Oh Grow Up...Be a Kid and Enjoy Speed Racer!

Speed Racer: Speed (Emile Hirsch), Pops (John Goodman), Mom (Susan Sarrandon), Spritle (Paulie Litt), Racer X (Mathew Fox), Royalton (Roger Allman)/ Directed by The Wachowscki Brothers.

I just saw the new Speed Racer movie and I was overwhelmed with emotion. Ok quick background. Speed Racer is the title character of the self titled anime from the sixties about a teenaged race car driver and his quest to be the greatest racer of all time. Along the way we are quickly introduced to his family and friends, allies and enemies. This was not a deep cartoon, but it was fun and for a time I too wanted to be the greatest racer of all time. The movie, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers is fast paced, sweet, enduring, funny, and a lot of fun.

The characters are faithful yet updated and the villians are cartoony evil. As stated earlier the movie is fast paced which reinforces the world these characters live in, where everything is intense; the colors are bright and vibrant and in some areas maybe too much so. Information is conveyed quickly; scenes transition quickly, the race sequences are a blur and fight scenes rotate from part of the action to another, so yeah...visually it can be overwhelming. It also takes a bit to catch onto their story telling style, but once you get it you are pulled in.

The music is pumping with new arrangements of the familiar soundtrack, the crowds are going wild and, announcers speak fast, the cars are a blur of motion and the whole time I'm sitting there saying to myself "Go Speed Go." If you remember and enjoyed the cartoon this will not be new to you. You almost don't need words to enjoy this movie, but the dialogue only enhances it, because the family drama is well done and the characters are well represented by the cast of actors chosen to bring us this story of this young man searching for his destiny while embracing his family values.

One criticism could be that there is no danger factor to the film, point taken, but so what. Another criticism seems to be about the Brothers agenda behind the movie. The evils of capitalism. Before you step foot in this film it's probably a good idea to ask yourself why are you interested in seeing this movie? The movie is meant to be fun, and capture the magic that was Speed Racer. The cartoon is dated, and the animation can be stilted, the magic was in how you felt after an episode. There wasn't one thing about the cartoon that you could pinpoint as the source of adrenaline and attentiveness that resulted from a viewing. It was emersive, the whole package; the music, the fast talking, the FX sounds of the Mach 5's gadgets, engines revving, cars accelerating around the track, and the crowd screaming, reacting, responding and someone associated with Speed bellowing "Go Speed Go". Don't believe me? Try watching an episode with your back turned and see how long that lasts. The cartoon took us on Speeds adventures on and off the race track. His villians were mostly bad adults, who were big business and wanted more power or organized crime wanting more power. And it was up to the very small (mom and pop family owned business) Pops Auto Racing to show them what for. The Wachowski's didn't loose this point, they get it, Spritle and Chim Chim in the trunk, Spritle's fantasy adventures, Pops wrestling background and unwavering title as the head of the family, Racer X's need to be a part of this family while being apart, Trixie and Sparky's loyalty... oh and the car...it's all there. They get it.

I've talked to a lot of people who don't get it, they look for details, but that's not the point. It seems like the critics are more interested in the agendas of the Brothers and less about Speed Racer, and maybe that's their job, maybe I'm the one not getting it. I know I can be hard on a movie, something needs to touch me on some level, and this did. Could they have made different choices? maybe, could we have seen more of Trixie? Yes! I'm not sure how this movie will do in the box office and a big part of me doesn't care...it's almost like the brothers made this movie just for me, Do I want it to do well...hell yeah but I kind of like the idea that maybe I wont have to share it with a lot of people.