotech (aka Macross), Voltron, and Battle Angel Alita are all in the pipeline. More to follow, no doubt.
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Its a shame that they had to take out casual murder and whippings and such from the movie in order to keep it PG. If they did the movie exactly like the show it would be Pg-13 at least, maybe even R!
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I never really liked Matthew Fox that much, but he totally disappears in this role. Only Racer X remains. Good work. Oh, and the film is good as well. Not as good as IRON MAN, but definitely a fun time.
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"Absolutely nothing." "Will you call him an asshole for me?"
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A Speed Racer movie that copies the show exactly would have a pretty high body count as well as random acts of violence against (and by) children. Watch the episode "Gang Of Assassins" where Racer X picks up a machine gun and sprays a room full of guards (blood included).
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May 09, 2008 10:13:30 PM CDT
Critics are slamming this but I liked the first 7 min
by krushjudgement
We'll see though.
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The track I could never race more than once because it made my eyes bleed has been integrated into a feature length file about Speed Racer by the Wachowski's. Sweet. I haven't been this excited since Captain Eo.
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And a %50 'Iron Man' so I'd say it will do around 60 mil.
Didn't look to bad though, I'm interested in seeing it. On a side note why isn't 'Redbelt' playing within 100 miles of me? Freaking CA Theaters is still playing 'Bee Movie' somewhere but won't put a David Mamet film on the schedule. Im prepared to do a roadtrip if that's what it takes. Who's in? -
If you haven't already. Know your pop culture yo:
http://tinyurl.com/5s4hb7 -
This movie was fucking awesome. Caught the midnight show tonight. And was totally engrossed all the way. I am usually pretty bad about falling asleep at the late show. Iron Man was good, this was better. Its too bad people have to pick sides, they are both amazing and excellent summer movies all we should do now is hope every movie delivers what it said it would like these two. Why I say speed is better is because when I left Iron I didn't have that feeling of wanting to go see it again right away. With Speed, which was a lot funnier then I thought it was going to be. The little kid and monkey are for lack of a better word, riot. Also the music is fantastic, and I am not sure if Iron Man even had music in it. Yeah the over use of reporters was a bit much with Speed, but man that ending scene is a rush. Witch is why I liked Speed better, what I got with Iron Man was... Alright now that we got that out of the way the sequel is going to kick ass. Its too bad Speed may bomb at the box office, because the W's went all out. They've made enough money now they can do what they want. Plus Speed is a lot more ambitious, Iron Man was a sure bet. Thank god this summer isn't at all like last year where every movie pretty much sucked.
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I was not interested in this movie at all. I thought the casting was bad, the FX looked sub-par, the trailers looked like crap. I thought it just looked awful all around and was kind of excited to witness the seasons first box office train wreck. Then I saw it. Now I am totally a fan. It might not be for everyone, but I could not have had more fun. It was like doing nitrous for two hours while drowning in glowsticks and jellybeans. Maybe that sounds dreadful to you and maybe it should, but I found the experience fun as all hell. It is breathtakingly surreal in a way that would blow Salvador Dali's mind. I've never seen anything like it. Bad Fucking Ass.
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...straight to the $6.99 bin at Amazon.com.Howlingly bad...
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Him nor I were previous fans so in going to this it was our first experience with speed racer. Story was so-so but you go into this expecting that. The problem was it was way too long. Folks that grew up with the source material will enjoy it I'm sure. Still 90 minutes would have done it for me completely.
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Well... Adapting cartoons is just as tricky as anything else, really. But added to this is finding a point for adapting it in the first place. Why make a live-action film out of an animated property??? Animation inherently has the advantage over live-action, allowing a storyteller to do things with characters and situations that real people can never do. Additionally, audiences are more receptive to suspending their disbelief with animation, and there's an innate charm in this connection. Nevertheless, the dubious trend to translate cartoons to live-action continues (The Flintstones. Sccoby-Doo. UnderDog. ...UnderDog???!!!)
The challenge for the filmmaker is whether to properly filter the animated property, taking full advantage of whatever the live-action format affords, or to remain slavishly faithful. So far, in my opinion, being slavishly faithful has yielded very mixed results. Robin Williams as POPEYE was an ambitious failure that chiefly succeeded in re-asking the question-- Why?
But you run the risk of alienating the target audience, kids, as well as the built-in audience, the loyal fanbase, if you deviate too much from the familiar material. Darned if ya do, and darned if ya don't.
Personally, I think it's a pointless exercise, other than pure commercialism. True, a filmmaker may be a fan, too, and the cartoon translation may be a love letter to a fond childhood friend. The cross-pollination of the various formats certainly makes for an interesting footnote in the annals of pop culture history.
I'll just say that SPEED RACER is a fine flick for younger kids with A.D.D., saturated with candy-colors and zippy action that adheres to a physical logic all its own. And the nostalgia buffs that dearly loved the old cartoon show will find something here to embrace as well, just as the Wachowski Brothers apparently did.
Go, Speed Racer, go.
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WB Execs: ... it's the Wachowskis man, WHAT could go wrong? here is 200 million, go win!
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Hadn't been exited for this before...
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See, I was only off by 32 million.
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what do I win?
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what do I win?
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what do I win?
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what do I win?
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if anyone's interested.
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who do you like at the Preakness...I'll take any of the other 8 horses.
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