Streaks of Light
Proud proclaimation
By animated young man:
"My car knows Kung-Fu!"
The vast majority of 'buzz' I have heard about this film has been overwhelmingly negative -- and I can understand why this is so.
There is, in this film, something to disappoint or offend practically everyone who views it. Fans of fast cars, loose women, and loud explosions will undoubtedly be turned off by the juvenile morality play we see presented and the simplistic ideals of a more-innocent time. People looking for a 'kid-friendly' show will be appalled at the implicit violence and the 'adult theme' of corporate corruption. Those who crave realism will have their stomachs turned by the way the race cars occasionally manage (by accident?) to move at very high speeds more or less in the direction their wheels are facing. CGI afficionados will once more loudly claim that "Making something blurry is just a cheap way to produce the illusion of moving really fast." Purists favoring the original animated series will be disappointed at the changes made to update the story and characters -- except for Spritel and Chim-Chim, who are faithfully rendered in every particular. Everyone else will be disappointed that Spritel and Chim-Chim are faithfully rendered in every particular. No one will find the plot other than utterly predictable.
But I enjoyed it. It is not lacking in its warts, but the actors did what you have to do with melodrama and camp: they played it straight. Fundamentally the story is a fairy-tale placed in an automotive universe where a young man deriving strong values from the bosom of a loving family can confront the forces of evil, in the person of a large mega-corporation, and triumph over them using his family's automotive kung-fu. If you are a fan of Hong Kong Cinema, and you enjoyed the original animated 'Speed Racer', then you might consider a matinee afternoon with this show to be well worth your time.
Note: There was no cookie. The credits are long, underlayed by many different versions and interpretations of the original 'Speed Racer' theme song. Just FYI.
By animated young man:
"My car knows Kung-Fu!"
The vast majority of 'buzz' I have heard about this film has been overwhelmingly negative -- and I can understand why this is so.
There is, in this film, something to disappoint or offend practically everyone who views it. Fans of fast cars, loose women, and loud explosions will undoubtedly be turned off by the juvenile morality play we see presented and the simplistic ideals of a more-innocent time. People looking for a 'kid-friendly' show will be appalled at the implicit violence and the 'adult theme' of corporate corruption. Those who crave realism will have their stomachs turned by the way the race cars occasionally manage (by accident?) to move at very high speeds more or less in the direction their wheels are facing. CGI afficionados will once more loudly claim that "Making something blurry is just a cheap way to produce the illusion of moving really fast." Purists favoring the original animated series will be disappointed at the changes made to update the story and characters -- except for Spritel and Chim-Chim, who are faithfully rendered in every particular. Everyone else will be disappointed that Spritel and Chim-Chim are faithfully rendered in every particular. No one will find the plot other than utterly predictable.
But I enjoyed it. It is not lacking in its warts, but the actors did what you have to do with melodrama and camp: they played it straight. Fundamentally the story is a fairy-tale placed in an automotive universe where a young man deriving strong values from the bosom of a loving family can confront the forces of evil, in the person of a large mega-corporation, and triumph over them using his family's automotive kung-fu. If you are a fan of Hong Kong Cinema, and you enjoyed the original animated 'Speed Racer', then you might consider a matinee afternoon with this show to be well worth your time.
Note: There was no cookie. The credits are long, underlayed by many different versions and interpretations of the original 'Speed Racer' theme song. Just FYI.