Well Alice in Wonderland had Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, lovable source material (more Disney than Carroll), 3D and the power of Disney's marketing machine. Speed Racer in comparison, had none of this.
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Speed Racer (2008, Wachowskis) - GO WATCH THIS NOW
- Thread starter Korey
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Well Alice in Wonderland had Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, lovable source material (more Disney than Carroll), 3D and the power of Disney's marketing machine. Speed Racer in comparison, had none of this.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Depp + Burton. Especially towards the tweens.
Angry Fork
Member
It's not. It depends on what you're expecting and if you're willing to be on board with the movies premise. It's supposed to be cheesy and simple, but with this film it's endearing rather than negative. Everything is just done really well, I only saw like 1 or 2 episodes of Speed Racer when I was a kid and knew nothing about it but this movie still resonated with me.
This movie has tons of genuine feeling and honesty in it if you're willing to hop on board and just enjoy the ride. The last race finish gave me goosebumps and I wanted to cheer for Speed myself. It's just awesome all around imo with the exception of the kiddy stuff which goes overboard with the cheese. Namely the kid + chimp. And that's without mentioning the incredibly rich, glorious, imaginative visuals.
Oblivionmancer
Member
Love, love, love this movie. I'm not saying that disliking this movie means that you are a sad miserable shell of a person who would be a bummer to be around, but it sure wouldn't surprise me if you were.
I need to watch again.
I need to watch again.
DJ_Lae
Member
Oh yeah, the blu-ray is great, I was just surprised that the digital copy had expired as unlike some recent releases, it had no explicit expiration date on the insert.
RebornYeti
Member
I remember I saw this and Dark Knight in theaters back to back in '08.
I enjoyed Speed Racer more. That end race was just so good, I was literally on the edge of my seat, and I never do that.
If that movie was released in 3D (the good kind), I think I would have exploded.
I enjoyed Speed Racer more. That end race was just so good, I was literally on the edge of my seat, and I never do that.
If that movie was released in 3D (the good kind), I think I would have exploded.
Preach brother,preach!
brandonh83
Banned
Slow, reflective moment of final lap + Giacchino = pure cinematic bliss
And then the Wachowski's do some trippy visual shit at the end of the race like the orgasm cake in Matrix Reloaded, only that... in that movie one slice got the girl to get up and go to the restroom, so imagine eating an entire orgasm cake... well, the end of the race is like eating an entire orgasm cake.
And then the Wachowski's do some trippy visual shit at the end of the race like the orgasm cake in Matrix Reloaded, only that... in that movie one slice got the girl to get up and go to the restroom, so imagine eating an entire orgasm cake... well, the end of the race is like eating an entire orgasm cake.
lol..awesome quote. Maybe I'll add it to the OP
I'll address each:
Terrible acting
Bullshit. Emile Hirsch is charming as hell as Speed. Hirsch played him as the cool, nice guy you want to know in real life. Seemed like a totally awesome kid. John Goodman is.. well.. John Goodman which is good! The scene where he argues with Rex as well as the mirror scene later when he comes clean with Speed... he delivers both with heart and charm. Susan Sarandon's "you take my breath away" speech was touching, giving the otherwise throw-away character of Mom Racer something to contribute to the film. Roger Allam was over the top but in a wonderfully delicious way. As has been said already in this thread, his bad guy speech is oozing with loathing and spittle. Loved it. Mathew Fox brings the most serious performance and while Fox was rather flat and wooden, it worked for the character. The rest of the characters we're alright but nothing special. Even the kid who played Spritle wasn't bad in a "Disney movie" fashion. He could have been much worse.
Annoying characters
Spridle and Chim-chim were indeed annoying at times. I'll grant you that. However, at times they'd win you back like when Spridle gave Royalton the finger and Chim-chim threw monkey-poo at Crusher Block. I could have done with fewer scenes of them but I assume that was to cater to the younger audience. All of the other characters in the movie were great (aside from maybe a silly villian here or there).
Cliche-ridden script
Dude... it's f-ing Speed Racer. The cliche was deliberate. It was a celebration of the cartoon's waky premise and ridiculous foils. What were you expecting... Citizen Kane?!
Shallow
I don't even understand this complaint. The world The Wachowskis created for Speed Racer to inhabit is remarkably rich if you pay attention. It's much richer than the initial premise (live action cartoon) deserved. They created this sort of alternate history of our world where not only has car racing become the world's biggest sport but there's a real pro-environmental message hidden beneath the surface. Did you notice how clean everything was? Shiny? Did you notice all the cars were electric? Clean energy, clean society. The history of the WRL itself, described in detail by both Pops Racer and Royalton is quite rich. Not to mention, it delves into the darker sides of this society which revolves around corporate coruption and media control. Shallow? I don't see it.
Ridiculous premise
Again, it's a movie based on a cartoon. About the only thing rediculous about the concept when viewed within the world itself is how Royalton Industries and the other corrupt companies kept the secret for so long but... again... considering it's not to be taken TOO SERIOUSLY and is a fun family film I'll let them have it. Lighten up. I get the impression by these complaints you would hate a movie like Tangled for the same reasons.
