I was really shocked. Didn't expect it at all. My all-time favorite movie had always been The Empire Strikes Back.
After watching a few episodes of the original cartoon series, however, I ordered the Blu-ray of Speed Racer last September.
It blew me away. The Wachowski Brothers had to create new methods of filming just to shoot it... and, in 2008, critics and moviegoers alike rejected the movie. Of course, Warner Brothers is to blame for foolishly trying to compete with Iron Man and The Dark Knight - it's no surprise that Speed Racer took a beating at the box office.
After 12 years, however, the movie has experienced a renaissance. It's become clear that the oversaturation, the 2-dimensionality of it (where virtually everything is in focus) is intentional. It's live-action anime. Then, there's the all-star cast who performed beautifully - not only remaining true to the original Speed Racer cartoons (and its Japanese source, Mach Go Go Go, but adding more depth and purpose to their characters. It's a classic story about a small family, committed to the sport of autombile racing, against a big-money tycoon with limitless resources, bent on destroying them to maintain control.
I can't tell you how many times I've watched this movie over the last six months. I still find small details that were pulled right out of the cartoon series; and am astonished by how unrealistic that world is... but also by how easy it is to suspend disbelief and enjoy that world because the characters are so believable and sincere, and so comfortable there. There's a huge public push for Warner Brothers to release the 4K UHD version of the movie because it was a film way ahead of its time.
My new all-time favorite movie is SPEED RACER.
After watching a few episodes of the original cartoon series, however, I ordered the Blu-ray of Speed Racer last September.
It blew me away. The Wachowski Brothers had to create new methods of filming just to shoot it... and, in 2008, critics and moviegoers alike rejected the movie. Of course, Warner Brothers is to blame for foolishly trying to compete with Iron Man and The Dark Knight - it's no surprise that Speed Racer took a beating at the box office.
After 12 years, however, the movie has experienced a renaissance. It's become clear that the oversaturation, the 2-dimensionality of it (where virtually everything is in focus) is intentional. It's live-action anime. Then, there's the all-star cast who performed beautifully - not only remaining true to the original Speed Racer cartoons (and its Japanese source, Mach Go Go Go, but adding more depth and purpose to their characters. It's a classic story about a small family, committed to the sport of autombile racing, against a big-money tycoon with limitless resources, bent on destroying them to maintain control.
I can't tell you how many times I've watched this movie over the last six months. I still find small details that were pulled right out of the cartoon series; and am astonished by how unrealistic that world is... but also by how easy it is to suspend disbelief and enjoy that world because the characters are so believable and sincere, and so comfortable there. There's a huge public push for Warner Brothers to release the 4K UHD version of the movie because it was a film way ahead of its time.
My new all-time favorite movie is SPEED RACER.
