Speed Racer

Speed Racer

2008

Directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski

This was a movie I rented mainly out of curiosity. How did a big-budget family-aimed film do so poorly at the box office? I still am not sure... because I actually really enjoyed the film. Yes, it is a long film for a kid-oriented flick, but I never once was bored with it. Even though I knew Speed Racer would win his races, I was still silently cheering him on. 

The movie is full of glorious racing sequences that are full of over the top visuals. They are very trippy but I thought that in a way they made the audience feel what it would be like to be in a high-speed racing car. I also really enjoyed how some of the transitions were done. Little details from a scene would gradually fill up the screen until the transition was made.

The acting was just as stylized as the rest of the film and I really enjoyed John Goodman and Susan Sarandon as Speed Racer's parents. 

I came to this film expecting a complete mess but actually came away really enjoying it.

Rustin Allison