Barbelith Underground > Film, TV & Theatre

Go Speed Racer, Go!

Just saw Speed Racer in Korea opening day and I must admit for a first kiddie movie by the Wachowski Siblings it wasn't that bad. Rated PG and in tone of the cartoon sped up on visual Day Glo CGI effects it dares to go where few new movies are brave enough to go with somewhat over the top action sequences and hyperspeed racing in new dangerous racetracks that sends its vehicles careening to the edge and going upside down in loops. Being an action scene junkie Speed Racer only left me craving for more like the over the top Matrix sequences or scenes like John Woo's Hard Boiled when I saw in the theater for the 1st time left me in adrenline shock!

The script you can see was imagined with direction of new visual feasts already in mind such as the dialogue spoken by characters but no intercuts or editting but rather smooth hyperspeed tracking shots between characters shot and spoken. The Wachowski Siblings use new innovative shots new to expand the vocabulary of cinema, and it only left me wanting more of those new innovative shots but with some thought and meaning behind it.

I especially liked the soundtrack and their use of new mixed with the old cartoon soundtrack amped up for the new generation. The Grand Prix finale with the soundtrack only heightened the drama and I liked it alot. The Wachowski Siblings use of HD shots are pretty new to my eyes and it is pretty shocking when you can see crisp and clean and very detailed shots where the background is just as alive as the foreground where every member of the race track audience can be seen in vivid and clear detail.

Some of my gripes with the movie:

The cartoony action of the Wachowski Siblings fits well with a movie vehicle such as Speed Racer but you feel sometimes that their heroes are too invincible and undefeatable and you are felt numb by not feeling any excitement because the danger they face you know they will easily overcome. Every car accident and bump is fearless and numbingly bizarre at times because you feel no danger at all for the character.

I felt the tone of the film was a bit bizarre because it is a film for kids and it seems that the Wachowski Siblings were a bit fish out of water with the new child like tone especially after seeing something like the Matrix and V for Vendetta where they seem more comfortable with adult oriented themes fused with teen type adrenlinized action. I Sped to the theaters to see this film on the strength of the Matrix and their production of V for Vendetta but after I saw Speed Racer it felt the engine and the vehicle lost track of itself and I felt I was left with a total blow out. Having said that I still look forward to what the Wachowski Siblings have in their arsenal and bag of tricks for future films just on visual invention and innovation.

Go, Speed Racer Go!