Action at full throttle; SPEED RACER (PG, 135 MINS) 6.5/10.GO, Speed Racer, Go! Based on the Japanese animated series, Speed Racer signals the return of Andy and Larry Wachowski, the publicity-shy brothers who pioneered 'bullet time' in The Matrix trilogy. There are souped-up thrills here too, set in a retro-futuristic world of high-speed motor sport on outrageous racetracks littered with gravity-defying banks and stomach churning turns. The Wachowskis put the pedal to the metal from the opening frame, conjuring a comic book comic book Bound collection of comic strips, usually in chronological sequence, typically telling a single story or a series of different stories. The first true comic books were marketed in 1933 as giveaway advertising premiums. universe of retina-searing colour and neon that seamlessly melds live action with digital environs. Production designer Owen Paterson For the production designer, see . Owen William Paterson (born 24 June 1956, Whitchurch) is a British Consevative Party politician, and Member of Parliament for North Shropshire and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. saturates the screen with every conceivable combination of rich, primary hues. The Racer family home is a triumph of orange, turquoise and fuchsia fuchsia: see evening primrose. fuchsia Any of about 100 species of flowering shrubs and trees in the genus Fuchsia (family Onagraceae), native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America and to New Zealand and Tahiti. , contrasting brilliantly with the hero's white leather jumpsuit. On large format IMAX IMAX Noun a film projection process that produces an image ten times larger than standard screens especially, this is a non-stop assault on the senses. Older viewers may want to take their sunglasses. In a cute nod to the film's animated origins, the Wachowskis imagine fight sequences as frames of hand-drawn cartoons. Technically at least, Speed Racer is a triumph, although frenetic editing reduces segments of some set pieces to a blur. However, under the bonnet, the screenplay needs some fine-tuning to allow performances to stand out against all that spectacular, twinkling background detail. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a demon behind the wheel of his Mach 5, designed by his father Pops (John Goodman Not to be confused with Johnny Goodman (TV producer), Johnny Goodman, or John C. Goodman. John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning American actor, perhaps best known for his roles on the television series Roseanne ); so good that Royalton Industries, run by the Machiavellian E.P. Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam), offers Speed a lucrative sponsorship deal. The young driver declines on behalf of his father and mother (Susan Sarandon), determined to remain an independent and honour the memory of older brother Rex (Scott Porter), who crashed and burned during the notorious Crucible rally. Royalton doesn't take rejection kindly. "Racing has nothing to do with drivers, it's all about power and the unassailable might of money!" he rages, revealing that the Grand Prix, the holy grail of the World Racing League, has been fixed for years. Determined to restore the tarnished reputation of the sport, Speed declares war on Royalton, aided by his girlfriend Trixie (Nina Ricci), the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) and rival driver Taejo Togokhan (Rain). Speed Racer is a high-octane, turbo-charged blast for kids, with enough breathtaking action sequences to satisfy even the most demanding adrenaline junkie junkie Popular health A popular term for a person, usually an IV narcotic abusing addict, whose life is disorganized vis-á-vis family and societal structure, whose existence revolves around obtaining–often through theft, prostitution or other illicit . Unfortunately for experienced drivers, the Wachowskis forget to put sufficient genuine emotion in the tank and their film is several laps too long at 135 minutes. Hirsch, Sarandon and co play their roles with absolute seriousness while Allam's pantomime villain is almost as much fun as Speed's trouble-seeking little brother Spritle (Paulie Litt) and his animal sidekick Chim-Chim. This is very much a spectacle for the entire family. An encounter with a ninja death squad is played for laughs and when Speed and Trixie pucker up, Spritle warns fellow youngsters that "the following image may be unsuitable for the inoculated or cootie-sensitive viewers". In a nutshell: Family film which is filmed in fast and furious digital style CAPTION(S): WATCHING: Christina Ricci as Trixie; NEED FOR SPEED: Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer in his distinctive white Mach 5 car. The film is packed with dazzling digital effects |
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