After reading seanwalker's review of Speed Racer, I feel compelled to write a positive review in light of such skepticism.
First off, this is not some stupid trolling endeavor. The guy who wrote that review is clearly intelligible, he just didn't get this movie.
Speed Racer, as do all Wachowski movies, has a theme: family. Speed Racer captures the ideal family in a realistic way, showing the conflicts between child and parents with the coming of age, first with Rex Racer and then with Speed Racer. In this film, the power of strength in family overcomes all odds, all conspiracies, and all evil. When all ideals of goodness seem to fade, family still remains strong. It may be a somewhat simple message, but the message runs deeply throughout the film, and, after all, this is a family movie.
Though the effects were likewise phenomenal, after Royalton's speech, you can't possibly say this movie isn't deep. Once again, the Wachowski's apply multidimensional philosophy into their film, a feat that hasn't been done before in a family film, at least not that I can immediately recall.
And finally, we are faced with everyone's biggest complaint about Speed Racer: the big cheese. The cheesiness will make you cringe occasionally, but that's not to say that it isn't intentional. Fans of the original series will tell you that the corniness and overdone comic relief were part of what made the series what it is. As the great Tarentino would do, the Wachowski's stay true to their original content, and not only include each character of the original series, but portray them as they've always been portrayed, with Racer X as the only character without a ridiculous, cheesy scene.
Speaking of Racer X, how about some praise for this movie instead of just counterargument! Racer X's portrayal is wonderful! This may be a spoiler, but honestly, if you don't know by now that "Racer X is really Rex Racer, the older brother of Speed who ran away from home years ago and is secretly racing behind the mask and the wheel of the number nine, the shooting star" then you probably need to go watch the series. As an older brother, I find Racer X to be a heart-wrenching character. Not only does he posses the inner fire to do whatever it takes outside of cheating to liberate the sport of his passion, but he will sacrifice even more for the good of his family, though disowned by them. He is the icon of sacrifice, passion, and, yes, badassery. And still, within a family film! If you're a fan of the series, you will love this movie. It has literally everything the series had, corniness and all, but also a deeper message about family. The racing scenes, which I have little about, are indisputably enamoring, fast paced, sleek, and full of the crazy stunts and devices the old series had. Any fan of the series will love this movie.
For everyone else, the cheese may be unbearable. Some people just don't feel the pull to be open minded to corniness, especially when it comes to family movies, and that's understandable, just make sure you know that this corniness doesn't spring from poor direction. Also, as with The Incredibles, those that don't relate so well to messages of family strength, or those that don't want to see a coming of age movie, no matter how well down, will also experience distaste for this film. But whether it's your cup of tea or not, this is a well done movie with depth, passion, and of course mind-blowing color and effects.
