Stop and Go!
Speed Racer
Review by Ross Anthony

Unique and funky, but also a bit of a mess. Quite surprisingly there are seriously good, dramatic dialogue moments -- really stellar actually, really deep, relevant and important even. But then again, there are moments where this racing film stalls. In fact, most of the going is stop and go, stop and go.

Strikingly bold and different in its cinematic appearance, the picture melds live action and anime/animation. The colors are primary and brilliant, but the mix doesn't always sell.

That said, I absolutely loved the opening of this film. Young Speed Racer sits in school, bored to tears or more to the point -- distracted by daydreams of racing. The filmmakers melt reality into his daydream via a mix of animation and live action that soars with intensity, passion and good humor. I loved it, sadly the filmmakers seldom return to this style. The blend of the bulk is less exhilarating for the most part.

Overall all, it's really one big, fun, boring, creative, brave, mix. Sometimes it seems great for kids; sometimes it doesn't seem so appropriate. Simply, a funky mess. But I truly respect the effort. Grading? My head says it's clearly a B, but my heart wants to give it a B+ for being so bold. A strong climax is betrayed by a resolution that drops like a brick because of the poor handling of the awesome Racer X. Oh heck, I'll round up to a B+, but with serious reservations.

-- Book Contest --


  • Speed Racer. Copyright © 2008.
  • Starring Emile Hirsch, Nicholas Elia, Susan Sarandon, Scott Porter, Kick Gurry, John Goodman, Paulie Litt, "Willy", Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox.
  • Written & Directed by The Wachowski Brothers.
  • Produced by Joel Silver, Grant Hill, Andy and Larry at Warner Bros.

Grade..........................B+ (2.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Thursday, 08-May-2008 20:42:50 PDT