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Harry hits the pedal to the metal to see SPEED RACER again!!!
My father kept a “Family Book” on me, ever since I was born – and in the first 3 years of my life… apparently my favorite thing in the world was SPEED RACER. I have zero recollection of this – but it’s been in that book as long as I have memory – but honestly, I haven’t really gone back to that series since the age of three. I’ve tried, but the animation was just too crude for my tastes – but I do love it’s addiction to speed, badass technology and stylized vehicular and physical violence. Oh… and the monkey.
That said – I never bought a Mach 5 toy, I don’t have any Speed Racer animation art and I can’t say I’m a real fan with any seriousness…
…until now!
The Wachowski’s SPEED RACER is more than just a movie – it is a cinematic adrenal experience. The film is edited like a racer changes gears… suddenly, abruptly and constantly moving forward faster and with a sense of aggressive purpose. If you watched the opening 7 minutes that have appeared online… well… that’s nothing. What we have here is the first anime brought to life. Of all the anime’s they could have adapted – SPEED RACER is one of the most simplistic. It’s ultimately about a hero that’s childhood hero was a big brother that raced and “died” – and now, that younger brother is driven to succeed where his “deceased” brother failed.
The visual look of the film is an adult replication of that anime insanity – and it is astonishing to behold. If you ever played with Hot Wheels and dreamt of crazy insane racing… this film is the dream that the 5-7 year old that built those tracks, ran those absurd races – and improvised new terrors for those cars to attempt.
At the same time – SPEED RACER represents the single greatest “TRIP” on screen since Kubrick’s stargate sequence at the end of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY – only… this sequence isn’t a few minutes long… nearly the entire film is a brightly colored swirling bit of lysergic acidic goodness. And I say that – purely on speculation – as I have always been fearful of the possible “brown acid” and have never taken that journey. But my father has described it – and as I sat in the theater watching SPEED RACER – with a growing sense of euphoric bliss and happiness – eyes transfixed – dancing with the images on the screen I realized… I no longer have even the slightest desire to try LSD – because all I need do is watch this movie – and I’ll have a thrillingly euphoric blissful audio and visual pleasurably assaultive experience.
Does this mean the film has no story, no characters of worth and no emotional worth beyond giving one a euphoric sense of happiness?
Actually – it does have a story – essentially the same story that you see in every Speed Racer cartoon. There’s a plot against the sanctity of racing by corporate and evil powers, and it is only through Speed and his father’s financial independence and purity that said evil powers can be overthrown.. via technological advancement and the person skill of SPEED RACER as aided by the mysterious Racer X.
And ya know what? That’s exactly the story that I wanted to see.
As for the characters? The Racer family is awesome. Emile Hirsch is dead on as Speed Racer. Young Paulie Litt as Spritle is perfection – his hilarious obsessions, comments and interactions with Chim Chim (played by a fantastic real life Chimp) are ridiculously funny. Susan Sarandon as Mom Racer is pretty great – but everyone in the entire film is overshadowed by the great John Goodman as Pops Racer. He booms – and when he fights – he’s a God. A flat out God. Forget NEO or MORPHEUS or TRINITY… POPS RACER is the Action God of the Wachowskis.
Then there’s Christina Ricci’s Trixie. There’s a scene of Speed and Trixie in the Mach 5… looking out over the city – having a romantic conversation – the conversation is sublimely awesome – it’s the sort of cotton candy romance that was reserved for Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland back in the day… but here’s the thing… I never had a crush on Judy – Christina is a dream as Trixie… a wholesome fetishistic dream babe that kicks ass and is a stand by her Speed Racer kinda girl. And that’s HOT! So HOT!
Matthew Fox’s RACER X is exactly right – I love Fox on LOST – and I kinda hate that we ever saw his face – simply because every moment that I saw it, I was thinking about LOST… but when he’s in his RACER X get up… he’s amazing. He’s got that menace, supportive badassness that was absolutely necessary for that character. Fox’s voice and his grin when he’s having fun doing what he’s doing… it is just fantastic.
Now I want to be clear here… There will be people that will not be able to handle and digest the visual intensity of this film. No – there’s no gore, no nudity… rather, I’m talking about the intensity and the motion of the film itself. If you have trouble with motion and swirling lights – or have a medical condition that is visually triggered… you may want to skip the film. However, the film is bliss for everyone else.
I was witness to many kids – ages 12 and under who were driven to the point of childhood happy reenactments after the film – and the children under 4 in the theater were seen to actually be dancing to the movie they were so happy by it.
The film is primarily an experience. If you have the opportunity to see it at an IMAX – I can only barely conceive of the joy it would convey. But I saw this film on a week that began with IRON MAN – went to PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (the next review I’m writing) and then this… and that trajectory was stratospheric. So far – My Summer Film Experience is 3-0 – and I’m very very happy about that!
And remember – this isn’t a realistic film – and was never intended to be. This is an alternate universe driven by phenomenal alternate fueled vehicles of such breathtaking advancement to give every gearhead on the planet a tire iron in their pants! Enjoy it thusly!
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the first seven minutes were a joy
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Been waiting for that one.
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It doesn't have any references to popping clits either. Too bad.
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That's also too bad. When Ricci did Black Snake Moan, she walked around naked on set everyday to "get into character". Tramp.
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Bunch of damn sell-outs, Harry gives public relations for Speed Racer and everyone praises, the potential shit fest. But kicks Indiana Jones in the balls. Idiots.
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I'm really hoping it kicks ass.
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May 09, 2008 7:43:48 PM CDT
This film is gonna sell HDTVs and (bleh) Blu-Ray players like cr
by justicesabre
Candy visuals aside, what you have is a fun movie with a decent message.
Also, the fricking score is COPPED.
I loved how they meshed the old themes (Japanese and US versions) together for the credits. -
was the first anime brought to life. Certainly better than this unwatchable tosh. I liked the bit with the track with the zoetrope horses on the side, a rare moment of invention for the movie. But really, when the best bit of any movie is a chimp flinging its crap at someone then mentioning that movie in the same sentence as 2001 is un-for-fucking-givable.
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You got Iron Man and Speed Racer with the source material respected AND a more coherent enjoyable experience... with the expectation that TDK and Hulk might continue the streak of these geek flicks WINNING.
Proof that you don't have to change EVERYTHING for it to work. -
Harry is known for hyperbole but this is really pushing it. I guess I'll find out if he's right in 6 months on DVD or maybe next year on cable.
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This film is going to be one of those reference Blu-Ray discs for showing how the format can shine. After reading Harry's review, I am seeing this tomorrow morning.
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See I would totally have recast that role in X3 instead of fucking murdering him offscreen! Oh yeah, Speed Racer...yeah, it wasn't bad, I didn't get so much out of it as you did though, Harry. I think it's Dick Tracy, mixed with the Flinstones, and Altman's Popeye but replacing the songs with super ADD seizure inducing psychodelic kinetic racing. It's fun, not really overly sappy in my book, and I loved all the players (the bad guy was really great and hissable, though I had a problem with the heavies seeming to always be British), but it's also not something I feel like watching again already. I think when this comes to DVD around Thanksgiving time, I'll maybe be ready for another look.
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And not incomprehensible visuals (but there is that in there), but the plot is this tangled wire that feels more like the Matrix Revolutions and less like a jovial action movie. And every single bit with the kid and his monkey bombed. We're talking Jar-Jar Binks level of bombingness. Also, why did they structure so many flashbacks/forwards inside of what should have been straightforward exposition scenes. (the jump around with Speed being bitched out by the corporate guy - to the middle of the race - back to the conversation - to them getting sued) I did like Ricci, Fox, and the always great Roger Allam, yeah, some of the shots and visual FX are cool (the flashing change to anime zip lines was nifty and I liked the integration of memories into the background), but its more just boringly, bombastically overblown. And there's a monkey crap joke in it. 2 out of 5.
