Speed Racer
The important thing to realize before going into a movie like “Speed Racer” is to consider what type of movie the Wachowski Sisters- in the directors’ chairs for the first time since their ho-hum “Matrix” trilogy- were looking to do. First and foremost, “Speed Racer” is intended to be a family film, so anyone expecting the down-and-dirty hard-R action of the “Matrix” movies and the Brothers’ terrific “V for Vendetta” (which they wrote) will be disappointed. Bottom line is- the young boys (and the young at heart among the geek set) will probably love this film, even if the parents find themselves covering their ears to keep from going deaf. (Has a film followed the “wall of sound” aesthetic in film sound quite like this since “Armageddon?” OK, maybe “Transformers.”) Along with their desire to make a family film, the Brothers also set out to make a “live action” cartoon, carrying over the aesthetic of the cult cartoon series to live-action filmmaking to create something never really seen before onscreen…think what Ang Lee did with his much-maligned (sometimes unfairly) “Hulk” back in 2003. This makes reviewing “Speed Racer” kind of problematic, since everything (from the non-stop visual flair- has a film been this hard-core flashy since “Batman & Robin?”- to the stylized acting to the percussive and energetic score by Michael Giacchino, who seems to be aping his own superb work on “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille” Horner-style…film score fans will know what I mean) is taken, Spinal Tap-style, to 11. The best thing is to just run with it; a toned-down movie might have been more black-and-white critically, but may not have been so appropriate as storytelling.
As long as he could remember, Speed Racer (“Into the Wild’s” Emile Hirsch) had always wanted to be a racecar driver. Even in school he would make little movies of spectacular crashes at the bottom of his test booklets. It’s not too shocking- racing and cars was a way of life for his family; his father (John Goodman) ran Racer Motors, and his older brother Rex was a legend on the track, setting a track record Speed would later challenge. But on a long-distance race after a falling out with their father, Rex died mysteriously in a dangerous part of the track, leaving a family stigma that would follow his brother into his own tremendous career, racing- independently- for his father’s company. But history has a tendency of repeating itself, and Speed finds himself facing several of the same choices his brother did when carmaking giant Royalton (“Vendetta’s” slithery Roger Allam, equally lecherous here) offers him a slice of a very rich pie. Will Speed follow in his brothers’ footsteps, or change the face of the sport he loves?
The Wachowski Sisters, like their hero, have quite a balancing act to deal with- how do you make a movie this over-the-top generate real feeling and sympathy for their main characters? They answer it simply- by playing true to life with the dynamics of each of the relationships. They set out to make a live-action cartoon, and succeed in spades in many ways, but they play it honest when it comes to the emotional ties that bind. As ham-handed as their performances seem on the surface, we feel the affection Mom (Susan Sarandon) and Pops (Goodman) have for their family, including mechanic Sparky (Kick Gurry) and young son Spritle (Paulie Litt, providing goofy laughs with family monkey Chim Chim). As campy as their deliveries and facial expressions may be, we feel the air of young love around Speed (Hirsch has now his young star status after this, his Oscar-worthy turn in “Into the Wild,” and his breakout role in the underrated teen comedy “The Girl Next Door”) and Trixie (the hottie played by Christina Ricci, looking sexy and sensational as “the girl”…quite a change for the former Wednesday Addams actress). Even the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) has a pull that makes you think there’s more to him that meets the eye. God help me, this film maybe their most outlandish to date, but dare I say that on an emotional level of storytelling, it’s also their most mature? I know when considering the film since seeing it what sticks out in my mind is more the performances and actor moments than the action…
…which is where the film kind of falters. Make no mistake, the purely digital universe visualized by cinematographer David Tatersall, production designer Owen Paterson, and an army of visual effects artists led by “Matrix” FX guru John Gaeta is a wonder to behold in a way that would make master fantasists George Lucas and James Cameron blush…had they not set the bar so high to begin with (has a movie been so anticipated in recent memory than Cameron’s “Avatar?”). Problem is, you don’t believe a frame of it. Even the best cartoons have some weight and rules grounded in reality…that’s what made Lucas and Cameron’s early work in sci-fi fantasy so groundbreaking to begin with. Just because the technology gives you the ability to do anything doesn’t mean you should do everything. As cool as “Speed Racer” is to look at, you don’t feel the sense of danger or excitement the early classics of the FX blockbuster achieved…look at how artificial the first two “Star Wars” prequels ended up being. The Wachowskis have a strong story in place- something that’s been missing from their previous writing-directing efforts (even their overpraised 1996 debut “Bound”)- but revert to the over-indulgence that sunk “The Matrix” sequels under their own weight. Whether that makes you like the film less is for the individual to decide. Me? I wouldn’t mind seeing it again for the performances and pretty colors, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to do so.
