Classic Review: Speed Racer (2008)

​“Speed Racer” stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Roger Allam, Paulie Litt, Benno Fürmann, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rain, and Richard Roundtree.  Released on May 9, 2008, the film follows an automobile racer who protects his family and their company from a greedy CEO.

The film was written and directed by The Wachowskis, known for helming films such as “Bound”, “The Matrix”, “Cloud Atlas”, and “Jupiter Ascending”.  It is based on the 1966 manga series by Tatsuo Yoshida.  The Wachowskis have been some of the most influential filmmakers working in Hollywood.  Regarding their creative vision and unique approach to stylized presentations, the siblings made their mark in the film industry, starting with the 1999 sci-fi classic “The Matrix”.  From its groundbreaking visuals to its entertaining premise, “The Matrix” not only revitalized the genre for years to come but also cemented the Wachowskis as a promising filmmaking duo that challenges the standard of cinematic storytelling.  However, after the success of the “Matrix” trilogy, the Wachowskis struggled to recapture the same movie magic that propelled their careers, both critically and financially, especially the latter.  Not even Lana Wachowski’s return to the “Matrix” world with 2021’s “Resurrections” was enough to bring them out of their funk.  Although they’re still praised for their ambitious intent and visual wonder, they continue to lack the narrative spark seen in their first two movies, “Bound” and “The Matrix”.

While one such film in their catalog has those same issues, it has grown more beloved in retrospect, more so than the directors’ recent films.  That movie was the 2008 live-action adaptation of Tatsuo Yoshida’s manga series, “Speed Racer”.  Also known as “Mach GoGoGo” in Japan, “Speed Racer” spawned a generational franchise that depicted a young racer and his family competing in a series of dangerous races, with the 1967 anime adaptation defining anime in the United States until the 90s.  Amid multiple television iterations, Hollywood has tried to get a live-action film off the ground since 1992.  That is, until the Wachowskis and producer Joel Silver stepped in to bring the world of “Speed Racer” to the big screen.  With the Wachowskis’ distinctive vision and experimental approach, the “Speed Racer” film emerged as a vastly different iteration from the anime version.  Sadly, that bold attempt didn’t translate well onscreen, becoming a box-office failure due to tough competition from “Iron Man” and receiving mixed reviews for its headache-inducing visuals and narrative incoherence.  However, as years went by, people started to come around to “Speed Racer”, naming it as one of the underrated films that’s worth revisiting, even today.

Even though the Wachowskis haven’t had much luck in the cinematic space recently, this reappraisal further showcases the influence the duo continues to leave in Hollywood.  It just needs more time for audiences to start understanding the approach they’re going for.  “Speed Racer” was basically an underdog story of its own, starting with a rough patch upon its arrival.  But over time, it began to gain momentum in how it’s viewed from a technical standpoint.  It’s still a flawed movie from a narrative perspective, but regarding the entertainment value and experimentation, it’s one of the movies that’s one of a kind in its own standards.  With the movie celebrating its 4K re-release in IMAX theaters and on physical media, I decided to revisit this cult classic to see if it still holds up 18 years after its debut.  With that said, let’s speed on down the track and see if it’s still worthy of standing in the winner’s circle.

The story centers on Speed Racer (Hirsch), a young man passionate about the high-speed yet dangerous world of automobile racing.  He has gained fame through following the career path of his deceased brother, while remaining loyal to his family and their company, Racer Motors.  However, Speed’s loyalty begins to be tested upon the arrival of E.P. Arnold Royalton (Allam), the CEO of Royalton Industries, who offers him a deal to race for his company.  Due to his father’s (Goodman) distrust of corporations, Speed declines the offer, but it leaves him and his family facing the unspeakable truth about the rigged races driven by corporate interests.  With Racer Motors facing financial debt, Speed, along with his girlfriend Trixie (Ricci) and the mysterious Racer X (Fox), must compete in a life-threatening cross-country rally to save his family's business from Royalton’s greedy plans.

