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Capone says SPEED RACER doesn't win, doesn't place and doesn't even finish the race

The final trailer premiered before the movie... by xpostfacto	May 10th, 2008 09:02:56 AM
http://tinyurl.com/yoczvz Haters, I implore you, DO NOT WATCH! This is not a dare.
Break with the trend by greentealite	May 10th, 2008 09:03:03 AM
You do that
I heard John Goodman looks like Super Mario by Jugdish	May 10th, 2008 09:05:48 AM
That's worth admission alone
"The first turd of the summer has been hatched." by waylayer	May 10th, 2008 09:06:24 AM
If you wanted one of your quotes to appear on the commercial, I would have opted for another one.
Umm, Capone... by LlGHTST0RMER	May 10th, 2008 09:09:59 AM
I never watched the show. Kinda wanted to see the movie. Didn't know Racer X was Speed's older brother. Thanks. (Spoiler alert, maybe?)
Yea took my son yesterday. by Mr402	May 10th, 2008 09:12:25 AM
Way to long. If this is supposed to be aimed at kids and family then it should have been 90 min tops. Just scene after scene of hyper-kinetic racing with a attempt at a story thrown in. If you cant entertain a 11 year old then you have done something wrong.
Mixed Bag by m_prevette	May 10th, 2008 09:14:33 AM
It's stunningly beautiful to watch, but why is a kids' movie...a movie aimed at pre-teens, with pre teen humor and a CHEATERS DONT WIN message literally spelled out at the end - saddled with an incomprehensible storyline about fixing races to make stock prices rise or fall ??? It was tiring to watch this movie, HOWEVER - the last 30 minutes were brilliant - finally the heart of the movie came together as Speed echoed Rex's leaving, and the final race was exciting, the moments with Speed flashing back, finding exactly who he is and why he's doing what he's doing, are great, and Racer X's final scene is excellent...but it takes way to long to get there. It's a brilliant payoff to a muddled beginning and middle. But Giacchino's score is fabulous, Sarandon is HOT, Goodman is good, the monkey is Chimp A Riffic...but damn this movie needs some editing and a rewrite
You know, for kids! by BrowncoatJedi	May 10th, 2008 09:15:13 AM
I think kids will love it. I will love it for the sfx design.
Two things... by Pariah74	May 10th, 2008 09:15:18 AM
The fact that people don't die but rather fill up with green foam and bounce away is completely against the spirit of the cartoon and means I will not watch it. What is the point of xtreme Speed Racer style racing with no crashes? WTF? Lightstormer, "Racer X is Speeds older brother" is not a spoiler. It never was, it never will be, and it never should be. For the reason why, watch any episode of Speed Racer. Sometimes they said it twice in one episode! But you did give me my first laugh of the morning...Spoiler warning for Racer X being Speed's older brother! HA!! Good one!
I never got Speed Racer. by Cotton McKnight	May 10th, 2008 09:18:30 AM
And I don't want to see Christina Ricci's legs, I want to see her hoo ha's. Thank you very much. I'll pass.
first speed racer review on this site, i have to agree on by sim	May 10th, 2008 09:19:31 AM
how anyone above the age of 10 can enjoy this piece of shit is beyond me...
first speed racer review on this site, i have to agree on by sim	May 10th, 2008 09:19:37 AM
how anyone above the age of 10 can enjoy this piece of shit is beyond me...
So what, was Speed Racer oscar material?? by DigitalDong	May 10th, 2008 09:21:25 AM
I'm confused. Stiff acting, weak script, predicable....I mean fuck, you talking about the movie or the cartoon?
Pariah74 by g-ride9000	May 10th, 2008 09:23:10 AM
your head is so far up your ass you mus see green foam all the time leaking from your cheeto infested outer intestine. As far as spoilers, many people know different amounts of stuff from pop culture. If it wasn't talked about in interview regularly or in the trailer for more than a frame, ITS A SPOILER. My dad won't even look at the previews. I guess thats old fashion, and you are a douchbag.
lol he put up a spoiler warning by DigitalDong	May 10th, 2008 09:23:20 AM
Epic Win for the idiot who didn't know Racer X was Speeds brother...which you learn way before Racer X even meets Speed in the movie.
My advice: Mushrooms by g-ride9000	May 10th, 2008 09:25:35 AM
its the only way to get everything out of the visuals, and be occupied with contemplating your life or belly button during that long soliloquy about cheating.
