Speed Racer the Movie, Your Thoughts

[Elwood Blues]

There's a live action Speed Racer movie coming out on May 9th, and when it was first announced, I was so excited, but since the cast was announced and the trailers have been shown, I have been growing less and less confident about it. Why must so many great cartoons get destroyed like this? Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and all these other legendary comic book/cartoon series have great live action movies with great actors. And don't say "Oooh, how do you know? It isn't even out yet!". It's not knowledge, it's a gut feeling. Who cares how good the special effects are. 99% of the cast is a joke. John Goodman as Pops Racer, what were they thinking when they picked him? And I hate Susan Sarandon. Not only is she a bad actress, but she's involved with Code Pink. And did anybody see that music video to promote the movie? When I heard the song in it and saw the video, I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. It's so sad what the movie industry has become. I predict this movie will not be in the same league as classic comic book/cartoon based movies like Spider-Man, Superman and Batman, but instead will be in the same league as failures of the past like Dick Tracy, Mario Brothers, Ninja Turtles III, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, any movie made by Uwe Boll, Batman & Robin, and movies like that. I still probably go see it just for a laugh, but other than that, I'll stick with the original 1967 cartoon with Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Jack Curtis and Jack Grimes.

 

[Drtooth]

In all honesty, I think this movie couldn't be better cast. I mean, John Goodman IS Pops racer as far as I'm concerned. It really looks like the directors actually tried to make this one work. I absolutely cannot wait to see it. I'm just disappointed we're not getting subtitle only uncut Mach Go Go Go DVDs out of this.

But think about it this way- they didn't deviate from the original idea at all. Not like Underdog, which took what was beloved about the charater, and threw it all out the window to make a talking dog picture for screaming ADHD preschoolers. Or of cours,e how they totally massacred Inspector gadget with poor casting, stunt ideazs like a talking Gadget mobile, and basically ignorance of the original source material to the point where they screwed up his catch phrase.


honestly, I have a lot more faith in this film than in that hideous Upcoming Dragon Ball film. You KNOW they're going to ruin that one.

 

[RedPiggy]

I'm willing to see it just because of how gorgeous it looks. I barely remember Speed Racer, but it looks like they did a phenomenal job of translating an anime to live-action.

I've seen some screen shots of DB. I hope it only looks cheap because it's not finished yet. It scares me...

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I love the non-translated Mach Go Go Go version of the theme song.

But this moving looks pretty cool and like some good eye candy.

 

[frogboy4]

I'm seein' it!

Personally I think the movie improves upon the cartoon show, but I was never a fan. The lower frame-rate look and dubbing turned me off as a kid. Chuck Jones, Tex Avery and Disney's nine old men were more my "speed" and still are for the most part. The fact that Speed Racer still has avid fans is quite a testament to the program. That should be honored and respected and I think that's exactly what the Wachowski brothers, of Matrix and V for Vendetta fame, have done. The film appears to be so visually stunning that I think if anything would be its downfall it would be visual-overload.

As for the actors - Susan Sarandon is one of the best actors in cinema. I agree that personal politics (whatever side they might fall) shouldn't overshadow an actor's work, but that doesn't tarnish Sarandon's skill as a performer.

I like John Goodman. He's usually too good for the parts he plays so it seems that he's a lesser actor when he's merely taking lesser roles. That's my take.

I think Christina Ricci is a bit overrated, but she a good actor too. Yeah, so she's gotten so thin that she resembles a bobble head doll. But I think that works for this picture. I just hope she is in good health.

Casting Emile Hirsch was a good idea because he recognizable enough without being pinned to any one persona or role. He's also an experienced actor. I think he will shine in that role and give it more than the average actor would.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

My dad was a fan of the tv show (we have a set of speed racer toy hotwheel cars in their cases hangin on the wall of the master bedroom). I very vaguely remember it, so I dont really remember if I liked the show or not. but my dad wants to see the movie, so if he wants to, i'll probably have to go with him

 

[Drtooth]

I think Christina Ricci is a bit overrated, but she a good actor too. Yeah, so she's gotten so thin that she resembles a bobble head doll. But I think that works for this picture. I just hope she is in good health.

So wasn't Trixie (Michi) in the original Japanese series... apparently the giant ...uh...endowments for women weren't wisespread in Anime until the 70's.