May 2008 was one of the highlights of my experience with cinema that I remembered the most.  Notably, I was old enough to witness the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Iron Man”.  But it wasn’t until a week later that fourteen-year-old me was introduced to the next awesome piece of cinema.  I vaguely remember when my parents introduced me to “Speed Racer” through its shows, including the one that aired on Nicktoons to promote the film’s release.  So, this made the movie adaptation my full exposure to the franchise, and I enjoyed every minute of it, like, really enjoyed it.  Was it long and overly chaotic?  Yes.  But the crazy racing sequences and cartoony vibes easily compensated for these issues.  I liked it enough to buy it on DVD, and I even put plenty of hours into the “Speed Racer” video game for the PlayStation 2.  Sadly, I don’t have the latter anymore since I sold off the console and the other games I had.  The joyous memories of playing the PS2 nonstop will never fade, even now that I own the PlayStation 5. 

Unfortunately, as the years progressed, I somehow fell off the “Speed Racer” hype train and haven’t gone back to it ever since.  Though I did hear about the reappraisal the film has gotten since its release, which is usually nice to hear that a movie is finding its audience.  When I discovered the movie was re-releasing in IMAX theaters to coincide with its 4K Blu-ray release, I figured now would be a great time to reunite with the speed-loving driver.  Of course, what better way to experience it once more than in the theater where I was first introduced to its awesomeness?  Sadly, I had to go with the small regular theater because its IMAX re-release run was unfairly short.  The same thing happened with some of the Studio Ghibli films that are being released in IMAX, like “Whispers of the Heart” and “Arrietty”.  They really need to reconsider this new strategy so that everyone can experience a classic on a premium format themselves.

But even with a regular theater, it’s still the best way to experience “Speed Racer” with a crowd.  Unsurprisingly, it’s not just because of the chaotic visual appeal it offered.  It’s also because it recaptured the feeling of being amazed while watching it on the big screen, a feeling that couldn’t be replicated at home.  But the real question I should be answering is how the film holds up eighteen years later.  Pretty darn well.  Now, I’m not going to say that the film is a masterpiece, because it’s not.  It’s an overblown, disorderly, and unapologetically silly blockbuster that favors the Wachowskis’ visual experimentation over a groundbreaking narrative.  But that’s pretty much the reason why it was such a blast in the first place.  “Speed Racer” is a family-friendly blockbuster that isn’t afraid to express its vibrant, lively, and goofy self, while leaving just enough room for its heart stemming from the Racer family to shine.  It’ll likely give you a massive headache from the color palettes and visual “artistry”, but the surreal beauty and charm from those moments will easily make up for it.

I would describe “Speed Racer” in many ways.  It can be conceived as a “Spy Kids” movie on a sugar rush, maybe even a Saturday morning cartoon, or, in this case, a live-action anime.  Either way, this is a bizarre, wacky movie that doesn’t pull any punches on how silly it can be.  Given that the Wachowskis are known for their projects aimed at older audiences, it’s nice to see them understand the assignment of this adaptation.  It’s not the “Speed Racer” your parents grew up with.  This is the Wachowskis’ “Speed Racer,” which not only adapts the anime's core elements to a tee but also revitalizes them with a sense of grandeur and stylization.  The Wachowskis offered a more avant-garde creation that aligns with the film’s anime-esque presentation and even its substance, notably in its transitions and nonlinear structure.  It can come off as off-putting at first, but I admired it for maintaining the movie’s pace and delivering a rather invigorating flavor to the basic yet beefy sports storytelling.

That being said, it also supplied us with some visual effects that either hold up well eighteen years later or have obviously aged poorly, depending on the scene.  On the one hand, the visuals still worked surprisingly well at conveying its futuristic, often cartoony set designs.  It’s that sense of uniqueness and fantastical essence in the world-building that conveys the feeling of actually watching an anime come to life onscreen.  The visuals also still looked amazing for the race sequences, combining the Wachowskis’ Matrix-inspired choreography with fast-paced, heart-pounding thrills and vibrant eye candy, notably the “car-fu” segments.  Even Vin Diesel isn’t brave enough to pull off those insane stunts with his car, and the recent “Fast & Furious” sequels are just as crazy as this.  On the other hand, they also evoked a sense of uncanniness that almost ruined the immersion, particularly the green screen effects.  There were some sequences where you can easily tell that they filmed it in front of a green screen, and oh boy.  They did not age as well as the racing scenes.  But they somehow worked within the film’s surreal, cartoonish tone.  If you take that context away, it can come off as a “Spy Kids” rip-off akin to a fourth-grader’s film school project.  Besides that, the visuals still retain the awe and colorful stylization of its anime-like world, even on the big screen.

