In 1966, a Japanese Manga titled Mach GoGoGo, later Americanized to Speed Racer, about a family of automobile racers hit the book shelves. The following year it was made into a television series that ran for 52 episodes. Much later, thanks in large part to cable syndication deals in the 1980’s and 90’s, it found an all new audience in young children the world over and this short lived animated series found new life and a devout fan base that would watch the scant few episodes over and over again, falling in love with the quirky characters and absurd situations both on and off the race course. Among that fan base were The Wachowskis, known primarily at this time for their hyper-stylized The Matrix trilogy. Their vision for Speed Racer was to bring the animation right off the page and create a film that mimicked that style as close as possible in a live action format with one big change to appease the ratings board and soften the violence of the original sources. But what works well in animation form doesn’t always translate well into live action.
Emile Hirsch is the title character, Speed, the middle son of race car designers Pops and Mom Racer (John Goodman and Susan Sarandon). Years before, his older brother was killed on a dangerous racetrack and Pops fears the same may happen to Speed. An opportunity to join a major circuit via a sponsorship by Royalton Industries, a mega corporation with the mentality of win-by-any-means, happens. Speed turns down the opportunity but still wants to participate in the race, something his father opposes. He does it anyway and proves to be a force to be reckoned with as CEO of Royalton, Arnold (Roger Allam), is determined to eliminate him for his refusal to join the team. Thrown into the mix is Racer X, (Matthew Fox), a mysterious man who Speed begins to suspect may be his brother, Rex, back from the dead. Races happen, some more absurd than others, but ultimately it will have to end with he biggest race of all and a matchup between Speed and Royalton’s champion.
For the novice, going into Speed Racer the film will be jarring, an assault to the senses. Everything is hyper-realized and stylized. Knowing the Wachowskis and their style of filmmaking, especially the aforementioned The Matrix trilogy, some of this is to be expected. For them this was never going to be a serious film about racing. Even with an original concept this would have been a bit on the gonzo side of things. When coupled with the 60’s series and Manga, however, that’s when things start getting interesting. This is a faithful adaptation of that source material, right up to the awkward camera shots and physics defying action. In the opening credits of the show Speed hops out of his car, The Mach 5, in a very strange, yet recognizable way. Here it is replicated in one moment as if to inspire diehard fans in the theaters to jump to their feet in excitement. It calls attention to itself and is even more awkward in live action.
The biggest change The Wachowskis made to the property is to introduce a form of safety cocoon that envelopes drivers whenever they crash their cars. In the original show it was all but spelled out that the drivers went up in flames with their cars. This worked just fine in a Japanese series from the 60’s but a 21st century audience would have a harder time enjoying a film that looks like it’s aimed at a young audience having so much mortal carnage. The new gimmick, however, looks out of place in the film and only serves to eliminate most of the element of danger to these races. There are no fatalities on the road, here, aside from the one that supposedly happened to Rex Racer. Even that one is off-screen and virtually undone by the introduction of Racer X, a mystery that wouldn’t fool even the most inattentive viewer let alone those fans who saw the original show and had this whole ordeal spelled out in nearly every episode.
Emile Hirsch is serviceable in the role of Speed Racer. He has the mannerisms down pat and is game for all the absurdity here. He does something though that seems neigh on to impossible. He actually grounds his character. As crazy as large portions of this film are, he adds a sense of realism and intensity to it. With the possible exception of Matthew Fox, who comes across here as distant and cold, and Susan Sarandon who is kind of a blank slate here, everyone else is playing things to the hilt. Even John Goodman seems to be having a blast playing the hot-tempered Pops, although it’s noticeably more subdued than in the series. The youngest in the Racer clan, Spritle Racer and his chimp pet Chim Chim, add some frenetic hijinks to an already chaotic film. Many of those scenes include their vivid imaginations painting the screen, very much in tone with the source material.
A surprise addition to the cast is Christina Ricci as Trixie, Speeds long-term girlfriend. Her character is underwritten, given just a single flashback scene at the start of the film to explain how she fits into the family. It’s rushed, then forgotten. This was a problem with the series, too, where she was just there helping Speed out from time to time with zero plot given to why she was there to begin with. Ricci does a good job with the limited material and she definitely has the looks for the role. It’s just too bad The Wachowskis couldn’t have found a way to bring more dimension to her character.
For a film like this, slavish imitation of the source material serves to distance audiences not already familiar with the source. The races are crazy, a visual feast but unrealistic to the extreme. Being familiar with the manga, and, more importantly, the show, will smooth out some of this. When a racer appears and has retractable claws on the front of their car or a device that launches a beehive at their opponent, knowing that equally ridiculous things happened every week on the show helps. Having it in live action, however, makes it harder to accept than if it had been animation. They’re two different mediums and it doesn’t always translate over well. All the freneticism and primary-colored visuals are overwhelming to the senses. The stereotypes that worked fine in 60’s animation are frustratingly shallow here. It’s a film that’s fun to watch at first, then it starts to overstay it’s welcome. By the time Speed Racer crosses the finish line we feel like we were running alongside him the whole way and are utterly exhausted.
Release Date: May 9, 2008
Running Time: 135 Minutes
Rated PG
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox and Roger Allam
Directed By: The Wachowskis
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