Occasionally jarring effects
Bwhahaha! Uh yeah. That's like 50% of the charm of this movie. Those effects are so far out there. I can't even think of another movie like it. I love they pushed the envelope of camera moves, zooms and transitions to such extremes. It reminds the audience to sit back and enjoy the ride and not get too bent out of shape when silly, cartoony things happen in a movie based on a cartoon.
Running time too long
I can't agree. In fact, when I watched it again the other day it seemed the time flew by. The visit to Royalton Industries and the Ninja stuff did drag on longer than I'd had liked but all of the other scenes with their manic editing and creative intermixing of timelines was fast as hell. Just like... Speed Racer.
Is it a kid's film? Is it a family film? Is it an action film? No identity
It's a family film.
Not made by Pixar or Dreamworks
Talk about being shallow.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
I'll address each:
Terrible acting
Bullshit. Emile Hirsch is charming as hell as Speed. Hirsch played him as the cool, nice guy you want to know in real life. Seemed like a totally awesome kid. John Goodman is.. well.. John Goodman which is good! The scene where he argues with Rex as well as the mirror scene later when he comes clean with Speed... he delivers both with heart and charm. Susan Sarandon's "you take my breath away" speech was touching, giving the otherwise throw-away character of Mom Racer something to contribute to the film. Roger Allam was over the top but in a wonderfully delicious way. As has been said already in this thread, his bad guy speech is oozing with loathing and spittle. Loved it. Mathew Fox brings the most serious performance and while Fox was rather flat and wooden, it worked for the character. The rest of the characters we're alright but nothing special. Even the kid who played Spritle wasn't bad in a "Disney movie" fashion. He could have been much worse.
Annoying characters
Spridle and Chim-chim were indeed annoying at times. I'll grant you that. However, at times they'd win you back like when Spridle gave Royalton the finger and Chim-chim threw monkey-poo at Crusher Block. I could have done with fewer scenes of them but I assume that was to cater to the younger audience. All of the other characters in the movie were great (aside from maybe a silly villian here or there).
Cliche-ridden script
Dude... it's f-ing Speed Racer. The cliche was deliberate. It was a celebration of the cartoon's waky premise and ridiculous foils. What were you expecting... Citizen Kane?!
Shallow
I don't even understand this complaint. The world The Wachowskis created for Speed Racer to inhabit is remarkably rich if you pay attention. It's much richer than the initial premise (live action cartoon) deserved. They created this sort of alternate history of our world where not only has car racing become the world's biggest sport but there's a real pro-environmental message hidden beneath the surface. Did you notice how clean everything was? Shiny? Did you notice all the cars were electric? Clean energy, clean society. The history of the WRL itself, described in detail by both Pops Racer and Royalton is quite rich. Not to mention, it delves into the darker sides of this society which revolves around corporate coruption and media control. Shallow? I don't see it.
Ridiculous premise
Again, it's a movie based on a cartoon. About the only thing rediculous about the concept when viewed within the world itself is how Royalton Industries and the other corrupt companies kept the secret for so long but... again... considering it's not to be taken TOO SERIOUSLY and is a fun family film I'll let them have it. Lighten up. I get the impression by these complaints you would hate a movie like Tangled for the same reasons.
Occasionally jarring effects
Bwhahaha! Uh yeah. That's like 50% of the charm of this movie. Those effects are so far out there. I can't even think of another movie like it. I love they pushed the envelope of camera moves, zooms and transitions to such extremes. It reminds the audience to sit back and enjoy the ride and not get too bent out of shape when silly, cartoony things happen in a movie based on a cartoon.
Running time too long
I can't agree. In fact, when I watched it again the other day it seemed the time flew by. The visit to Royalton Industries and the Ninja stuff did drag on longer than I'd had liked but all of the other scenes with their manic editing and creative intermixing of timelines was fast as hell. Just like... Speed Racer.
Is it a kid's film? Is it a family film? Is it an action film? No identity
It's a family film.
Not made by Pixar or Dreamworks
Talk about being shallow.
I fucking love Speed Racer, but the underlined invalidates any argument. It is the point where I stop reading as it is the single worst defense of any movie ever.
Except when discussing Citizen Kane, of course.
Fair enough. Replace the words "Citizen Kane" with "dark, dramatic work of art" and you'll better understand what I was trying to say. Basically, that I think people go into this movie expecting the dark seriousness of something like The Matrix and feel betrayed when they find out it's a light hearted family film. Who's fault is that?
lunchtoast
Member
Decided to watch it all the way through last weekend. I thought it was pretty terrible and annoying, but won't hate on anyone who likes it.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
All you have to argue is that the film lives up to the potential of its set-up and doesn't deviate. Comparing things to Citizen Kane is an arbitrary appeal to something outside of the realm of what you're talking about, because it has this ridiculous stigma for being the pinnacle of filmmaking of all forms. Its like comparing the taste of the last meal you ate to how comfortable your shoes feel because they both fall under the very wide web of things you bought. Film is a wide web that the Citizen Kane comment tries to pigeonhole as something that is just so.
way more
Member
Good actors delivering terrible lines is not a partial victory. It's a sad thing to watch and aggravating knowing that some idiot is forcing them to dumb down their talents. I agree that the guy that looks like Christopher Hitchens fucking nailed it but only because his scenery chewing was the hammy villain sort, the fun kind. When poor Sarandon has to turn on the gravitas of Dead Man Walking for her sons racing, then turn it off and project a shocked faced as ninjas invade her bedroom, it's a little disorientating.
