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Thursday, May 8, 2008
Speed Racer: Red, yellow or green light?
I just got my ticket to see the midnight screening of Speed Racer, and to be honest, I don’t know whether to be excited or not.
Obviously, I’m getting a high-octane thrill ride that skews young, to a family audience, and yet the reviews I’ve read are sending out very mixed signals.
Quite a few critics hate it. A key quote comes from Anthony Lane of the New Yorker, who writes, “I reckon the M.P.A.A. should use the advent of Speed Racer to revive an old ratings symbol: a big Roman X, meaning “of no conceivable interest to anyone over the age of ten.”
Christy Lemire of the Associated Press smacks it with a one-star rating, saying: “At two hours and 15 minutes, it’s way too long for little kids, the only ones for whom this explosion at a crayon factory would seem even vaguely entertaining. Adults seeking the nostalgia of their own childhood will just be disappointed, because Speed Racer the movie bears little resemblance to Speed Racer the TV cartoon.”
On the other hand …
David Poland of Movie City News writes: “You will know whether this is a movie that will stay in your heart early on, when young Speed imagines himself racing. I won’t give away what the imagery of the scene is, but if you find yourself as charmed as delighted as I did, put on your seatbelt, because you’re in for a great ride.”
Then, Moriarity over at Ain’t it Cool chimes in with “Speed Racer is a great piece of pop art, but more than that, it’s a genuine, heartfelt, sincere family film that celebrates exactly what it is that defines a family. And if you’re remotely cynical walking in, you will most likely reject it completely. That would be a shame.”
Then there’s Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere, who seems to be of two minds about the movie.
“This is a deranged, steroid-cranked family-action movie…the work of madmen — undeniably brash and looney and, I feel, desperately in need of a quaalude. … I didn’t sit there consumed with loathing for this thing. It’s too fascinating for that. But it’s also a movie that’s saying over and over, ‘Look at us! Look at what we’re doing!’ It’s too breathtaking to really entertain.”
Now do you see why I’m confused?
I’ve heard the name of Tron invoked in some reviews, and I really like Tron. But some of these more negative sum-ups suggest the movie is very insular, and that can mean real trouble.
The only thing I can say for sure is that I’m in for sensory overload - which means the review I’ll write tonight ought to be … interesting.
So what do you guys make of Speed Racer? Is it a definite yes,a definite no, or a definite maybe? If it doesn’t ring your bell, well … What Happens in Vegas with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz screens at midnight tonight too.
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