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Anyway, point remains, its still pretty lame.
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"Overloaded with headache-inducing effects, without a coherent script."
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not a fan of the Wankowskis but i think this will be a cool event for my 3 year old. Watched Ironman in an empty Cinema yesterday with a couple of cans of Redbull and it was very good (not quite Robocop good as described by some) and this summer is looking really promising. movies like Hulk and Indy and Ironman kicked it off bigstyle. O% expectations for Speedracer so hope it's at least a nice surprise and Harry you do not seem to need drugs!
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You know, when did it become "cool" to dis everything and not enjoy anything? Yeah, I've read all the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and they all the say the same damn thing. I'm normally someone who agrees with critical consensuses 98% of the time, but this movie is in that 2%. People just need to learn to chill out, and go to the movies for what they were made for: enjoyment. Relax, open your butthole, and just let all your excess shit out. This was an entertaining movie -- thus, a good movie.
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It's far from perfect - I thought it was edited pretty poorly at times actually, not keeping up with the intensity of the images - but it is absolutely visionary, like nothing you've ever seen before. I loved it, easily took all the cringe-worthy stuff for granted.
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I had about 12 7 y.olds @ birthday party in front of me at the 4:00 IMAX, and my own 7 yo too. They all LOVED their scenes; the fantasy morph-into-the-kung-fu-cartoon on the sofa rocked, a nice, homagal chim-chim-on-Spritles-shoulders-in-a-labcoat bit, the poo throw...SPRITLE GIVING THE FINGER had 'em murmering for 3 minutes ("they shoulda had the monkey do it" said one of the party kids...that killed me). More mild swearing than I expected, but overall, this movie REALLY covered the target 6-13 y.o. boy audience well, and Spritle & Chim-Chim were huge for that. Not too much for most adults, either.
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And it flopped at the BO. Reviews mean little in the face of our fickle audiences today. But I left my crotchety old cynicism at home, so my impression of Speed Racer isn't so critical. It was a graphic experiement to push cgi or compressed storytelling a little bit further, without losing comprehension, in a surreal realm of living animation. Surprised me with a little depth, too. Certainly seemed able to laugh at itself and enjoy some of the sillier bits of the original series. (Think Wacky Racers and the crazy gimmicks the cars used on each other). The "shifting gears" analogy is appropriate. Yes, at times it was a Hot Wheels commercial to draw a generation of ADD rugrats. Yes, at times it played Dick Tracy and the Pod Race. Yes, there are a few slapstick moments and a few goofy fight scenes. But unlike Jar-Jar and Bantha Pudu, they aren't out of place. There's stuff that stops just short of 'over the top' and then some stuff that hurdles over. It's all part of the Family Story package, but it goes at a racing tempo and gets some good adrenalin going. You might want to keep the memory of the cartoon tucked in mind to fully appreciate. Speaking of which, I didn't like how the Racer X story was closed up. A bit tacked-on. But I thought the acting was solid and the important story elements from the series were intact. And it made me want to buy a Mach 5.
Oh, and are we finally evolved beyond the lame decades of Political Correctness that family films can finally enjoy some casual profanity now and then? Anybody else note the amount of uses of the words Ass or Crap? And one bleep, too. Heh. In any case, not your traditional action-racing film. Just ride along and let stream-of-consciousness take over. If you can't enjoy at least one single moment of the racing scenes they lavished, and if you absolutely have to throw a weighty word like HATE at this film, I pity your bitterness. Unclench that rectum. Breathe. -
if someone has epilepsy, could they be in danger from this movie? I'm not kidding, I'm serious. Can anybody who's seen the movie answer this question?
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I didn't realize we get to see John goodman kick some ass.. I'm in
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So was Dick Tracey
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Almost everyone loved Iron Man and it got boring on these talkbacks for a week. The venom that Speed Racer is generating is kinda fun. I'm gonna see it this weekend and enjoy the ride. I'll save my venom for TDK, which you people talk about like it's poised to be the greatest film ever made....Too bad Batman Begins was just "ok" for me (very little replay value), otherwise I would be really excited about TDK as well. Batman Begins was an excellent 1/4 of amovie. Too bad the last 3/4 was a boring, poorly edited confusing mess. But TDK will be perfect, right?
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Bastard in a Basket! Bastard in a Basket!
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I love the film, but I'm not naive.
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It's rating Speed at 35, but Transformers as 57? Something is seriously fucked up about that.
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I love ya big guy, but that might be your worst example of butchering the English language to date...and that's saying a lot.
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Batman Begins syndrome...Fantastic first 1/4 and then a silly, boring mess of a remaining 3/4 movie.
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that would have been a great twist!
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May 09, 2008 9:15:56 PM CDT
Iron Man Is A Great Movie, Not A Great Superhero/Action Movie
by deandome
I likes Iron Man a lot, but it's not so much for it's "iron-man-ness" than the fact Downey was great, the script & zippy dialogue was great, Gwenyth was hotter than I've ever seen her...I liked it as a movie much more than for the TWO (and a half) big fight/suit scenes. My kid liked it, but not as much as speed. I don't get the comparison; IM's not a family/kid movie, it wasn't earth-shaking visually; it's like a great Bond flick more than a superhero movie And not to sound prudish..my kid saw LOtR all the way thru @6...but do we really want a Scotch-swilling poonhound as a superhero rolemodel for our 4-15 year olds? OK, Speed doesn't skew as well w/older and/or women reviewers(and overall), but I really think it's gonna surprise the haters @ b.o. My guess....$75 mil.
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this movie just didnt do it for me
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Boring, Harry. Now you're boring us.
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That was hilarious man! LMAO - keep gems like that comin'!
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But tell us Harry how were the Auditory and Olfactory look of the film? This is what concerns me.
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...how's being BLIND working for ya?
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Two fairly good reviews on here (which I trust more than RT or anyone really). Indy apparently sucks and they're making a Donnie Darko sequel. My heads spinning, so I'll go on a little faith for something that looks fun. Can you guys see if Vern will review it though?
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I saw it with my 13 and 10 yr old sons and we loved it! It really is anime brought to life. I was never a Speed fan growing up but had seen enough to know this is a VAST improvement over the source material. It's fun, fast, and eye poppingly beautiful to watch. The characters and story are all in keeping with what I know of the series but fleshed out in some nice performances. Goodman really is great in this film and his fight scenes are anime craziness incarnate. I will DEFINITELY get this on Blu-Ray when it comes out. If you hate this film then you are a sad, sad individual; or anime just isn't your cup of saki.
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This movie was fucking great, seriously. I recommend it to everyone. Visually, character wise, it really restored my faith in the Wachowskis. It's as good as Iron Man.
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Ouch.
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I liked it a lot. People who don't like it are (1) Old with dead hearts or (2) Young and trying desperately to be perceived as cool by as many people as possible.
The movie was far funnier than I expected. I usually hate both kids and monkeys in movies, but it absolutely works here. The soundtrack was awesome, also. Worst problem was a convoluted plot. -
I am going tomorrow. I am going to smoke a HUGE blunt and see it.
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May 10, 2008 2:03:54 AM CDT
You didn't REALLY just compare 2001:A Space Odyssey to Speed Rac
by galactic
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go see it folks!
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the moment he compared the film to the stargate sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the all-time great sequences in cinema.
