by Marmars Schlottman

Created on: July 07, 2008

Go Speed Racer. Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer Goooo. The Sound of the old music from the original cartoon series is now on the big screen brought to you by the guys that created The Matrix movies.

The old Japanese version of Speed Racer that I grew up with was very colorful and full of excitement and old nostalgia. This movie had the characters from the TV version down to a tee. This movie had John Goodman as the Dad (Pop Racer), Susan Sarandon as the Mom, Christina Ricci as Speed's jealously girlfriend Trixie, Paulie Litt as the obnoxious Sprital Racer along with his pet monkey, Chim chim. Plus there is the mysterious Racer X played by Matthew Fox and of course a fresh face in Hollywood is Emil Hirsh as Speed.

Emil Hirsh who was in Sean Penn's directorial debut in Into the Wild (2007) is an excellent choice for Speed Racer. If he wasn't in the picture I don't know who would be Speed Racer, Jeff Gordon as Speed? Hirsh gave a fresh and brashed look to Speed which made the quality even better for the whole movie.

This movie gave a total virtual world of Speed Racer which gave a look of the 21st century, yet the movie had the flare of the late sixties. Speed's younger brother Sprital's imagination is just like the orignal cartoon just a little more life like of a music video with a 70's flare to it. The racetrack is colorful and even the cross-country race is enormously vivid. It has a bit of mystery for Speed when he gets involved more with the cross-country racing. There is definitely plenty of action and even some good family morals to the totally ever ending climax.

The bad guy in this movie, Royalton played by Roger Allam whom has been pretty busy in the passed couple of years which I think is a pretty good character actor which we need more of, these days. Old Hollywood had many character actors like Peter Lore who was in M and Casablanca to Anges Moorehead who played the mother-in-law in the TV show Bewitched. Even though Allam's character is a little predictable he is very enjoyable as Royalton. Roger's other movies are V for Vendetta (2006) and The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006).

I seen Speed on the I-Max screen and it was totally awesome and appropriate rather than the smaller screen. As for Emil Hirsh I think he as a great Career in Hollywood. Speed Racer may be the first since it's the introduction to many people who don't know the history of the TV version but to me I really enjoy this movie and I am really hoping to expect more from the guys that brought us The Matrix movies.

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