In addition to the direction, the Wachowskis were tasked with crafting an engaging story worthy of standing alongside the film's visual splendor.  The result is as fundamental as one would expect, with Speed confronting corporate culture while retaining his loyalty to his passion for racing and his family.  There’s nothing more concerning than seeing your favorite hobby get corrupted for a corporation’s greedy benefits, which I thought was handled pretty well, particularly in how we view other sports being secretly altered for one’s own gain.  However, I think the story works best when it takes its time to explore its characters, especially the Racer family in the first act.  With their backgrounds being told in flashbacks, including their grief over Rex’s death, the movie serves as a respectable introduction to newcomers unfamiliar with the source material.  More importantly, it offers enough heart in those family moments and messages involving loyalty and family to prevent its substance from finishing in last place.  Its runtime of two hours and 15 minutes can be a bit much, especially given its flashy visuals.  But the pacing is just as fast as the Mach 5, leaving me without a chance to feel its length.  It’s chaotic to a fault, but its story has enough gas in its tank to catch up with the film’s haywire approach.

The cast also did really well, with some matching the movie’s Saturday-morning cartoon vibe in their performances.  “Speed Racer” was my first introduction to Emile Hirsch, whom I was unfamiliar with until then.  He has appeared in other movies, notably “The Girl Next Door” and “Alpha Dog”, and he’s still currently working as of now, though in smaller projects.  But “Speed Racer” is the only film that I recognize him in the most, and I can see why.  Hirsch delivered a performance that conveys not just the charm and likability of Speed, but also his inner conflict over how he sees his passion after learning the truth about his favorite sport.  It’s far from a perfect performance, but Hirsch deserves his flowers for giving me an iteration of the character worth rooting for.  

The film is also one of the very few movies in which I recognize Christina Ricci the most, along with the 1990s “Addams Family” movies as Wednesday.  She was also pretty good as Trixie.  I also still love John Goodman as Pops Racer, blending gruffness and warmth into a character who’s grieving Rex's death in his own way, resulting in one of my favorite roles from him.  Of course, I can’t forget about the other highlight of the cast: Roger Allam as E.P. Arnold Royalton.  Allam is one of the two actors who understands the assignment for the movie’s tone, which is being a cartoon villain with no remorse or mercy whatsoever.  Allam got the job done almost perfectly, delivering a performance that matches the antagonist’s nefarious nature.  Another actor who understood the intended goal was Paulie Litt, whose portrayal of Spritle, Speed’s younger brother, delivers plenty of hilarity and charisma to match the movie’s anime-like aura.

Overall, “Speed Racer” remains dominant in the cinematic racing world as an unapologetically goofy yet visually unique and entertaining adaptation of the iconic anime.  Utilizing a blend of experimental filmmaking and nonlinear storytelling, the Wachowskis delivered a distinctively stylish and kaleidoscopic experience that’s uncanny, silly, and downright surreal.  Surprisingly, it’s all the more fun and impressive because of it.  There’s no denying that the directing duo made something pretty special in terms of its visual quirkiness, especially in this day and age when most blockbusters try to be dark and gritty in their fantasy world-building.  Obviously, it’s not in the same league as “The Matrix”, as its beefy runtime, some iffy green screen effects, and overabundance of color can leave some viewers pretty exhausted.  Regardless, it remains one of my personal favorites from the duo that speeds its way to the finish line with ease.  If you haven't watched it yet and are familiar with the source material, I’d say it’s worth checking out to see why we started to come around to the film.  You may or may not like its quality, but at the end of the day, it’s hard to ignore that this is another piece of uniqueness that I would like to see get replicated in the future.  Maybe as an animated "Speed Racer" adaptation that's akin to the Spider-Verse movies?  Now that would be just as awesome as feeling the need for speed.

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