Bryan Beckman

Re: Here he come, here comes SPEED RACER...he's a demon on wheels.

I was stoked to see the movie when the first trailer hit. I watched every subsequent trailer with increasing giddiness and anticipation. Then the negative reviews hit like a tidal wave. There are a LOT of movies I'm interested in checking out this summer, and with a limited entertainment budget I didn't want to risk spending my time and money on what looked to be a total dud.

Then I read the very positive reviews by you guys here. Very encouraging stuff.

Then today I read a brilliant (and long!) essay on the movie by Dennis Cozzalio at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule, and I'm seriously stoked to see the movie again. Guess I'd better act quickly before it gets run out of theaters!

Anyway, I thought I'd link to it here for those who loved the film and are looking for some very well-written admiration of it. If nothing else, it serves as a wonderful counterpoint to many of the downright vitriolic reviews that have been written against the movie.

DAYS OF SPEED RACER at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule

Patrick H.

Re: Here he come, here comes SPEED RACER...he's a demon on wheels.

I was finally sold on seeing this after watching the first 7 minutes online and following the debate here, and have just gotten back from the theater.

Yeah, it's easy to see why this is having a hard time finding an audience. Maybe it was a huge waste of money. And the Wachowski reputation is definitely going to take a hit...


However, it is an AWESOME movie.

It took a reel or so, but once I got past the initial reflex impression that I was watching another 'Spy Kids' sequel, I realized that I was actually appreciating the cartoon imagery, I was connecting with the characters and liking the performances, and that the writing was far more sophisticated and elegant than a typical kids' movie. By the final act, I was fully invested in this thing, and was truly satisfied with both the action AND the drama. Even within its crazy world, the actors play it for real and really sell their relationships. It's the first green-screen movie I've seen that has a heart to it.

It's also a sweet, fun, eye-popping ride that's truly meant for ANYBODY...the 10-year-old and the cynical-film-snob parts of my brain both found lots to enjoy. I'd rank it equal with 'Iron Man' for entertainment, but much higher for its curio factor. 'Iron Man' did right by familiar material, but this was a whole new animal. Whoever said this was this decade's 'Dick Tracy' was dead on...that's the only thing I can even distantly relate it to in terms of tone.

I'd say don't dismiss it without seeing it. You might be really surprised.