Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
1/4
Awful
patjohnson76 - wrote on 12/31/2008
The Wachowski's overburden Speed Racer with the same problem they gave the Matrix sequels - too much of wow-look-what-we-can-do special effects that results in a sacrifice of story, plot, character development, exposition - pretty much everything you need to make a movie.
When the effects aren't inducing dizziness and headaches, you'll be bored to tears by a cast of talented actors who are given an incomprensible plot to follow along with. There's really nothing engaging here at all.
I have to be honest that at about 90 minutes in, my DVD player crapped out and wouldn't play the rest. It's probably because I need to get a new one, but I'd like to think that my DVD player decided it simply couldn't put me through the torture anymore. Well played, DVD player, well played.
Rating of
3/4
It's Like Mario Kart!
Franz Patrick - wrote on 07/20/2008
I've been waiting for this film for quite some time and I'm glad to not have been disappointed. The visuals are great because I've never seen anything like it. While colours and eye-popping action sequences are abound, it still manages to have some sort of story. Since this movie is targeted toward kids, the dialogue is not that deep (and sometimes a bit cheesy). I kind of felt that the filmmakers almost tried to simplify certain storylines a bit too much. That aside, my main problem with it is that it's a bit too long--over two hours--for children. I hardly know many adults who can handle movies that are two hours long, let alone children who have enough patience for all that, despite its amazing visuals. But shockingly enough, the kids that I was with in the cinema seemed to have fun. …
Rating of
4/4
From cartoon to sur-real life
lmlewis517 - wrote on 06/22/2008
Speed Racer was no less than an exhilarating ride in the end. From the story development to the psychadelic ride at the end. Also for the comic book fans, you'll appreciate the reference to all of the classic speed-racer talk, mechanisms, and who can forget the squinched-up face on John Goodman's character. Priceless... it took me back to the cartoon! I think the Wachowski brothers did their darnest to bring Speed Racer to life. Why do other people not like or enjoy this film? Maybe it's the basics of the colors? Maybe it's just that we really wanted to let Racer X's mystery be a bit more mysterious. Whatever the case, both the color and dynamic action in the film is more than what I remember in its animated version... and I liked it! Good job, Wachowski brothers!
Rating of
3.5/4
F-Zero on Speed
Alex - wrote on 05/11/2008
[I have never seen the Anime and I know little about Speed Racer other than the theme song - nor do I like Anime]
I felt this movie was pretty damn good. Yes, there were a few cheesy kid moments and a bit too much talking at times, but overall I felt the pacing, cinematography and dialog were damn good. The W brothers have surprised me with the decent dialog and solid acting (after Matrix Revolutions, though I liked it, I was was a little skeptic). What makes this movie so good is the beautiful colors, innovaitve cinematography, and lead charcter Emile Hirsch.
Hirsch is going to be a fantastic actor and he shows some dedication to the job in this one. To be honest, he made me feel like I was playing the latest F-Zero game with my friends on the newest Nintendo system. The …
Rating of
1.5/4
Way More Serious Than It Should Be
newmans_own - wrote on 05/09/2008
There’s a lot of drama in a movie supposedly aimed toward children; hardly surprising, looking at who’s responsible for the film. The Wachowskis seem to forget they were making a fun action movie; most of the film is spent on long dramatic scenes surrounding each member of the Racer family that slows momentum to a complete standstill. There is so much time spent on studying the inner working of Mom and Pops Racer that Speed seems a mere afterthought until well into the film. As a result, the film is easily a half hour too long and the action sequences never quite rouse the viewer out of the distant stupor the rest of the film puts them into.
Not that any inkling of sense or understanding can be gotten from the action sequences. The film’s color scheme, obviously the …
Rating of
3/4
GO SPEED GO!!!
BryanFury - wrote on 05/09/2008
It seems the Wachowski brothers never loses their magic whenever they choose to wave their wand yet once again to bring to life a long lost Japanese cartoon. What those brothers do is simply amazing when it comes to creating a visually stunning environment with all the right touches of colors and effects. The casting was superb with Emile Hirsch bringing the lead character to life and just blowing me away with his portrayal. Everything seems to fit including the supporting cast made of Christina Ricci and his whole family ensemble. Even Matt Fox was sensational on his role as Racer X. Every single element was blended perfectly to make such a brilliant comeback movie for the Matrix creators. They even brought some nifty comedy to the formula which made me enjoy this movie even more. The …
