Reviews: Go Migraine, Go!

My review is for something I technically watched a week ago. Sorry about that. We'll start with more substantive TV season stuff next weekend. For now, the discussion is about Speed Racer: The Movie: I already was mocked once for paying money to watch it.

And I could see why; the previews and ads were dubious at best, and the movie bombed both at the box office and with reviews. As for the film itself, I can't completely disagree with that response. Until I saw this movie, I didn't think I still could be over-stimulated, but Speed Racer had to go and prove me wrong. Seeing a movie on the IMAX was a good idea in theory, but I question if digital film is still sufficient, no matter what Lucas thinks. Some scenes with a lot of action or motion were blurry to the point of being incomprehensible. But there were times when incomprehensibility wasn't the film's fault. Much of the movie was so full of bright colors and elaborate backgrounds you were overwhelmed immediately. A scene in a large city in particular was so garish it could create headaches.

As for the plot, it was simplistic as expected for this sort of movie. Speed Racer, the aptly-titled hero, and his family work as professional race car drivers and builders. While happily independent, after a major victory by Speed, they attracted the interest of an ominously named corporate executive who wants Speed as part of his crooked team, where he would have to take the fall if ordered, or out of the racing circuit entirely so his goons can control it.

Not surprisingly, this plot does not lend itself well to complex looks at morality, nor does it try to. Even so, it has its moments of, if not depth, at least reflection. The story may be about good versus evil using kung fu cars, but the theme is about family and its importance. This can be seen in the continued questioning of Racer X and whether he really is Speed's older brother, who is believed to be deceased. Unlike the cartoon, which humorously reminded us that he really is every episode or so, this movie actually managed to make the question ambiguous.

Less appealing were the antics of the movie's comic relief, Sprattle (Sprittle? Either way,) and Chim-Chim. This was clearly aimed at the younger part of the audience (if it had an audience,) and was only a bit less annoying than their cartoon variants. If you liked the cartoon variants, by all means go nuts.

All that being said, I liked parts of the movie, especially the second big race; a cross-country rally. Of all the movie, this felt the most like the cartoon's feel. The natural tracks were less distracting, the cinematography was impressive for the right reasons, and it's the only time the Mach Five has all the tricks it did in the cartoon. It even featured a mid-race fight against ninjas!

Overall, I'll give the movie a C+ with the reservation that I'm nostalgia biased. It certainly is a movie that inspires the imagination, at the very least, and it had some moments of heart. If it challenges the stomach as well, though, you might want to leave the theater or at least move back a few rows.