Bad Dialogue, address that. It's weird, campy, hammy and dumb. Like Scott Pilgrim it's more pantomime than acting. Having good actors makes is disturbing instead of just plain bad.
That was a miss-step on my part. Lesson learned.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
How can I stay mad at that face?
The visuals are stylised as is the acting. If Christina Ricci`s question "Ninjas?" followed by a wink and "Cool beans" doesn`t clue you in, then I`m not sure you can enjoy much outside of serious drama. It`s like the original Star Wars movies, good actors hamming it up (Peter Cushing, Harrison Ford, Alec Guiness, James Earl Jones etc), it`s stylised, but it`s still cool.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
I admire your very unsubtle efforts to keep bumping the thread for no apparent reason.
Yeah. I mean, Alice in Wonderland is just really unpleasant. Ugly visuals, ugly characters, ugly performances. And yet, billion dollars. As you say....the fuck.
Thank you.
Thank you!
The writing and acting are great.
But it's not bad dialogue. It would be bad dialogue if this were The Wire, but it fits perfectly with the world that the film creates, and it's funny, entertaining and well-written. It does all it needs to.
There's nothing disturbing about good actors performing this kind of over the top material. They probably enjoyed doing something like this for a change. Carrying this off well is not easy or below them. Bad actors wouldn't have done as good a job of breathing life into these cartoon characters and the film's world would be less seamless.
I think everyone preferred the last one. The desert is pretty awesome as it had the move fighting and car-fu, and then the snow race was pretty great as well. They were all just so good! But the final race is the real winner.
I thought I was pretty militant about Speed Racer but Korey really puts me to shame.
Not that there's anything wrong with that!
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
Thread inspired me to rewatch, but I couldn't locate my Blu-ray.
Jack Scofield
Member
Jesus, dude, let your fucking thread die already.
If you loved Speed Racer, do check out REDLINE which comes out this Tuesday(as mentioned in my bluray tuesday thread). Sort of like anime version of wacky races and speed racer. The last race will leave you breathless for sure.
http://www.amazon.com/Redline-Blu-ray-Takeshi-Koike/dp/B005WMQ5R8/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&tag=blurayforum00-20&qid=1326681602&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Redline-Blu-ray-Takeshi-Koike/dp/B005WMQ5R8/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&tag=blurayforum00-20&qid=1326681602&sr=1-1
DrAndonuts
Member
Really love this movie. The last race was one of my favorite scenes of 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvwhIStnDw8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvwhIStnDw8
Ragnarok
Member
Really a movie you need to see in theaters. Or at least with a huge screen (like actually huge , not 55 inches "huge"). Really is an amazing visual experience. Not sure why something can't just be incredible to look at.
Honestly though i didn't find the story bad at all for what it was. The haters just can't appreciate a unique, live-action cartoon.
Honestly though i didn't find the story bad at all for what it was. The haters just can't appreciate a unique, live-action cartoon.
Not liking this movie doesnt make you a hater. It just means you appreciate more things than just candy coated visuals. If you like that sort of thing, good for you. A lot of people dont, and need a bit more substance.
Pollux
Member
You must be joking....
perineumlick
Member
I didn't like it much either; it was amusing at times, but ultimately my eyes glazed over at all the over the top silliness.
Now for a movie with incredible visuals, but tons more substance, try "Drive" with Ryan Gosling. I know, two different genres, but I'll be damned if this film doesn't have some of the slickest cinematography and atmosphere of any I've seen recently.
Ragnarok
Member
Expecting more "substance" than what was present from a Speed Racer movie seems a bit ridiculous to me. I get it guy, you really love the movie Wild Strawberries. Doesn't mean that a campy flick with cliches and flat characters can't be really fun.
Amen. I feel that a lot of haters see the camp, and the cliches and flat characters (as you put it), and dismiss the film as shit. There are ways to do these things both intentionally and correctly, and Speed Racer may be the best live action example of this that I've ever seen.
Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
The last race was so dazzling and mesmerizing <3
Speed Racer would be nothing without its charming characters and its simple but yet effective and uplifting storytelling. People going on about how we only like it because of its visuals and colors are not worth responding to. The last lap means zilch if you're not invested in Speed and his family.
How does Drive have more 'substance' (whatever that means) than Speed Racer?
It doesn't, at all. I adore Drive, but Speed Racer is the type of movie that not only delivers great visuals and pure entertainment, but also has tons of heart and deeper characters that you actually care about and can somewhat relate to.
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