It's kind of funny to me that everyone bashed Episode 1 in 99 by Cotton McKnight	May 10th, 2008 09:25:57 AM
And there were CONSTANT references to the Matrix. How it should have been like the Matrix, that the matrix represented the "new sci fi" etc. In particular, people bitched about how Star Wars was a kiddie movie and that there was this uber long race scene in the middle of it. The acting/dialogue was stilted and the special effects were nothing more than eye candy. Nevermind the fact that the matrix sequels were crap, what do the brothers follow that movie up with? Oh.. a kiddie movie with colorful eye candy, stilted dialogue and an uber long race scene.
$30 million opening would be just fine by Son of Hades	May 10th, 2008 09:26:56 AM
For a $100 million film. Still, I predict an ultimately-underwhelming $60 million domestic gross, but more than double that overseas.
cotten mcknight by g-ride9000	May 10th, 2008 09:29:09 AM
you are a very observant person. Time and money will change any cross-dressing, shut in, team of brother action directors. You see it all the time here in San Francisco
The First Turd of the SUMMER!? by FuryofthefilmFan	May 10th, 2008 09:31:46 AM
That's not really fair to say. The movie succeeded in doing what it aimed to do Capone. How many exciting family films are out there that don't involve a flying dog or some dog playing (insert sport here). The movie was weak nor did it suffer from Stiff acting that was the acting they were going for. The "tone" for the film. IT may not be Iron Man but it sure as hell ain't no 10,000 bc.
GO SPEED GO! FUCK YOU CAPONE FUCK YOU! by DURANGO66	May 10th, 2008 09:33:05 AM
THE MOVIES WAS AWSOME I WAS ON VICODIN CUZ I COULDN'T SCORE SHROOMS BUT IT STILL INHANCED THE VISUALS A BIT I STARTED SWEATING COLD AT THE MIDNIGHT IMAX SHOW! I LOVED IT AND THE STREET FIGHT BETWEEN ALL THE GOONIES AND THE FAMALY WAS AWSOME!!!!
g-ride9000 by Pariah74	May 10th, 2008 09:34:59 AM
Yeah you're right. We should all walk around curtailing everything we do and say for retards like you. I mean, somebody has to keep you alive. By the way, Obidiah Stane is the Iron Monger in Iron Man. Moron.
Its a Live Action Cartoon BASED on a Cartoon. by Redfive!	May 10th, 2008 09:36:11 AM
Right from the beggining all I ever heard was that The Matrix brothers were making a new kind of kids movie AIMED at kids. Also have you gone back and watched SPEED RACER,its a really awful cartoon,it really is. I think only HE-MAN and the master of the universe matches the awfulness. Yeah I agree it should be trimmed by 25 minutes,but its not the worse thing out there.I think that should go to 10,000 BC
The Matrix by Pariah74	May 10th, 2008 09:37:47 AM
Was only good because the stole the script from somebody else. V for Vendetta was only good because they had almost no control. What else have they done? Bound? Assassins? Crap and crap. Hacks both of them. Plagiarizers.
Pure Fun as it was meant to be by SuperBlue	May 10th, 2008 09:38:32 AM
this movie was pure fun. Yes, I think it could have benefitted from a bit more realism here and there, I thought it was perfect for it's target audience: families with pre teen kids. Older grumpy, cynical dudes need to go watch Indy 4 and complain about how Lucas and Spielberg are still making movies that could have been made in the 50's. My only complaint with this movie was the swipes. They were hard on the brain. But my daughter, that's daughter and all her friends, loved it. In fact, they clapped.
Kids don't know any better. by Pariah74	May 10th, 2008 09:44:07 AM
That why we as adults need to be discerning as to what we expose them to. People who are given quality entertainment as children grow up to be adults who demand quality. Movie are in the shitter right now because people in their 30's and later grew up watching 30 minute animated commercials. That's why Hollywood is doing nostalgic remakes because most of generation X has about as much creativity a potato.