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Damn You Michael Bay
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This is EXACTLY what a movie about Speed Racer should be. And notice how if any negative reviews mention the cartoon at all, they slam it? Bottom line: if you liked the show, you'll love the movie--you're who the Wachowskis made it for (as well as themselves). If the cartoon sucked as far as you're concerned...DUHHHH, STAY AWAY! Go watch Maid of Honor or What Happens in Vegas or that weepy Helen Hunt thing; I'm sure Rotten Moldy Tomatoes LOVES em, and we all know we have to agree with them before we go to a movie!
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Also, guess where I found this. Good ole Rotten Tomatoes...http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1738558,00.html
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Harry's review lost all credibility when he didn't mention anything about "Where the Wild Things Are.".........................................................................that's right.
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Then I guess Harry just became the Wachowski's "Pim Pim".
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I already posted this headline elsewhere, but it needs to be said. Harry is right. Speed racer is great. I thought it was going to blow donkey balls, but instead it kicked my ass. Visually astounding, thrilling, unique and - dare I say it? Ahead of it's time. Speed Racer is a totally unique movie going experience. Surreal to the extreme. The trailers, internet clips, critics and bitter internet nerds do not do this movie justice. It rocks.
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My girlfriend and myself really loved this. Wasn't expecting so much but was blown away by the cartoon madness and visual overload. The script was pretty decent as well in a sweet kids movie sort of way. It is without a doubt for kids but the comicbook / manga fan within in ya should also love it for the extreme and imaginative visual language and fx. I too thought of 2001 in a VISUAL sense when some of the more trippy images exploded across the screen. And I have tried acid and this does compare! You know what you're getting into when even the company logos at the beginning are kaelidoscopic! Probably best not to see this with a hangover... I actually enjoyed this more than IRONMAN.
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$6 million yesterday. Can't say i'm surprised.
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Little early to call it a flop. Most kids (and their parents) will see it either today or tomorrow. If the numbers still suck by Sunday night, THEN you can call it a flop. Which is weird considering its pretty much guaranteed to turn a profit on the international circuit and on dvd. Either way, I don't really care, I'm going to see it today or tomorrow in IMAX and I can't wait!
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... seems to be a fan of everything, has seen everything and especially can remember how he LOVED everything as a kid, no matter what the fucking source material is. Even if its some crappy cartoon-show from Belgium which noone ever heard about. BUT Harry saw it an loved it as a kid. That guy must have watched tv 24hours a day since he was born, to have seen all that shit.
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"I hate the Wachowskis. Everyone seems to forget their royal Matrix fuck up." Exhibit A for your consideration. Everyone (and that's a broad term) including critics is going into this one with a pre-programmed GRUDGE against the Wachowskis for ruining their fanboy dreams of a "Fuck yeah, baby!" Matrix trilogy. The Wachowskis and Speed Racer will go down hard if they have anything to do with it. (Haven't seen the film yet, btw...)
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May 10, 2008 7:46:12 AM CDT
Rageaholic Teens, Obese Middle Aged Virgins, Bitter Old Men
by laserpants
The hater demographic! They will no doubt stay at home, thwack away on the computer, eat copious bags of chips, hoagies, pizzas, several gallons of soda, some fried fat, couple gallons of ice cream, cry because they'll never know love of any kind, masturbate furiously, cry some more, eat some more, cry again, cringe when mom asks them to clean their basement, cry some more, watch T2 again, masturbate, eat, cry, and NOT watch what appears to be the most visually psychedelic and insane movie of the decade, and perhaps the most experimental blockbuster ever made.
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I've seen the footage! It looks amazing! Flintstones and Roger Rabbit didn't look anywhere NEAR as insane or surreal.
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...but 130 minutes was a bad judgement call. If they trimmed it to 90 minutes, I think the critics would have reviewed it more favorably.
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Your T2 hate really isn't doing you any favours.
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They're predicting $25 mil for the weekend. Those are terrible numbers for a summer blockbuster. The movie will make back its costs overseas but it's hardly a blockbuster. Thanks for the laughs LaserPants: "the most visually psychedelic and insane movie of the decade, and perhaps the most experimental blockbuster ever made."
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Here you go...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/movies/10indy.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin -
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/movies/10indy.html?scp=1&sq=indiana+jones&st=nyt
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFNyNIHXo1A
Haters, don't watch! -
Like a dare.
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Saw it yesterday.
It was slow starting. They like cutting to commentators a lot which I did not understand. Anything with the racing was great. Racer X was a great presence. Trixie cute as a button. Even Spridle and Chim chim were funny on screen. But this movie needed a shorter cut edit to get to action right away. Soundtrack was great also I will end up buying, but with all the special sound effects it was hard to hear so end credits was the only way to understand the score I stayed though. There is no payoff for extra scenes after credits btw, but the music was good. There is even a cool mix of the Jap and US version of the song which I def want. It's worth seeing in the theaters if only to help for sequel for them improving on it for next time. -
You're the reason LSD is illegal. Oh, and Harry, you're smart for avoiding the stuff- unless you wouldn't mind looking into a mirror and seeing Mr. Creosote staring back at you (post abdominal explosion of course).
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I'm glad Capone still has discerning tastes and the balls to insult the Wachowskis with a negative review. Maybe Harry needs to start an offshoot website called "Ain't Every Movie Amazing?!?"
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Mushrooms are the only hallucinogen with no side effects, addiction, or LD50.
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This movie is awful in every sense of the word. 35% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and from the most important critic in the world, my 6 year old nephew, "It was boring and confusing."
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With 40mil in the bank, if not more, over the weekend. The Wak Brothers picked the wrong time to enter this film in the market; kids movies come out during summer vacation, thats how you get repeat business. Why don't you studio people know this?
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I've said it before ... here we go again. HARRY! A person can not like a film without a medical condition (or personality disorder, or whatever) that someone physically prevents them from recognizing obvious genius.
It's possible to maybe have a personal opinion about a film that differs from yours, no matter how universal and absolute your proclamations sound to your own ears.
Just a head's up. Some people will not like this film ... and they're neither "closed-minded," mentally defective, anorexic, bolemic, an amputee, or a Vietnam war vet. -
I watched the "Glorious Quicktime" first 7min and all I could notice was how fake everything looked. It did not look "Hyper-real" as everyone is stating. It looks like it was produced with Television-level special effects.
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It was either this or Ironman, and I'm not really a Marvel fan so i plumped for this....... .......And what a movie!! Seriously kickass, those that criticize probably haven't seen it. I am jealous of anyone who sees it on IMAX, and like The Matrix before it selling DVD players this one'll sell Blu-Ray players no question.
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It's the only explanation for how he's always the biggest diehard fan for every franchise, read every comic book and novel that's translated to the bigscreen.
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How the hell would you know if he was being portrayed correctly if you didn't watch the show as you claimed. This movie is garbage as are all your reviews of the last several years. I think the last honest review your gave was for either Secondhand Lions or Kill Bill Vol. 1. What do you get paid for these glossy over the top reviews? I can't even rely on Moriarity half the time and tentpole release after tentpole release, you demonstrate your ineptitude as a critic. When was the last time you gave a big summer release a bad review?
By the way, how the hell do you have time to watch Lost, Heroes, and whatever other TV shows you claim to watch while constantly going through the pathetically large and unnecessary library you have? -
To him Cloverfield is the worst movie ever made because one of the characters is actually in love, and makes a stupid decision - but this CGI Rainbow Brite vomit is beauty itself as far as he is concerned. Did he work on this movie or something? I'm really happy this bombed.
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I was on this chat site the other day and this one chick I was chatting to was like "Do you like fat, hairy midget girls with stretch marks on their tits?", and I was like "Yeah"... And then she came.
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Because he's such a champion of "Popeye". I love Popeye, and I loved this. Both are these wild attempts to craft a real-life cartoon, and I think both are successful, although both are certainly polarizing.
