Speed Racer

[megladon8]

Point taken on the outrage. I probably sound much angrier in text than I am in real life.

I frequently have problems with this.

I assume people know the tone in which I'm speaking, and sometimes inadvertently come across as a huge asshole.

[Sven]

It stands to reason that if you had an argument to make, you'd have made it. Who sits on compelling statement in order to correct middle of the night misspellings of Ritalin?

"Who sits on compelling statement"? I can't figure that one out.

If you're going to get on a high horse, it is advisable to use and spell words correctly. That's the argument I'm making. Cogently, I think.

Uh, I made them? Witless, soulless, bad story, thin characters, insulting, etc. I didn't back any of them with concrete examples (although that's easy enough).

I can't address the nebulous "witless"
"Soulless" means, what, that you wanted more drama, or...?
What makes a story good?
"Thin characters" is not a compelling criticism in itself. Show me how the characters required more depth.
And I addressed "insulting." Sorry you were insulted.

There have been enough refutations of these descriptors in this thread that repeating them at length would be unnecessary. I'm not even the right guy for it, being only a moderate fan of the movie. I just have a low threshold for tolerating elitist tones.

[Spinal]

I don't understand why it's so perplexing for some that many people enjoy this movie. The Wachowskis made Bound and The Matrix, two movies for which no one would question my admiration. No one would bat an eye if I praised performances by John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon or Emile Hirsch in other movies. The film has a good pedigree.

[Morris Schæffer]

I just briefly wanna return to what you said about this movie having set out the rules and sticking with them. That may be true, but when you go all the way back to the scripting stage, perhaps the writing could have been such that those rules wouldn't have been all that outrageous to begin with. Then Meg and I would have perhaps seen races with a little genuine thrill to them. Although I've enjoyed this movie.

[Spinal]

That may be true, but when you go all the way back to the scripting stage, perhaps the writing could have been such that those rules wouldn't have been all that outrageous to begin with. Then Meg and I would have perhaps seen races with a little genuine thrill to them.

So you wanted the auto racing to be more realistic? Have you ever watched auto racing? It's not that thrilling.

[Qrazy]

I don't understand why it's so perplexing for some that many people enjoy this movie. The Wachowskis made Bound and The Matrix, two movies for which no one would question my admiration. No one would bat an eye if I praised performances by John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon or Emile Hirsch in other movies. The film has a good pedigree.

This argument doesn't really make any sense. Plenty of good/competent directors make a number of good/competent films and then make a bad one. Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy, Far from the Madding Crowd and Day of the Locust are great films in my opinion but that doesn't excuse The Next Best Thing. Similarly there are plenty of great actors that have given mediocre or bad performances in other films.

[Qrazy]

So you wanted the auto racing to be more realistic? Have you ever watched auto racing? It's not that thrilling.

I think it would have been awesome if it was the way it is but with a little more physicality.

[DavidSeven]

But the adoration would certainly be more perplexing if this was Barry Sonnenfeld's Speed Racer with Brad Garrett as the dad and Zac Efron as Speed. The Wachowskis earned their stripes with The Matrix and the cast is uniformly excellent. Sure, it could have sucked, but it didn't, and that shouldn't surprise anybody.

[Spinal]

Sure, it could have sucked, but it didn't, and that shouldn't surprise anybody.

Or, at the least, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the film has its supporters. I mean, Up is ass, but I'm not shocked that lots of people love it.

I recommended Speed Racer to someone in real life one time and you would have thought I told them I love Weekend at Bernie's or something. They were incredulous.

[Watashi]

I mean, Up is ass, but I'm not shocked that lots of people love it.

Well, I am an ass man, so I'll take this as a compliment that you loved it.

[Spinal]

Well, I am an ass man, so I'll take this as a compliment that you loved it.

:lol:

[MadMan]

I missed out on seeing Speed Racer on the big screen, and I keep hearing that I should at least watch it on Blu Ray. But I'm broke, and my friend who has Blu Ray refuses to give it a chance. So I guess I'll keep wondering what all of the fuss is about.

