There’s always going to be that feeling that the next big jump in art will be ignored by the public. That an odd piece that most dismiss at the time will be reflected on later and given its flowers. That something pushed itself in such wild directions that it basically was ahead of its time and reflected sensibilities years before they were visible.
The Wachowskis, after making The Matrix trilogy, made Speed Racer as a counter to both what they saw as limitations in the types of films being made and being exhausted that, rather than being inspired by their work, most films made after their movies became hits simply copied the bare outline of The Matrix. In terms of the direction, they could have taken after such a huge success, it’s the complete opposite of those movies. While The Matrix was a bleak and action-heavy sci-fi film focused on deep ideas and cool choreography, Speed Racer is basically a Spy Kids movie with a bigger budget. The film is a simple one; however, it’s one that also tries to bring a different kind of film compared to most movies even made today in almost every manner.
The film follows Speed Racer (yes, that’s his name, just go with it), whose family’s entire existence revolves around racing. The family runs an independent car business, and Speed races on behalf of his family. However, when approached by corporate interests to race under company sponsors, he uncovers the corrupt truth of the high levels of racing. He also contends with what may have happened to his brother, Rex Racer, when he joined the leagues years ago and was seemingly killed for fighting against the system. With his family and the help of the mysterious Racer X, Speed goes out to triumph against the people set to sabotage him and prove that racing can be individualistic and special on its own.
What defines Speed Racer is its style. Everything, and I do mean everything about it, focuses on trying to turn the fundamentals of basic filmmaking on its head. Shots are framed oddly, editing is stylized, and the environments are mostly cartoony CGI. It’s a movie that has one goal: to embrace the artificiality of its source material. Rather than shoving the anime into a realism filter, this movie bends realism to fit into the cartoon world. It was one of the first movies to really push the boundaries of using completely green-screened environments to fully transform the world of the movie. Some movies used extensive green screen before, but this was one of the first to push it this far and in this direction. It results in a movie that is constantly moving and always doing something weird and strange. Can the stimulation be a tad overwhelming? Sure. But I compare it to adjusting your senses to altitude or visibility with glasses. Once you get used to the pace and look of the film, it feels seamless. Plus, it feels intentionally crafted and laid out so one can follow what’s happening even when so much is going on. It’s odd to say, but it’s controlled chaos that has clear positioning. Even if some effects are out of date or haven’t aged well, it’s elevated by the design philosophies and filmmaking that still make it sharp. The racing scenes are immaculate as a result. It’s like if Fury Road was hopped up on candy and shaken around. Both the action and general framing try to emulate both anime and pop art aesthetics, as well as the artistic techniques associated with each. All of this makes Speed Racer a movie that looks like nothing else because it’s striving for something most films avoid. Most directors try to use visual effects to create realism and recreate real things. This movie intentionally makes an unreal world, and the result is strange but immensely compelling and interesting the whole way through. It almost feels like a painting, and it becomes a euphoric and mesmerizing experience, especially in the climax, where it gets turned up to 11.
While the film is one focused on spectacle, what Speed Racer has that I think makes it soar alongside that is a beating heart and a sense of human passion. The film I can compare it to the most is 1990’s Dick Tracy. Both were adaptations of beloved older characters that focused on bringing the stylized and colorful worlds of other media into live action. However, the biggest flaw of Tracy is that it isn’t interested in any sort of character exploration or depth. While that might be intentional in the sense of making the story feel like it was taken straight from the comics, it makes it hard to really get invested in the film outside of the style and absurdity. Speed Racer, while being even more absurd, grounds that absurdity in painting a clear picture of why Speed cares about racing so much and how it connects and formulates his close relationships. It presents the conflict and characters as genuine, even if a bit simple in some areas. It also helps that the themes of the film are direct and actually poignant, even if unsubtle. The most explicit interpretation is that it’s about the struggle of artists against corporations to present true integrity and ingenuity. Speed is referred to as an artist multiple times, and his conflict is having to combat the corrupt system that treats what he loves as a means to an end for profit. It tells a story of a man whose main passion in life is threatened by outside forces and works hard to prove that his passion is important and impactful, as well as how his love and support for his family matter in that. Considering that the Wachowski’s has similar feelings and approached making this film with a similar mindset of defying the corporate-led structures in terms of what art could be made, it’s not a stretch to say this. It treats racing as something deeply important to the characters and creates a very tangible emotional hook for the film since it’s extremely genuine in its approach.
