Film Review: Speed Racer

In the large assortment of summer movies, Speed Racer fell through the cracks to some degree. Without a big name lead actor and based on a cartoon its target demographic was far to young to remember, this honestly was not that surprising.

So what did audiences miss in Speed Racer? Simply put, one of the craziest movies I have ever seen. It was crazy both in originality and in its use of bright lights and colors to create that original atmosphere. The movie is over the top in almost every respect, which gives it a certain charm.

Another part of the charm is the heavy amount of cheese that was a part of the original cartoon as well. The acting in particular is just a fun, often time hilarious endeavor. Speed Racer never takes itself too seriously and that is very fitting considering its intended audience.

The racing and action scenes are the highlights of the film. The races are intense but more importantly they are a feast for the eyes. The entire movie is a visual treat that in my mind is what makes the movie good. Everything from the candy-coating of bright colors to the speed of the film is unique.

Speed Racer has a great visual style.

However there are several spots where the graphics do not impress. Many scenes just look beyond fake due to some strange effects. One aspect that is horrifically annoying is the floating heads transitions that the film uses every two seconds. I understand that the crafting using this effect took a lot of planning and skill, but it was distracting and detracted a lot from the movie.

Overall Speed Racer is an often hilarious and always absurd film. I was somewhat disappointed even though there are a few awesome scenes. In the words of my roommate Tom, “It was jacked but dece I guess.”

6/10