Speed Racer: Eye-Candy Overdose

The Wachowski brothers’ movie leaves viewers a bitter taste regarding the plot and a much too sweet one regarding image, light and colors.

The color explosion is enough to tire even a 9-year-old, but let’s say it is quite enjoyable in the first part of the movie, until you get enough and wish it would stop. But it doesn’t, for 2 hours and 9 minutes.

The adaptation of the beloved Japanese cartoon of the 1960s, “Speed Racer,” is barely similar to the old anime. It contains plenty of boring car races and quite confusing flashbacks, while being as predictable as can be.

The actors were chosen quite well, if I may say. Emile Hirsch, the star of “Into the Wild,” perfectly blends into the movie, in the role of Speed Racer, without trying to influence his character in any way, which is probably exactly what the Wachowski brothers wanted: a film where the actors do not try to outshine the film’s graphics.

So far, Hirsch has proved to be not only a Hollywood star without affectations, but also a very flexible actor who can play very different roles without being identified with any of them.

"I don't think he wants to fit into any category," says Speed co-star Susan Sarandon, who plays the racer's mom, according to USA Today. "Once you get a label, studios will try to put you into that niche."

The Wachowskis reportedly chose Hirsch to play Speed Racer after learning that, as a kid, he used to passionately watch Cartoon Network reruns of the 1960s’ anime.

Hirsch began acting when he was 8, making appearances in “NYPD Blue” and “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.” But the role that made him known in the movie industry was the 2004 sex comedy “The Girl Next Door.” Soon after that, he appeared in a very different role as a skater hooligan in “Lords of Dogtown” and as a drug dealer in “Alpha Dog,” in 2006.

For his performance in the Sean Penn directed movie, “Into the Wild,” he earned seven best-actor nominations in several film circles.

Christina Ricci, who plays Speed Racer’s girlfriend in the Wachowski film, is also very suited for her role as Trixie, as she has face features similar to the ones of anime characters, with her cute round face and her large, expressive eyes.

As for the plot…Well, Speed Racer is a young man with quite a silly obsession: that of winning a cross-country car racing rally, The Crucible, in the memory of his beloved brother Rex Racer. In his race to fulfill his goal, he is supported by his loving family, which includes a funny little brother Spritle and a chimp pet, and his girlfriend Trixie.

The maniacal owner of Royalton Industries makes an offer to Speed, who rejects it. That obviously causes Royalton to go crazy and wish to destroy Speed’s chances to win the race. Then Speed allies with some mysterious racer, called Racer X, in an attempt to reveal the cheating winning strategies of Royalton Industries. The denouement is very difficult to figure out, isn’t it?

Hitting theaters this weekend, the film could attract the younger kids, if they were familiar with any of the stars in the movie or they had ever watched the anime series, but whether it will be successful or not, it remains to be seen.


Starring: Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon

Directors: Andy and Larry Wachowski

Rating: PG for sequences of action, some violence and language

Running time: 2 hours, 9 minutes

Via efluxmedia.com