This is helped by the cast, who all bring the right amount of sincerity and goofy energy. Even with the chaos of the visuals, the actors commit to their performances, whether they are cartoon characters or sincere ones with some depth. Emile Hirsh does a good job of being plainly likable. Speed is not this complex character, but he’s vulnerable and cares deeply about those around him and about racing. It gives the simple archetype the character has more to latch on to and connect with. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman do a great job carrying many of the emotional scenes and providing strong presences to guide and support the younger characters. A highlight is Richard Roundtree, who plays the two-faced and over-the-top CEO of Royalton Industries, who tries to lure Speed into his company and then tries everything to take him down when crossed. He’s enjoyable in how he’s effortlessly goofy and charming one moment and becomes over-the-top vile the next, with it feeling like two sides of the same coin seamlessly. There’s also Spritle and Chim Chim, Speed’s younger brother and the pet chimp of the family. I’ll admit, they are the weakest element of the film since kid shenanigans can get a bit overbearing at times, but they are mostly charming despite that. I do find it amusing that the film doesn’t even explain why the Speed family has a pet monkey. He’s there because the show had him, and I honestly find it funny that they just roll with it instead of overexplaining things
Even with the ambitions of the Wachowskis and their desire to make a movie so different that it could change Hollywood, there’s a sad irony, however, in the film having a similar story. While Speed manages to prove his approach is right and triumphs over the system that threatened to chain him down, the opposite happened with the movie and its performance. Audiences rejected it, and it bombed hard at the box office. Critics didn’t know what to make of it and dismissed it as overstimulation without much purpose. Films like The Dark Knight and Iron Man, which came out the same year, became the template for blockbusters in the coming years since realism and darker tones were the trend at the time. As a result, both movies ended up becoming major influences on the following decade of movies, and while great work has come of it, we’re at a point where said influences have become more worn out.
I’m going to be honest, while Iron Man was a good movie and deserved its success, I feel we would be in a better place if Speed Racer were the unexpected breakout hit of 2008. Success always breeds imitation and imagines if, instead of more similarly made superhero films or rushed attempts to make cinematic universes, the 2010s were defined by experimentation and pushing the ways of filmmaking to unknown limits. I know that’s odd to say about a film that is inherently a goofy kids movie, but it’s the difference between what it sets out to do compared to the rest of its contemporaries and the films that followed. We are stuck in mediocrity when it comes to big-budget films. For every jewel, dozens of films feel either factory-made or don’t try at all in their craft. I swear, if another movie presents smoky grey as its default color palette and sets itself in a realistic city, I’m going to lose it. It’s why Speed Racer was ahead of its time and has gotten more attention now than when it came out. More films today use CGI as much as Speed did, but to recreate realism rather than doing things real life can’t do. People are so sick of either realism or unengaging remakes and follow-ups that a movie like Speed Racer, which is the complete opposite, appeals to them. Frankly, the fact that we’ve gotten more films moving closer to embracing the odder elements of their material as of late is a sign that there is a taste for this approach. Superman having a character as bizarre as Metamorpho and portraying him as sincerely and strangely as possible is a sign of that in my eyes.
We need more movies willing to embrace different styles of art and techniques with the same ambition and sincerity. We’ve hit a wall with what we’re familiar with and need to take bold swings. Experiment more with how a film can look or how techniques can be applied. We can do so much more with adapting older material than simply remaking it (looking at you, Disney). Speed Racer both embraces its roots and goes forward with something new, and I think that it’s one of the best adaptations in general with these elements in mind. Pure and whimsical sincerity is something we need more of alongside films that strive for more ambition, especially these days. Who knows, maybe audiences are ready now for a film like Speed Racer, and more people would be willing to keep trying to push forward as it did. Speed’s story is about perseverance and passion towards a craft, and I believe that his perception can be applied to film as well. All that’s needed is just some willingness and the right opportunity, I suppose.