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Hate away. You'll all have a Blu Ray copy of this film next fall to "show off" your HD television. You know it's true.
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I don't care what the naysayers say. (They say nay, I know...)
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I can't believe you dips still put first in your posts... Welcome back to the second grade!! "L" is for Loser...
peace -
Wow, just got back from Speed Racer, and every kid in the theater was completely giddy over this movie. I have no idea why there are so many bad reviews...this film is greatly paced, edited, framed, etc. I can see a CARS-like hold if word of mouth kicks in.
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Speed Racer is to old school kids cartoons what The Matrix is to adult graphic novels. Both are respectful and true to the source material. Both are made for the audience who loved the source material and those who would love it. Both are innovations in film. But Speed Racer is NOT for people who can't have fun with a family movie. PERIOD. If you yawn at Addams Family or fall asleep during The Muppet Movie or actually want to kill the kid from Home Alone... Speed Racer is NOT for you. Teenagers will not enjoy this movie because it is not going to pass the cool test. Adults who still have the need for things to pass the teenager cool test will also not like this movie. This movie is for kids and adults who are still kids at heart. If you are still a kid at heart then you'll love this movie. I loved it. It was as fun as The Matrix was badass.
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He has had every (domestic and foreign...and alien) film, TV show, comic book, etc. uploaded into his vast memory facility of a brain. Or so I heard from this dude who knows this chick who knows this other dude.
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the visual effects in this film are at the mercy of the style of this film. one of the most enjoyable parts of this movie for me as a film lover is the way the film is played like a live action cartoon. 2 scenes in particular stand out in contrast to each other. the race scene where the camera moves seemlessly back and forth between the drivers as they are racing around a hill side. stunning. mind bogglingly complicated. then there is the early scene with a young Speed with Rex in front of their home. the sky is rediculously out of alignment with the actors. the filmmakers exercise complete abandon to rules of filmmaking to recreating the style of the cartoon. it was fun to see how much fun the creators of this film had to have been having. this movie is a joy to watch if you are an artist. it's like watching a master painter completely absorbed in the moment of painting. you know that the filmmakers know that they can make anything they want, and they decided to make exactly what they wanted. this is this generations Blade Runner... it will not be recognized for it's genius until decades have past and the children who love this grow up into adult film lovers. of course, there is always those of us who are still kids at heart and already love it.
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May 10, 2008 10:51:38 PM CDT
"You know that the filmmakers know that they can make anything t
by ben_gazzara
"...and they decided to make exactly what they wanted."
Hilarious. That should be in Latin at the end of some ridiculous movie business bio. -
Sorry, I should correct the terrible format of that last post. I was quoting your line, "you know that the filmmakers know that they can make anything they want, and they decided to make exactly what they wanted."
Awesome. -
Every since spider-man 3 i feel like he's loved everything soooOOoo much. ugh.
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Really, I enjoyed the hell out of it. The last 15 minutes were GODLY. The rest was at times obnoxious, but other times (vast majority of the time) exciting.
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Be proud of yourselves and start getting pumped for Transformers 2. Since this movie looks set to bomb. Let make sure Hollywood knows that we only like are cartoons to movies to be like Transformers and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Like people in my office were all like, I never liked the show, or I never watched the show. And I tried to tell them that it really didn't matter. Though after I watched it I realized that this is the best cartoon to live action movie ever and if you didn't like the cartoon at all you probably wouldn't like the movie. Its not like Transformers where the cartoon didn't really matter. So even though G.I.Joe was already headed to be like Transformers (can't wait to see the first shots of G.I. Joes shooting guns with bullets rather then lasers). Anyways there is a live action Death Note movie out there? What is that all about, anyone?
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We are the champions, weee are the champions, noo time for loooosers 'cause we aaaare the chaaaampioooons...
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Granted, Harry usually waits for the review of the movies were he had no contact with those involved in the movie production, the director or someone that acknowledges his existence, but I guess his gusto for this Spy-Kids 3D-like bomb couldn't be contained, not even by the said "safety" waiting period he usually takes for this kind of movies.
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Saw it at the IMAX in King Of Prussia. Sold out theatre. Everyone seemed to be loving it too. It got an enthusiastic round of applause. I don't know what kind of money its going to make, but the kids were going bonkers for it, and so were many of the more esoteric adults -- it really is one of the most brilliantly bizarre movies I've ever seen. I don't think its going to beat Iron Man, but its not going to be a bomb either. It'll do well.
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Beautiful wholesome fetish girl! *drool!* Looks like a living, breathing anime. Yeah, I was pretty much instantly hard every time she perked up on screen.
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And probably end up loving it.
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That's pedophiles, retards and douchey lovers of tinsel turd infotainment for the english speakers in the pews.
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May 11, 2008 7:26:10 AM CDT
I remember when Harry picked "V For Vendetta" As The Best Film o
by bigtuna
The guy is such a Woch bros. fanboy. This movie is as dull as it gets.
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This why most people here enjoy reading Harry's reviews but take ZERO notice of it a valid opinion. Harry, you need to take a step back, watch 2001 again and I'm confident you soon say to yourself ' what the fuck was I smoking when I typed that!!!!!'
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May 11, 2008 8:35:44 AM CDT
I kind of liked it, but Harry's review is way too flattering...
by batutta
The movie has its fun qualities but is far from perfect. The middle of the story sags, Spritle and Chim-Chim are mostly annoying (the free bird sequence made me want to gouge my eyes out). Trixie's relationship with Speed is boring as all hell and Emilie Hirsch is too sedate as Speed. I still enjoyed it as the psychadelic light show it is, but as a film it's not even close to perfect.
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Seriously! Way Too Long!
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Speed Racer will be nowhere near the visual and visceral thrill that Coupon:The Movie - The Ride brought us. Simply unpossible.
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It's so easy to sit back and rag on this, but after seeing it in IMAX last night, I really enjoyed it. The monkey and the kid were a riot, the story was good, there are some nice emotional moments the fx were pretty stunning. Turn off your brains for a couple of hours haters and just enjoy.
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People blindly hating on it celebrating box office numbers like tools. Well those people have no lives and this is proof of it. This movie just wanted to have a good time and let the audience have a good time. They hate this so they need to bash for no reason. Give the movie a chance tools go see it then give an opinion until they go fuck off.
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Those that actually saw Speed Racer seem to like it and those that didn't see it hate it...SHOCKING!
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But I like that you went there. It shows you must be unduly focused on such things. 'Thou dost protest too much' and all that.
Actually, by 'esoteric' I was alluding to something like 'artsy', 'hipstery', and/or 'stoned and artsy hipstery.' SPEED RACER is a blindingly awesome pop art masterpiece of psychedelic insanity infused with nostalgia and love for the original show. You didn't like it? Let me guess -- Rageaholic teen? Obese middle aged virgin? Sad, bitter, broken old man? The Hater Triumvirate! Demographic of the damned! -
Meaning a movie that was nearly universally panned by critics and the general public who never even saw it because of some kind of mass herd hysteria. With Ishtar, the hysteria effect was a combination of the outrageous budget, grudges within Columbia Pictures itself, a media backlash against Warren Beatty(think Barry Bonds), and resulting bad media buzz. People who actually saw Ishtar enjoyed it, unless they went into it with bad feelings already. Comparing to Speed Racer, its mass herd hysteria effect is most likely due to a Wachowski Bros. backlash and the oftheard rallying cry "it looks like a video game!" (which is what I've heard from everyone I know refusing to give this film a chance). Ah, well. If it is a great film (I haven't seen it yet, will tomorrow), it will or should eventually find its way to the top.
