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SPEED RACER
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SPEED RACER
Movie Review
Directed by Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Starring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci
Review by Eli Manning
SYNOPSIS:
Speed Racer is a young man with natural racing instincts whose goal is to win The Crucible, a cross-country car racing rally that took the life of his older brother, Rex Racer.
REVIEW:
Before I reviewed this film, I took a look at the Wachowski brothers previous films:
So two films in, it looks like these brothers were headed for a landmark career.
Now the Wachowski brothers are back with Speed Racer.
I have to say that I was truly impressed with their new and original ways to shoot a film. There's a lot of landmark stuff in this film as the visuals are truly amazing. And something occurred to me half way through watching this movie (a sign that you're not into the story when you're thinking other things beside what's actually happening in the movie): Why is this film live action? Why didn't they just make an animated film?
Like the new Star Wars films, the CGI/new technology ways of making films are the thing of the future and actors are just getting in the way. There is so much gadgetry going on, the actual human beings who are playing the actors are in the background and not the foreground like they've been in movies for the past 100 years.
I've seen almost every single film come out of Hollywood this year, and there hasn't been a more disturbing moment this year than seeing the likes of Christina Ricci and Susan Sarandon trying to emulate the mannerisms of a cartoon character. What is the point? There are tons of animation films these days, we can feel emotional attachment to an animation character. Hell, my fondest character of 2007 was the mouse in Ratatouille! I thought he deserved an Oscar over Daniel Day-Lewis in There will be Blood. And I'm not kidding when I say that.
Speed Racer, like The Matrix movies takes a shot the corporate world and how they always take down the independent companies (there's always a whole lot of irony when this theme comes up in a Hollywood studio marketing mad film!).
I first saw this plot in 'The Muppet Movie' when Kermit was trying to be brainwashed by the Hollywood suits. And now this is the 113th time I've seen it done. And still, 'The Muppet Movie' has done the best job.
So great job Wachowski's in making a great looking film. But please, next time take another stab at the script and give us an original plot. And stop working with actors --- you really don't need to anymore.
2 stars out of 4!
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