Movie Review: Speed Racer

Friday, May 09, 2008

Movie Review: Speed Racer
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Speed Racer [Theatrical Release]
By Emile Hirsch
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There’s probably a litmus test for enjoying a movie like “Speed Racer.”
Filmgoers who can check their irony at the door, strap in and enjoy the psychedelic special effects, breakneck-paced storytelling and the sight of John Goodman doing kung fu alongside a chimp are in for the one of the most exhilaratingly original family films in ages. All the square hipsters who demand that a film based on a cartoon be grounded in reality can just head for the exit ramp.
Although it’s based on a popular Japanese “anime” from the 1960s and bears a family-friendly PG-rating, “Speed Racer” is one of the most unexpected and groundbreaking action-adventures to ever hit the big screen. Writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski, in their first collaboration since “The Matrix” trilogy, have not only successful adapted the “Speed Racer” story, but they’ve also used mold-shattering computer technology to recreate the look, feel and atmosphere of a cartoon. Miles away from the bleak, dark tones of “The Matrix,” the Wachowskis have created a bright, sugar-coated world where normal physics don’t apply and absolutely anything is possible.
Speed Racer, played with the perfect mixture of courage and naivety by “Into the Wild’s” Emile Hirsch, is a kid who has been obsessed with racing since he was a child. In the film’s warp-speed-paced opening sequences we watch him daydream about racing in class, reminisce about the tragic demise of his brother Rex Racer and, as a grownup, literally chase his brother’s ghost down a racetrack. The scene is structured without cuts, with each story “wiping” into the other so that everything feels as if it’s happening at once; the effect, which we see throughout the movie, feels more like the film is being downloaded into our heads than watched. In the wrong hands a storytelling technique like this, which totally ignores normal cinematic language, would be a disaster; yet the Wachowskis work their magic with a skill and ingenuity that makes it look surprisingly easy.
Speed, hot off of his win and adored by girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci), soon fines himself wooed by an evil corporate sponsor. Speed’s father, Pops Racer (Goodman), warns his son about the dangers of selling out and the sneering corporate baddie quickly informs Speed that every race is fixed and that failure to join his team will mean the end of the family auto business. Urged on by Inspector Detector and the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox), who may have a connection to the family, Speed decides to participate in The Crucible, a deadly cross-country rally, to bring down the evil syndicate that has fixed racing. For extra help ‹ and surprisingly effective comic relief ‹ he calls on little brother Spritle and the family’s pet monkey, Chim Chim who, alas, does resort to throwing his poo in one scene.
I have to imagine that when the Wachowskis signed on for this film, their fans may have thought they were selling out by taking on such an obvious big-budget studio release. Had the brothers, who delivered a deep, metaphysical and very R-rated action trilogy, gone soft by taking on a family picture and casting teen heartthrob Hirsch?
Having seen the film, I now have to wonder what execs at Warner Brothers were thinking when they green-lighted this picture. Although it’s based on a popular cartoon and has a catchy cast, the fact of the matter is that this is not your typical family flick, dependant on a reliable formula presented with slick action and stunts. What the Wachowskis have done is make a family-friendly, action-packed, crowd-pleasing film that doubles as a very avant-garde and experimental piece of pop art. Some, like yours truly, will enjoy the experience; others may think this the most headache-inducing, bizarre creation ever put in theaters.
Certainly, the visual approach to this film takes some getting used to. Even the quieter, dramatic scenes take place in a reality that literally looks like a cartoon. It’s obviously computer-generated and presented with a multi-focus that looks two-dimensional. The races are not simply retreaded “Days of Thunder” works but a new style that the Wachoskis have termed “Car Fu,” in which the motorists flip over each other, charge down mountainsides and take hairspin turns at 400 mph, all while equipped with an array of crazy gadgets and weapons. The tracks are a computer-programmer’s paradise, bending and twisting through candy-colored deserts and glistening ice caves while the Wachowskis, freed from the confines of “normal” camera movement, careen from one driver to the next within one shot. Even the scenes of more pedestrian kung fu fighting are done with an anime-style, freezing characters in heroic poses while the background whips by.
The result is a movie that doesn’t so much flow as it does blast to the finish line. Although the run time pushes 2 hours and 15 minutes, “Speed Racer” moves with a zip; even exposition is handled with visual trickery and style. Simply put: The Wachowskis have re-invented the family film and, in a genre that usually stays as formulaic and pedestrian as possible, truly give audiences something that I can guarantee that they’ve never seen before. Yes, the narrative sometimes buckles under the pressure and you can almost feel the directors striving to keep the story from flying apart; but with surprising skill and style, they make this one of the most enjoyable and flat-out entertaining spectacles we’ve seen in a very long time.
I suspect a lot of that has to do with the heart that beats through every frame of this film. For all the gimmicks, bells and whistles, “Speed Racer” is a family movie through and through. At its core, this is a movie about family dynamics, staying true to yourself and becoming your own hero. Every cast member approaches their role with the perfect mixture of innocence and sincerity, from Hirsch and Goodman as the lovable racing fanatics, to Susan Sarandon as Speed’s caring mom to Ricci as the adorable, cute-as-a-button Trixie. The highlight for kids will likely be Spritle and Chim Chim (refreshingly played by a real monkey, not a CGI creation); the young man playing Spritle is note perfect and an aspect that could have been utterly annoying actually is a delight throughout the film.
It will be interesting to see how the public approaches “Speed Racer.” Hardcore geeks and film fans may laugh off such a high-energy, yet (purposefully) simplistic story. Casual movie goers may scratch their heads and wonder what they just saw. But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that kids will be the ones to embrace this; at the screening I was at, after the climactic race, one youngster exclaimed “Go Racer!” I’m inclined to agree. “Speed Racer” is the most fun I’ve had at the movies so far in 2008. Grade: A-