I remember I had to drag a group of friends at gunpoint into the opening day of Iron Giant when they all wanted to go see Sixth Sense. They were bitching and moaning the whole first two minutes until they shut up and 90 minutes later, they were in tears (some of them), while one or two held their stance that we should have seen Sixth Sense. Iron Giant still bombed (I think less than 30 mil tops), but it's now become a cult classic and looks where Brad Bird is now. Sometimes, it's best to go against one's better instincts, lest you live all your life in a cage. That group of friends have me to thank for forcing them to see Iron Giant that day, because there's nothing like seeing that film on a multiplex screen with surround sound.
I'm hoping for that same experience with Speed Racer. We'll see. -
Today. Next week, it will be whatever 70s-80s property Hollywood chooses to harvest/rape. If I had a nickel for everything that was Harry's favorite thing as a child, I'd have some serious cash. Like, 3 hundie or something. Sweet sweet cash.
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A movie far, far ahead of its time that was meant to be a blockbuster, failed at that, but became a beloved cult hit, and thereby turned a profit, albeit over time. Still watched in dorm rooms well into the 2020s, stoned/tripping undergrads laughing with glee at the sheer explosion of psychedelic pop art awesomeness on the screen.
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Me and my buds checked this out yesterday, having already been anime fans of this classic anime series. Boy, this thing sucked hard! All flash and style, no substance. It was impossible to figure out what the hell was going on whenever the cars were on the track-I describe the visuals like Joel Schumacher Batman and Robin Design on Attention Deficit Disorder, with a heavy dash of Dick Tracy. The bloody thing was like some hyperactive video game. The acting was actually decent, but the story was paper thin and worst of all...BORING. No character development on the other rival racers. I really wanted to like this film.
The Wachowskis shouldn't be allowed behind a camera ever again! The first Matrix movie proved that they were just very lucky at their first directorial outing. Every thing they've done after that has been a major letdown. -
Or are you just repeating what the naysayers have said? Doesn't sound like you actually watched it. Also, if you couldn't follow the action or the story, you must be 'slow' as in 'special.' The story was simple, and you can easily make out what is going on during the copious insanely over-the-top and awesome racing scenes (again, just like the cartoon, which is still pretty surreal and nuts); its just that there is SO MUCH going on at any one time, that it could be overwhelming... if you're too slow to process the visual information... emphasis on 'slow', as in 'special'. Some of the character exposition is slow, but, cumulatively, its all so insane, and so close to the spirit of the original show, that I thought it worked. Besides, the exposition helps enable the audience to catch their breaths after the completely off-the-hook insane racing scenes which have to be seen to be believed.
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I agree, SPEED RACER is this generations TRON.
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I agree, SPEED RACER is this generations TRON.
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The Ishtar of the new millennium so far.
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Hee~hee, IRONMAN WINS!
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May 11, 2008 3:04:21 PM CDT
First, and for along time, it was rumored to be a 200 million p
by darkcouncilus
Yesterday was 150 mil and today is 120 mil... c'mon!, Speed Racer bombed WB execs!, just accept it as it is.
Unpaid WB apologists and Inner-childrens, before you nest in the "DVD sales will make up for the invesment" argument, please focus on making heavy word-of-mouth to help the movie you liked to get back as much money as possible. -
Looks like an unimpressive 20 million! Barely beat out a duschy Ashton Kutcher!
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...and it probably won't help Speed Racer. Time will tell. Either way, hope the Mach 5 has enough fuel for this race 'cause it's gonna be a long one to the finish line...
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Is when the WB execs who signed the cheque for this didnt 1. read the script 2. look at the pre viz they did ... and then tear the cheque up. What Colombian grade a are they on up there in WB towers?
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May 11, 2008 3:51:01 PM CDT
I'm an asshole who hasn't seen it, but is still a hater.
by fluffyunbound
Why? Because I don't like the colors and because I think it's stupid to have a car race where cars jump in the air. "Uh-oh, my car's in trouble. What should I do? Oh, I know, I'll hit this button and flip into the air." Stupid. And it has to be frustrating to you fanbois of this thing that my attitude [whether you think it's fair or unfair] is pretty much the attitude of filmgoers everywhere. "Speed Racer? Is that the movie where cars jump into the air? No thanks."
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I agree...you don't need to waste a dime on this flick to pass judgement because it's obviously a pile of shit. Thank God it flopped, though; its time to send the Wachowskis off into the sunset with a Fuck You and Have a Nice Day (and thanks for the Matrix before you remembered you were no-talent hacks).
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Seriously, they could have done Iron Giant with puppets and still would have been better than the Wachowski's Speed Racer. Not even going to compare that bomb's script with Iron Giant's, won't be even amusing.
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I tried, but the rest couldn't appreciate your genius. I guess that means to no sequel, But I'll always have this film. *sniffle*
THE GOOD DIE YOUNG, BUT THE OVERHYPED LIVE FOREVER. -
Iron Man is thematically incoherent. Tony seems to learn that weapons only fuel conflict, they don't deter or resolve anything, so he vows to turn over a new leaf. So what does he do? CREATE A NEW HYPER ADVANCED WEAPON TO KICK ASS! D'OH!
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Learn to read people, he didn't say SR was as good as 2001, he merely stated that the loopy visuals harkened to the scene from 2001 - no direct comparison, get it?
Also, SR means nothing to me as I never watched the cartoon so this flick means very little to me. I'll see it, but I doubt I'll enjoy it past the impressive images. I sense that most of those who think it sucked are either bandwagon-jumpers or are like me, not fans of the anime. -
$20 million? Box Office numbers don't equal quality of lack thereof, but it was clear that people weren't interested and that the "outstanding" visuals (not so much) didn't entice them to want to see it. FOR SPEED RACER FANS ONLY.
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as his political views. Come on, Speed Racer, Stop Loss, The Ruins, Doomsday, all bombed and are horrible movies.
Im glad I come here for news and good commentary b/c his reviews are worthless. -
but i loved speed racer. the w. brothers have directed some good films in my opinion and this is one of them. these talkbacks are not for serious discussion of films. 75 percent of the people that post on aicn are just ripping every movie that comes down the pipe because they know it will get under the sci fi movie watcher's skin. i rarely even read the talkbacks here and when i do, it just pisses me off because people are trashing some of the coolest movies i have ever seen. man, if you think this film version of speed racer sucks, then you are on the wrong website. speed racer was a stylishly directed sensory overload. i can't wait to see it again. you have to go and watch the original series to appreciate what the film is conveying.
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i just read one of the earlier posts that said the wachowskis are "no talent hacks". (snl news update sarcasm) Really? i mean Really? so the w. brothers are no talent hacks huh? jesus christ man, is that what all of you guys think? i mean, who is good then? what is the fucking measuring stick here?
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thinks that fucking iron giant is superior to the speed racer film in any way then you are in the dark. iron giant? rotten tomatoes means shit to me. i could give a fuck what billboard thinks about the music that i love and i could care fucking less about what critics think of the films that i enjoy. night of the living dead, run lola run, speed racer, memento...those are some of my favorite movies and i have absolutely no fucking idea what critics even have to say about those movies. well, i do respect ebert sometimes.
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SPEED RACER FUCKING OWNED
I feel bad for all you haters......sitting at home alone all weekend complaining about a movie on the internet you've never seen. You're missing out. -
I may like it when I rent it, but the only good reviews ive found are from fanboys. Harry's reviews are 99% positive.
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Seriously. If I was on LSD, this would be just the thing to drive me to complete insanity. The problem is in the pacing (same as the Metrix sequels, by the way). Hyper-kinetic action and super slooooooow dialogue scenes just don't mix well. And the Wach. Bros. needed well over 2 hours to tell this simplistic story? Come on!