[Dukefrukem]

I'd like to point out that Qrazy and Meg hated this movie before they even saw it. Exhibit A & B. Their hatred was so strong and non-accepting of potential I conclude their opinions are biased and do not count. :P *runs back to studying*

It looks absolutely awful. You've got to be kidding me. The drama, the characters, the dialogue, all transparently terrible. Even the sfx look stupid, the only thing I like even mildly about any of this is the city design. The siblings get some points for creativity there.

That looks so terrible, I can't believe it's actually being released.

I'm with KF - what the hell is happening to you guys?

[Qrazy]

But the adoration would certainly be more perplexing if this was Barry Sonnenfeld's Speed Racer with Brad Garrett as the dad and Zac Efron as Speed. The Wachowskis earned their stripes with The Matrix and the cast is uniformly excellent. Sure, it could have sucked, but it didn't, and that shouldn't surprise anybody.

And then lost them with the sequels.

[DavidSeven]

And then lost them with the sequels.

I won't dispute this.

[Pop Trash]

Weekend at Bernie's rules.

[Thirdmango]

The fact that Irish hates SR is oddly comforting. All is right with the world.

This.

Irish it's hard for me to understand your critisisms of the soul of the movie when every tv discussion you've had in the past month has been based on ratings and placement of characters and stories around commercial times. You seem very structured in your opinions and not really someone who bases things on soul. Like a scientific viewer of movies versus and artistic viewer of movies.

[Russ]

I will admit that I wasn't very enthusiastic the first time I saw it in the theater. But, like fine wine and The Big Lebowski, it's a grower, and gets better and better with every exposure. You want tension? Go see another movie. You want maximum sensory pleasure? Step right up.

I think the style is so overhyped (and rightfully so) that the substance is undervalued -- and remember, the substance is anchored by a rock solid foundation that is forged on the chemistry/performances of Sarandon and Goodman, both of whom deliver touching and heartfelt moments that rise above the genre of live action family film.

I've always felt this is one of those films that's way ahead of its time. And due to all the vitriol of the minority of haters present in this thread, I feel somewhat justified in that opinion.

Speed Racer rocks. IMHO, of course.

[Henry Gale]

Wow, five pages in five days about a movie that came out three years ago. All of this talk is really making me want to watch it again, but it may help that I also look at it as one of my personal best examples of great Summer entertainment, especially from the last few years at the theatre.

[Qrazy]

I will admit that I wasn't very enthusiastic the first time I saw it in the theater. But, like fine wine and The Big Lebowski, it's a grower, and gets better and better with every exposure. You want tension? Go see another movie. You want maximum sensory pleasure? Step right up.

I think the style is so overhyped (and rightfully so) that the substance is undervalued -- and remember, the substance is anchored by a rock solid foundation that is forged on the chemistry/performances of Sarandon and Goodman, both of whom deliver touching and heartfelt moments that rise above the genre of live action family film.

I've always felt this is one of those films that's way ahead of its time. And due to all the vitriol of the minority of haters present in this thread, I feel somewhat justified in that opinion.

Speed Racer rocks. IMHO, of course.

And due to the fact that I'm right and you're wrong I feel justified in my opinion.

[B-side]

I don't think I was being vitriolic, and I'm certainly not a hater. It's decent entertainment. I just don't comprehend the hyperbolic praise thrown on it that Irish quoted.

[soitgoes...]

I don't think I was being vitriolic, and I'm certainly not a hater. It's decent entertainment. I just don't comprehend the hyperbolic praise thrown on it that Irish quoted.

I didn't think you were either of those things. I was just trying to show that people have differing tastes. You liking Tony Scott more than Jean Renoir is just as baffling to me as people comparing Speed Racer to [insert acclaimed art film] is to you or anyone else. Follow these words in life Brightside:

"Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world."

[B-side]

I wish you'd have a Diff'rent Stroke and develop better opinions.

[

Show Spoiler

too far?

]

[Qrazy]

I didn't think you were either of those things. I was just trying to show that people have differing tastes. You liking Tony Scott more than Jean Renoir is just as baffling to me as people comparing Speed Racer to [insert acclaimed art film] is to you or anyone else. Follow these words in life Brightside:

Alternatively Speed Racer and Tony Scott are equally terrible.

[Derek]

Alternatively Speed Racer and Tony Scott are equally terrible.

Thank. You.