Speed Racer (2008)
7/10
Pleasing and grandly amusing adventure about a crack racer based on a Japanese classic cartoon
23 August 2009
This tale starts with Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), he is an aggressive, impetuous, and brave crack pilot to win breathtaking world races. He lives with his mom (Susan Sarandon) and Pops racer (John Goodman) who designs a fabulous car along with a mechanic(Kirk Gurry), the Match 5 . The proprietary of Royal Industries does him a lavish offer but he rejects it. And he also uncovers a dark secret about the biggest races are being fixed . Speed Racer must save the sport he loves and his family racing business. Then Speed join forces with his one time rival Racer X (Matthew Fox) to win ¨Casa Cristo¨ rally , a cross country race, competing against dangerous racers and a shifty Japonese racer(Rain) and ultimately the ¨Grand Prix¨.

This exciting movie contains thrills, action-packed, tension, suspense and overwhelming races, but also some commercial elements. This is a dynamic, fast-paced and amusing movie. Full of action, its complemented by silly comedy in charge of a little boy and a monkey. The picture relies heavily on the overlong and death-defying races that are incredible and magnificently made by 3D computer generator. The story moves like a supersonic bullet for most of its running time and the last generation of fantastic cars steal the show. Contrived beyond belief with spectacular races that play like video games, but slickly calculated to please 2000 audiences and children especially. Emile Hirsch as valiant racer is good, he's an instinctive, stubborn and valiant young man. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are sympathetic as his affectionate parents and Christina Ricci is beautiful as his love interest. Colorful cinematography plenty of pastel and glimmer color by David Tattersall. Impressive and groundbreaking production design by Owen Patterson. Stirring and moving musical score by Michael Giacchino, usual of J.J. Abrahams movies. The motion picture is well directed by the brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski adapting the famous Japonese anime . The Wachowski, also screenwriters(Speed Racer, V for vendetta)achieved his big success with Matrix trilogy and here get another great hit.
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