Now, I did see SR on IMAX and I did have my 2 kids with me, and they did enjoy it... for the first hour. Then they started to get restless. But overall, they did like it. Though I don't know how anyone over 8 can think this is actually a "good" movie.
And please let's not talk about any kind of technical innovation here - George Lucas was doing this kind of Green Screen stuff back in the late '90s. And I don't even want to mention LOTR, Sin City and 300: movies that were FAR superior to SR on every level. Let me also point out that there was some amazingly sloppy compositing throughout the picture that was painfully obvious on the IMAX screen. How is that even allowed in a film this expensive? I mean I've seen better ChromaKey work on the evening news!
The only real innovation here is an almost complete lack of aesthetic taste and editorial pacing. Overall though, I didn't hate it, but the low returns are no surprise.
Sorry Harry. Another knee-jerk gusher for a film that should have been a lot better... and shorter. -
cuz sorry...the movie is bombing...and why? because it is geared toward the tweener crowd, and unless you put miley cyrus or the jonas bros up on the screen for 2 hours, tweeners dont want to sit there...the movie is 30 minutes too long, and the action scenes, and the racing scenes are a mess
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IT LIVES! IT FUCKING LIVES! CHOKE ON IT, CAPONE! CHOKE ON IT!
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I liked the special effects and will probably orphan a million children to Miss Ricci, but this movie stank. It was the first time in forever that I've left a theatre to get a refill on my soda.
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I saw it Saturday with my family.
Easily surpasses Iron Man because
of awesome monkeys and candy whore
children.
"Was that a ninja?" -
- Bound and the first Matrix. The rest are crap - so I guess they're due for a good one. What's next for them?
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...and LOVED it! So much fun. Makes me wish I had a kid, just so I could enjoy movies like this with him/her...
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Who were they going after? Kids? How many kids today know Speed Racer? Matthew Fox, John Goodman, Susan Sorrandon, Matthew Fox, and Christina Ricci are names for older audiences. Emil Hirsh is a relatively unknown.
The audience that holds Speed Racer near and dear to their hearts are in their 30s and 40s and would probably be turned off by the videogame, seizure inducing effects and the sappy, juvinelle feel of the movie.
I really wished they went forward with the Johnny Depp version. You gotta think Depp would have only signed on for more grownup mainstream movie that would have appealed to the generation that grew up on Speed Racer along with kids.
The Worchoski Brother really peaked with the original Matrix. I liked V for Vendetta, but I really don't look at that as their movie. All they did was produced it. -
I'm so sick of box office competition being a sport at AICN. 'My movie won, nyaa naaa.' Who cares? An entertaining movie is all I'm looking for, not receipts. And I can like both SR and Iron Man. I liked SR as much as I liked Iron Man, but for totally different reasons. Heck, I may even like Caspian, Indy IV, Hellboy 2, XFiles 2, Incredible Hulk, Dark Knight, and probably a few more. The summer hasn't even started yet.
"SPEED RACER is a blindingly awesome pop art masterpiece of psychedelic insanity infused with nostalgia and love for the original show" - man, laserpants, you should write blurbs. That's a great description of the movie.
I freakin' loved the experience of watching Speed Racer. When I was a pretty young kid, my 3 favorite shows were Batman (the Adam West classic), The Monkees, and Speed Racer, so I guess I had psychedelic leanings back then. To be honest, I can't remember a thing about the show, but it's in my subconscious. I agree that Wachowski's Speed Racer is a tough sell. People who would normally be drawn to a family film would definitely steer clear (no pun intended) of the visual onslaught. But this movie was clearly made by people with a deep love for the original show, for anime, and for pop culture in general. And I really think they have a more intimate knowledge of the mind and desires of the pre-pubescent young male mind than any 'family film' I've seen in years, maybe since E.T. Like someone else mentioned here, after the movie was over (I saw it in IMAX), I saw a young boy literally dancing in the aisles during the credit sequence. That's what it's all about. Harry's exactly right. If you can't dream like you're a young kid again, you won't like this movie. I loved how well the film created a live-action cartoon, better than any previous attempt I've seen. I love how the climax of the film had Speed realize his true reason for racing, and it was a transcendent moment of pure ecstasy and bliss, like Neo seeing the Matrix, like Hugh Jackman's character reaching that level of higher knowledge in The Fountain, like Dave looking inside the monolith (and yes, I get the 2001 comparison. It's not a style or necessarily quality thing, but a thematic thing). I just feel that the Wachowski's captured something truly ineffable onscreen. I think it's a religious movie for kids, the kind of spirituality that only a childlike mind would truly be able to access.
I do think that it's probably difficult viewing for some people. After I went to bed, I couldn't stop dreaming and seeing images in my head (kinda like tripping for real). My stepson also told me that he, too, couldn't stop dreaming that night, which is unusual for him. So the movie does something to your brain, I think. Acid for kiddies!
And, oh yeah, Matthew Fox rocks. He needs to be a superhero. Recast Cyclops or Daredevil now!
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I can't wait to see this again. I wasn't excited about it in the least before hand. I really thought it would be terrible but I was wrong. It was fucking awesome. Go smoke a bowl and enjoy the ride.
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This flick is operating on a lot of levels. It's not just a kids flick. We will all own this movie one day.
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May 12, 2008 12:16:56 AM CDT
"can't wait to see this again" ~ somewhere a SR producer ...
by darkcouncilus
... felt a tingle in the wallet.
Seriously, it's great that anyone enjoyed this movie for what it was, but a movie producer sure doesn't spend 250+ mil expecting nothing less but a cash profit, "pop masterpiece" or not. -
Shit, It's SAD to see all those aisles and counters full of unsold SR crap at Walmart... bet it was the idea of a Inner-children Speed Racer Yaysayer.
The Wachowski bros. Speed Racer, a "pop masterpiece with a hint of nostalgia" that bombed as a business in every conceivable way. -
Google it, it's all over the place.
The wallet has spoken!, no "pop masterpiece with a hint of nostalgia" sequels for you! -
...all the safety bubble devices showing how everyone survives the crashes. Would have been a totally different movie. Maybe that can be an option on the dvd.
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And I wanted to like this movie somebody fucked up real bad. Please fire the kid and shoot the monkey. There were only 4 people in theatre counting us for the 930 show thats bad very bad.
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the soundtrack, and lack of brutality during the crashes.
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but not because I didn't like the movie. I just feel like it was perfect in its story and doesn't need to continue. You can't top those races, anyway.
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charring the hairs off miniature wood rose tree seeds, grinding them up in a pestle and stuffing them in gelatin capsules, then doing two.well, the orgasm wasn't as intense but at least you don't have to throw up as much.
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dried psilocybin mushrooms soaked in a jar of honey, but without the life altering spiritual revelations.
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strawberry mescaline, escept without the smiling hamburger or the fact that you spend the next quarter century in love with the first woman you saw after you got off. Though if it was Christina Ricci I'd be okay with that.
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licking the sweat off the back of a South American Bufo toad... or so I've heard.
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It has been a long time that a filmmaker has shown me things beyond my imagination. The car-fu choreography, camera moves, and anime-staples done up as live action were incredible. Truly unique. New. Never before seen. The Wachowskis have reinvented action choreography, cinematography, and editing. The end of the Grand Prix sequence is a brilliant audiovisual representation of what it means to be "in the zone", like (for example) when playing sports or video games or flying fighter jets or performing.
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This movie absolutely sucked. The general consensus among critics plus and box office take generally doesn't lie. How much did the brothers pay these two for their reviews?
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Where they failed:
1.) Too much boring plotline. I nearly fell asleep during this one part and my kid lost total interest. Kids don't look for substance.
2.) No big name stars. This is supposed to be a Summer movie. Emile Hirsch?