All and all, I'm more psyched for this movie than I will be for Ninja Science Team Gatchaman- which lost a director and a writer- not good, and clearly a sign it won't happen. The only other Tatsunoko Production that will get a movie is Yattaman- which is being made in Japan. No way this will hit the US theaters. Outside of Japan, I think Poland and Italy were the only places that got it. I'd love to see it myself, though.

But as for Dragon Ball, I saw those shots too, and I really wish that Akira Toriyama, Toei animation, Shueshia, or even Funimation would have blocked the movie from being made. It looks like a totaly travisty that deviated from the original subject material. No one is gonna want to see it. Dragon Ball's fans are too old to care to see it, and want something exactly like the original. It would have been cheaper, and more successful to just release the Dragon Ball films from japan theatrically.

 

[Count von Count]

I hope it's good. I think I may have to go see it in I-max!

 

[Elwood Blues]

Special effects don't determine if a movie is good or not. Look at Roland Emmerich's movies. The special effects are amazing, but the movies are mediocre. And Elijah Wood would've been a much better actor to play Speed instead of some guy I've never heard of. And has anyone even seen Snake Oiler? He looks like a darn arabian terrorist (nothing against arabians), and they got some guy named Christian Oliver (who the heck is he?) to play him. And they got Rex Racer (Racer X)'s back story so wrong. If you watched the cartoon, you'd know that Rex Racer ran away from home after a fight with Pops Racer, but in the movie, it says he was rumored to be dead from an automobile accident. I've been talking to so many die hard Speed Racer fans on Myspace, and even they agree with me that this movie is bound to be a total train wreck. In fact, I'm hoping that Iron Man will destroy it, and make everyone forget about this movie. And The Matrix was the only good movie The Wachowski Bros. made. The Matrix Reloaded was bad, The Matrix Revolutions was even worse, and V for Vendetta, what was that? That was so bad. Why couldn't they get a director that's been in the business longer like Steve Spielberg, Joe Dante, Ron Howard, or somebody like that? John Goodman belongs in mediocre, cliche comedies like Blues Brothers 2000 and Coyote Ugly. Emile Hirsch was in that movie Alpha Dog, which is one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. Who cares if Bruce Willis was in it. Plus I had never heard of him prior to hearing he was playing Speed. If I had asked any of my friends who Emile Hirsch was, they'd probably say "Who?". Also, wasn't Vince Vaughn supposed to play Racer X? Why'd they get some guy from Lost that I've never heard of to play him instead? Just to impress the girls? I'm so dissappointed. A movie needs more than mind blowing special effects to be good. That's my two cents.

 

[Drtooth]

Also, wasn't Vince Vaughn supposed to play Racer X? Why'd they get some guy from Lost that I've never heard of to play him instead?

Vince Vaugn? UCK! Personally, I'm glad they've gone with a lot of young unknowns. That's the only way to do it. If you fill it full of various different irrellivant celebrities, you'll make it a farce. At least the people they picked look like a close approximation to their cartoon counterparts- something everyone seems to take for granted.

Sure, Rosie O Donnel was able to do the Betty Laugh, but she didn't look (or act) that believable. I don't like to get on cases of people's weight, but Betty is pretty tiny. And The only reason they cast Brendan Fraisier as Dudley Do-Right was that he played George of the Jungle. Big mistake, since he didn't look or act the character (Alfred Molina as Snidley Whiplash, and that guy that played Inspector Nathanial Fenwick were dead on, though). Of Course, Jason Alexander WAS Boris Badenov as far as I'm concerned. Even had the same receeding hair line.

But what makes a good animated cartoon live action movie? First off, no ignorance of the source material. seems like a solid Speed movie to me... he starts out in a race, then somehow gets caught up in some odd conspiracy of some kind. Personally, I'm glad that these guys made this movie, and we didn't get that movie they were going to make some years ago.

That would have been a trillion times worse than this.

If you watched the cartoon, you'd know that Rex Racer ran away from home after a fight with Pops Racer, but in the movie, it says he was rumored to be dead from an automobile accident. I've

Actually.... That's just another version of what happened. this version came up in the 1997 Mach Go Go Go cartoon from japan. And i wouldn't be surprised if it was the original Japanese version of the story. I could buy the new Speed Racer manga box set to check it out, but I don't have 50 bucks to blow on it.

I have to say, I'm still excited about this movie. At least it doesn't look or feel like a glorified DTV, like some Disney live action cartoon films...