Speed racer 2008 tvtropes
Speed Racer is Colorįrom the very first shot, The Wachowski’s give the viewer no quarter. And in one box-office swoop, Speed Racer was dismissed.īut in spite of the failure and harsh criticism, is Speed Racer worth a second look? Is there a classic hidden beneath the glitz and bombast of this failed remake? Or is this just the biased take of a confirmed anime dweeb? The answers are yes, in a way, and absolutely! Speed Racer is The Wachowski’s misunderstood masterpiece.
Two months later, Speed Racer and Iron Man were trounced in the collective movie-goers subconsciousness by the Dark Knight. It also did not help that Speed Racer was released a mere week after the Marvel Studios juggernaut, Iron Man. It was a risk that met with a financial failure for The Wachowski’s. To release an adaptation of a cartoon that has been relegated to the dust bin of animation history was a foolhardy move, risky.
#Speed racer 2008 tvtropes series
While the original animated series was popular with boomers in the 60s and 70s, Speed Racer, more or less, was forgotten by the world outside of retro cartoon aficionados. And while there is something to be said for darker themes in movies, sometimes viewers need a film with an optimistic spirit. Such storytelling is considered passé, childish, naive. It revved onto the theatrical scene with an unapologetic bright demeanor and an old-fashioned story of the good guys beating the bad guys. And here he comes, here came Speed Racer. Most movie-going audiences sought ‘realistic’ films that had a more cynical edge in storytelling and themes. Speed Racer was ahead of its time in that way. And three, the release timing was a series of poor choices.Īvant-Garde is a term used for an artistic work that goes against the grain, moves off the beaten path of social acceptability, or is otherwise unorthodox. Two, it was based upon a property that had fallen by the wayside even though it was popular a few decades ago. Number one, it was ahead of its time in many ways. Why Did Speed Racer Fail At The Box Office?ĭespite the agreed-upon criticisms that I have of the film, the failure of Speed Racer, I believe, can be summed up for three reasons. The Wachowski’s shot too high, plot-wise, for a family film.
#Speed racer 2008 tvtropes movie
The plot is full of intrigue, filled to the brim with discussions of corrupt corporate politics, rigged races, and how Speed must win the race to bring about justice-for the future of racing! Although handled adroitly at times, some dialogue adds to the tonal whiplash of seriousness, especially for a movie that is so colorful and vibrant in its presentation. Speed Racer also seems to suffer from a storytelling identity crisis from time to time.
Trimming off a good thirty minutes might have led to the film being more successful with viewers. No matter how many pretty colors, over-the-top races, and cool fights, kids-will-be-kids and most do not have the mettle for a film over two hours long. Most would fidget, feeling the urge to get up off their butts, in fits of pent-up antsiness. I know very few kids who could sit that long in front of a movie for a film marketed towards a younger audience. It is a begrudging admission, but the Speed Racer haters do have a point.Ĭlocking in at a run time of 130 minutes, Speed Racer is excessive. Other cult classics such as Donnie Darko and Fight Club were panned critically and financially but are now picked apart and analyzed by film nerds and loved by many. Films once considered flops have found new audiences and are now considered classics. Such reframings are nothing new for movies. Some critics online have revisited the flashy remake to see it in a better light. Speed Racer has developed a strong cult following with reappraisals. source: Warner Bros.Īs of late, however, there has been a resurgence of appreciation for the film. The plot had no substance Speed Racer was a movie with a budget of 120 million that only made back 93 million at the box office. Many critics called the film garish and the special effects stylish but empty. At the time, it was a box office and critical failure. In 2008, The Wachowski Sisters released a live-action adaptation of the once-beloved sixties Japanese animated series Speed Racer.