3.) Christina Ricci in a kid's movie. I saw Casper already, I want to see tits. Not one ounce of chemisty between her and Emile (who I suspect is a faeg).
4.) A lot of the races looked like you were watching one of those electronic slot racer tracks at times and the stunts were just way too unbelievable, even for a movie.
5.) I felt like I was watching a promo disc at BestBuy to entice me to buy a new BluRay player with a plasma tv.
6.) I'd rather watch the cartoon.
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May 12, 2008 8:34:26 AM CDT
Yeah, I Think The Real Audience For This Is Relatively Small
by laserpants
As Coughlin pointed out, SPEED RACER is vaguely well-known as a vintage anime, but it doesn't have the same mass popular appeal as Transformers, GI Joe, or any of the other big 80s toy franchises. Oh well. I'm just glad it got made, cause its amazing, but I don't expect a sequel will be forthcoming. But boy would I be happy if there was a SPEED RACER 2! ;-)
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I really didnt think the movie was that bad, I actually enjoyed it for what it was.. I never watched a Speed Racer cartoon as a kid but now because of this movie I am actually thinking of buying some Speed Racer DVDs.So is the movie that bad that it makes me want to watch the cartoons?..I dont think so..
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... yawn. The Wachowski's haven't learned that the script does count.
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is a WFD (wait-for-DVD) for me.
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I for one don't listen to the critics. I mean, was the original psycho panned by the critics and now is considered a masterpiece. I'm just saying...go see the movie first and form your own opinion about the movie.
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Third place behind the vegas flick.
Made 18.5 mil, that is laughable.
I can't believe fanboys paid a dime to see this. -
Loved the cartoon (huge fan of botp and robotech)...absolutely hated the film. Someone should lend the W brothers a copy of Spy Kids 3d, those guys did the same visuals for well under 100 million. There was no depth in the cg, way to flat. Story was 45 minutes too long. Great actors, too many flash backs and flash forwards. Too much time between races. Not a family film either, unless your family says "ASS" every other word and goes around flipping people off. Deserves the drubbing it got in the press and it's crappy showing at the box office. Ass.
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Uhm, April Fool's day was LAST month, Harry. Haha. I kill me. - Sincerely, ALF
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Hmmm...how do I put this one? It isn't as bad as the reviews are making it out to be. That still doesn't sound very promising, does it? It isn't. Here's the deal, it looks like The Wachowski Brothers (directors of the Matrix) put a lot of money into this thing and hired a top notch cast, but the thing lacks heart. It spends so much time trying to be colorfully dazzling, it forgets to chill and let us enjoy the characters a bit.
As I said, the cast is perfect, especially Matthew Fox, from LOST, who portrays the enigamic Racer X. Too bad his and everyone else's performances are lost in a kalidescope of brilliant color. Speed Racer reminded me of what was wrong with the last 3 Star Wars movies; they were brilliant to look at, but you never totally felt emotionally invested. The characters got lost in the race to cram every last special effect down our throats. I left hoping for a sequel that will turn things down a notch and let the characters breathe. I honestly don't want to see this franchise put to pasture after one movie. Speed Racer deserves a great movie. Unfortunately, he just got an OK one.
That being said, there was a lot of good and potential in this movie. They got the casting right. They got the storyline right. They used the original theme music to good effect. All the elements were there, but I think they would have been better served with a less green screen delivery. Every landscape does not need to be digitally created! Personally, I would have like to see the Mach 5 a little bit more, but with it and the rest of the cars zipping around the screen at 1,000 mph, that opportunity was lost. It has always been my favorite fictional car.
I dunno...this movie was definitely made for children. The problem is that it was made by 2 guys who may not know kids well enough. That's apparent when they have a kid "flip the bird" at someone and use the cuss words, "hell" and "ass" at least once each. They were glaringly obvious in their use in this otherwise tonally pre-school and grade school level flick. Also, the edits are so fast and furious, I could tell that the kids I was with were getting lost a bit.
So, do I recommend it? No. Is it as bad as the reviewers say? No. All I can say is, if your curious, go see it. These guys really tried to get it right. They just didn't. And if you have young kids, despite the "flipping the bird" and the 2 quick cuss words, take them to see it. The kids I took definitely enjoyed themselves, but there was something very telling as we left the movie theatre...
...the 4 year old boy asked me if we could go to Target to buy the Iron Man villain action figure and the 9 year old girl asked me if I could take her to see Iron Man AGAIN?!?!?
That movie had the magic of our childhoods. This one tried to capture the nostalgia of our formative years, but kinda missed the track.
Summer Popcorn Movie Tally So Far....
IRON MAN A+
Speed Racer C+
Al -
This movie was actually great fun. Really I enjoyed it as much as Iron Man. My kids 4 and 7 both enjoyed it too. If you have any love for the show, ignore the naysayers. It's worth seeing in the theater.
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**spoilers**
1. Speed Racer may not be a critical or financial success right now, but aesthetically, it succeeds with flying colors. Literally.
2. The Wachowski Nutjobs took the Speed Racer concept and mixed it with Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life","TRON", Brian DePalma/Martin Scorsese film trickery, Little Orphan Annie, Japanime, 60's Japanese cinema, Bruce Lee movies, Tex Avery cartoons, state of the art CGI, and special sauce to create the ultra-kinetic nostalgic post-modern wacky insane heartfelt goodness currently playing at a theater near you.
2. It experiments cinematically. It takes risks. It dares to boldly go where no movie has gone before. "Child-drawn" animation and b&w newsreel footage in the same movie? Crazy! And the scene/shot transitions make the ones in Ang Lee's Hulk look like baby food. Does the experimentation work? For me, it does. I like how the film didn't let me settle into a particular gear, but kept shifting on me, keeping me off balance. I wasn't sure if I was going to get Speed Racer seriousness or Spritle/ChimChim goofiness from one moment to the next! Way to take the viewer out of his/her comfort zone and keep them on the edge whether they like it or not!
3. Beneath the digital slickness, the flash, the dazzle, the virtual hyperreality, Speed Racer does indeed have heart, that is, emotional depth. You do feel the love the Racer family members have for each other, the regret of Racer X. And in the end, you know Speed Racer races because racing is in his blood, that when he is behind the wheel of a car, he's a freaking demon! Admittedly, I did lose a little emotional connection during the longer expositories at the film's beginning, but the ending made up for that in spades.
4. The ending. I have probably just seen the nearest cinematic equivalent to one's first orgasm ever put to screen. In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if that's how the Wachowski Nutjobs directed the digital animators and the editors to create this amazing sequence that is the Grand Prix race. Orgasm. Not just any orgasm, but the first one. Like a virgin. At the end of it, I was nearly as breathless as Speed.
5. Speed Racer is a trilogy rolled into one film. Actually, the film is two films. Like back to back episodes of the old cartoon comprising a larger story arc. The first one ends with the Casa Cristo race. The second one begins with the Grand Prix, actually with Speed racing around the Thunderhead alone in self-pity. I think the Wachowskis might have helped their cause if they even literally divided the film into these two episodes, just like the old cartoon.
6. "Get that weak shit off my track!" What a great line. Much better than "I drink your milkshake."
7. A great cast. The kid playing Spritle even looks like John Goodman. Emile brings the intensity. Matt Fox brings the coolness. Susan Sarandon brings the MILFness. Ms. Ricci brings the same weird hotness she's brought to everything I've seen her in since Buffalo 66. The dude playing Sparky is a good odd man out. And John Goodman is a great reliable anchor for this motley crew. Oh, ChimChim was great, too. Can't go wrong cinematically with monkeys. It's a rule.
