Go SPEED RACER, GO!

Let's face it, this movie has gotten less than stellar reviews; it's been called a flop, and some people even claim that the Wachowski Brothers have lost their touch.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong wrong.

The Wachowski Brothers got it exactly right: this is exactly what a movie based on SPEED RACER should be.

The story, the actors, the design team - they captured the very essence of the anime that hooked me as a kid.

Some reviewers complained about the blaringly bright palette used by the design team; the Racer home is a blaze with color, in endlessly distracting patterns. But it took me right back to my sofa, back in the mid-60's. Suddenly, I was six years old again. 40 years melted away as I bounced on the seat with anticipation. I cheered when Speed gets through with the Mach 5. I laughed as I saw the villians get what they deserved. I groaned as Sprytle and Chim-chim got themselves into another mess trying to feed their greedy hunger for candy.

This is the real thing; a highly-stylized world that isn't anything like ours, and yet mirrors parts of it. Inspector Detector seems to have been pulled out of an early James Bond movie, and the Mach 5 has more gizmos than any bond film. This is the grandchild of Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang. THIS is why we love Speed Racer.


Now, I won't say that the movie is perfect; nothing ever is. I did feel that the grand prix racing sequences at the end were some of the weakest scenes in the movie. Racing is not about speed as much as it is control, and the Mach 5 is shown spinning wildly out of control through most of the race, although somehow it always manages to be at the right place at the right time.

But believe it or not, Speed Racer has never been about racing. Sure, there's a race in every episode. But those episodes were not about the race, they were about what it takes to win the race. And that's not having a fast car and a lead foot: you succeed only with the support of your family and friends. A cheater may win an occasional race, but they will never be a winner.

While the Mach 5 is fast, and its gizmos clever, Speed must figure out the best way to employ speed and guile. He has to consider possibilities. And he must have help. In this movie, as in the series, the importance of family is the most important trait of all. He only triumphs when he lets his family and friends help him. Singly, Team Racer has its flaws; together, they are unstoppable.



As in the series, the family is shattered when oldest brother Rex Racer leaves the family racing team to strike out on his own; an angry Pops Racer roars "If you walk through that door, don't ever come back!" But Rex is determined to be his own man, and walks out into the obligatory dark and stormy night.

Rex does not come back: his family watches in horror as his car is consumed in a fireball during a road rally race.

Ten years later, Speed is offered a chance on a larger, better-funded racing team. As Speed leaves the house to give his answer to the sponsor, Pops again meets a son walking out the door, but this time he reflects on the past. "Son, I didn't lose Rex on that race track ten years ago; I lost him right here."

He tells Speed how proud he is of him, and that whatever he chooses, the door will always be open. He has found the true place in his sons' lives. It was a great performance by John Goodman. Susan Sarandon as Mom Racer is the great peace-maker, who recognizes her son's talent and defends it tooth and nail and feeds it plenty of PB&J sandwiches.

And I have to say, Christina Ricci simply blew me away. I've been a fan for years, but I kept forgetting that we were watching the girl who played Wednesday Adams up there on the screen. She's always done great work, but this is the first time I have only seen the character she is portraying.

Her Trixie is just as bright a ball of positive energy as her animated counterpart. It's difficult to play such a positive character without coming off as, well, cartoonish, but Ricci pulls it off masterfully. As portrayed by Ricci, Trixie is absolutely devoted to Speed, but isn't some simple-minded seat-cover. She's smarter than he his, and strong enough to keep up with him. This Trixie is no damsel in distress; she's a liberated woman of the twenty-first century.

And frankly, she's never looked hotter.

If you liked Speed Racer, if you're a fan of anime, you should see this movie, and see it on the big screen. Screw the critics. They obviously weren't there on the couch in front of the TV taking on the Monster Car.