8. Nice fitting musical score that incorporates the original theme song brilliantly and seams with the movie well.
9. The ending credit sequence is maybe the best ending credit sequence ever.
I'm not going to call "Speed Racer" cinematic genius. How about cinematic brilliance? And how brilliant it is...and colorful... -
I saw this last night with my dad and my best friend since I was 4 years old...I'm 43 now, so that's a long time...and I had a blast with this movie...Harry's right, Mathew Fox was total badass as Racer X, everything clicked for me, from the races to the story, to the action sequences...I had a big stupid goofy grin on my face, and I have never wanted a Mach 5 as badly as I do right now. Sure the Mach 6 is kinda cool, but NOTHING beats the Mach 5 for me, NOTHING!
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I second stuatfunnyordie, How can you hate on this movie. First off it's a kid movie just like the show was for kids. But dam I loved every minute of this movie. Action from begining to end, and it kept the tone that the show had. I remember watching this when I was a kid and absolutely loving the craziness of it. The insane car races, and the hilarious fights. Speed, Racer X and definitely Pops kicked ass. They would beat the hell out of thugs. I loved how Pops fought in this movie because it's the same way he fought on the show. This did was sorry ass Transformers didn't do. It stayed true to the what the show was about while making it modern. Anyone that bitches about dialogue or how unreal it is needs to shut the hell up. If I went to the see a moive about a cop trying to solve a homicide or a mafia picture or war than bitch about dialogue or reality. But this was based on an 70s anime. And I'm with Harry as basic as this story was I loved it, because it was the same story that would be on a Speed Racer episode. Spritle and Chim Chim stayed sneaking into the trunk of Speed's car while he raced and I loved it. Unlike how Bay just took the name Transformers but put his own piece of shit story out there. This movies was great I'm going to see at least 3 more times and can't wait to get it on DVD.
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You have to love amovie thats about fair play. Cheaters never prosper and haters suck their own cocks! Fuck you! GO SPEED GO!
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Speed Racer has been my favorite so far for 2008- kudos to Iron Man but this movie rocked. Haters should go rent a sophisticated Streisand movie and screw themselves.
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I just saw this movie and truthfully, it was a massive, technicolor mess. To make it worse, saw it in IMAX for free! It was like being stuck in a Willy-Wonka acid trip. It was so over the top candy colored sweet I'm sure I have diabetes from this train wreck. Pass on this turd and buy it from a video store (previewed, so you can smash it up and flush it down the toilet after you're done watching it.) That way the end of the film will be more satisfying.
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nope.. not buying it! that is, what your trying to sell! i saw it twice and loved it. Not sure what your deal is?
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May 15, 2008 2:01:08 PM CDT
"SPEED RACER is more than just a movie – it is a cinematic adren
by drunken rage
Harry, you are a stupid whore.
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it always makes me laugh when basement internet trolls call successful hollywood directors "no talent hacks" ....just because u broke the guiness record for time stuck staring at the internet without dying or the number of times u can perform felatio on yourself in one day doesnt give u a right to talk crap about anything that u dont have a talent for yourself...get back to ur PS3 and your porn......
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I was never a fan of Speed Racer, I watched maybe one episode while growing up and I was an 80's kid, right in the middle of the whole thing. I knew about it though, and when I heard that the Wachowski brothers were doing this I was quite excited to see how they took an 80's anime from and remade it as a live action film.
When I went to see this movie I couldn't even get my friends to see it with me. they read Rotten tomatoes and totally wrote it off.
I went anyways, because I don't trust rotten tomatoes(too much old fogies) Boy am I glad I didn't listen.
I've never understood why people like race car driving. NASCAR, formula 1, it was all so alien a thing to me, I thought I would never understand it, and I never did, until now. My heart was absolutely racing, no pun intended, during the races in this movie, and the editing style did the exact same thing. It was completely unafraid to do things differently and it worked.
When I left the theater to go home it took every fiber of my willpower not to speed home as fast as possible. I've never gone above the speed limit, but suddenly, suddenly after watching that movie I understand why people go fast in their cars, I understand the excitment of a close race, I understand something I've not understood my entire life.
THAT is profound. THAT is exactly what the wachowski brothers were going for, they wanted to stick people in the cockpit of a usperpowered racecar and make them feel like they were truly a part of the race.
It worked.
When I went to the theater I was afraid it wasn't going to be that good. when I left the theater I was sad that I had to, I wanted to see it again, and again.
It was charming, it was witty, it was family friendly, action packed, visually stunning, stylish, inventive... it's absolutely everything that a movie lover could ask for in a summer blockbuster; pure, unabashed entertainment. -
...it is family friendly. If the Wachowskis wanted to Butcher up a cartoon to feed the “mass snobbish reviewer association” what they would consider a "good" film they would have made this a hard “R” with cursing, and a glorification of blood and guts and T&A. But the Wachowski brothers did the right thing in keeping this movie family friendly at the behest of the snobbish drive-by media reviewer conglomerate who’s only purpose is to see the same retarded cookie cutter film over and over that they themselves have become desensitized too without regard to any other form of art. A movie must fit into their preconceived notions of what the movie should be (paint by the numbers, it better be rated “R” or else!) or they will hate it. Too bad they fail to see the greatness in Speed Racer.
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perfect.
It could have been great. First half hour or so, the back story on Racer X and Speed growing up and the first race, very cool. Maybe if it had been structured more liike a traditional drama, I think it would have survived it, but the tone was a little skewed in parts...Spritle and Chim Chim doing comedy relief during what should be a menacing scene...and I'm pretty sure people died in the cartoon...just look at the opening sequence with the car crash explosion...
That said, seeing the Mark V in action was pretty damn exciting - I wanted to yell at the screen I was geeking out so bad, like the first time Wolverine popped his claws... the cast is perfect, even Spritle adn Chim Chim. whoulda thunk it? half hour less, tighter story, maybe a different edit, a more clear, concise, streamlined story - and if they're going to make the Racer X stuff the heavy of the film, they took the drama pretty far early on, then the movie never got that serious again...
Too much to say all at once, but I agree...whatever you feel about the story, this is one you'll want on Blu Ray just so you can watch certain parts over and over again. It's weird...the potential was there, but it was maybe trying to be too many things all at once? But when it got it right, it was super cool...
also ***MINOR SPOILER****
Speed tells a racer to "Get that weak shit off my track"...the only mis-fire for his character. Speed was never a shit-talker.
Final Verdict:
Loved parts of it, worth my dime, worth seeing it on IMAX, cause that's what the format is for - crazy visuals and sound, or digital projection. Probably see it again cause I know what I'll like and when I can go to the bathroom or get a hot dog. The corporation plot needs to be waay simpler. Sooo...
while watching it:
I freaking loved it,
then I liked it,
then I was a little bored with the corporation story,
then I loved it,
then I really loved it (Crucible is the best race of all),
then I liked it.
Car-with-sawblade-fu. major geek-out.
Love the show? See the movie. -
The effects are some of the most creative and entertaining i have ever seen
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I'm not me being a hater, but I didn't like it, and that's just my honest opinion. I wanted to see it. I wanted to like it. But it was just not my kinda thing you know?
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Then you are an idiot with no taste and no soul
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You were good once and now you churn out stuff like this. Have u guys been hanging around Uwe Bol again, getting tips on film making? Time to change career, fellas, like M Night.
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From what I heard about this movie, it would be you who has no soul since this movie apparently had none.
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People who judge movies based on what they've heard from other people have no soul.
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The Wachowskis have broken new ground in filmmaking with Speed Racer. Perhaps it is you, youngling, who needs tips on filmmaking.
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It seems to me that a cake with more frosting might actually be more exciting, as opposed to a cake with less frosting. Your argument rings hollow, like a Twinkie without creme filling.
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