I think that green foam has gotten into your post by g-ride9000	May 10th, 2008 09:48:31 AM
Pariah74, go masturbate to that bad lesbo porn you have on the next tab. Why? because you insults are uncreative as a cartoon about racing witch has 2 characters with the word race in their names. you are one of those nitpicky little shits who gets tossed around in real life so you jump on some old fart that doesn't know the basics about speed racer. You know what little turd, don't wack-off, go get laid...seriously if you actually had sex with a real person, that intimacy might keep you from being a SUPER SPLOOG FROM THE STAINS ON MY FUCK RAG
It will definitly be better than assasins by g-ride9000	May 10th, 2008 09:51:47 AM
I'll put some cheddar down on that one.
a move "being for kids" is not an excuse to be bad by waggy	May 10th, 2008 10:11:06 AM
Yeah, there's never been a movie made for children that has been well-acted, well-written, or well-directed before.... This movie bored me to tears any time there wasn't racing on screen (and then I was too busy trying to figure out what the hell i was watching), so I can only imagine how an 8 year old's attention span would hold up. And Capone was dead-on about the stock-fixing plotline. I can't believe they actually expected kids to be able to follow that. Not terrible by any means, but I'm not in any hurry to watch it again.
not an excuse for a MOVIE either by waggy	May 10th, 2008 10:12:36 AM
god dammit, i look educated....
Pariah74 by Captain Katanga	May 10th, 2008 10:13:25 AM
What a hilariously arrogant little geek you are. Just because YOU know everything there is to know about Speed Racer, you think that makes it fair to spoil it for everyone else. I hadn't even heard of Speed Racer when I watched this film. The film is clearly designed to to make the true identity of Racer X a BIG DRAMATIC REVEAL: they even double bluff you, as Speed suspects his identity early on, but is then thrown off the scent. Therefore it most definitely IS a spoiler. If it wasn't a spoiler, then why would you have a key sequence at the end of the film, set to dramatic music, showing who Racer X really is? If everyone is meant to know already, then this would be as stupid as having a BIG DRAMATIC MOMENT at the end of Spiderman revealing that his true identity is Peter Parker! It doesn't surprise me though, there is something in the geek mentality that finds it necessary to relentlessly spoil details like this.
Is liking Ang Lee's Hulk a sign as to why I liked this?? by boba_fun	May 10th, 2008 10:14:32 AM
I feel like that girl you knew in high school, lots of options ahead of her, but always falling for the abusive boyfriend, deluded by denial into thinking her life was as good as it could get. I LOVED the Speed Racer. I'm not sure how the film has gotten almost universally panned by the major critics, while Iron Man a week earlier took home major plaudits. The "moral tale" in both is admittedly unidimensional and a bit hokey - but that's what summer blockbusters are for (or at least that was my impression). Why for one it's overlooked while for another its stoned (particularly where the source material for Speed is filled with less substance that the source material for Stark, giving the Wachowski's less to work with) is beyond my imagination. Do the effects really overwhelm? Like racing and this Wachowski approach to film making, the art lies in harnessing the chaos, in being able to allow the car to tale spin through a turn before regaining control and taking into a straightaway, in being able to let the lights and colors blitz the screen but maintain the solid lines and colors of its characters. I think this is most evidently revealed in the foreshadowing worked by young Speed's flip-book animation on his standardized test and the Zebra "running" in the background of the final race (which on a moment of static movement shows alternating still images of a neon zebra with legs straight and then extended such that when the cars race by them the images appear to run with the competitors). That is the fine line between an MTV buck shot of noise and flash and the Wachowski's ground to air missile aimed with impeccable precision. As to acting, Capone notes the casting was apt. Every character, even RAIN, seemed picture perfect. Here the film shares much in common with Iron Man from last week. Admittedly the Speed Story and dialogue is a little more stilted for such actors to really shine, but more importantly for me they embody the original characters and feel of the source material perfectly. Speed is handsome, youthful, nervous, and becomes powerful by the end (the final scene is almost transcendent ala NEO - and maybe that's why everyone else but me is hating it). Pops is overbearing but cuddly (who dares to not love John Goodman!). Yet there are those who even get beyond even their animated surroundings and source material limits. Richard Roundtree deserves, at the very least, a Golden Globe nomination for supporting actor in a musical or comedy for the speech he gives Speed in his office about the secret of the World Racing League. And believe it or not, the child actor who plays Spritle and his Chimp pal were FANTASTIC. In these types of films, usually one bemoans the need to include the "kid" element to please family audiences - a la Jar Jar Binks. However, the quality of the comic timing and genuine naive but heartfelt defiance of his performance was really a joy to watch.
So it really is the new TRON. by knowthyself	May 10th, 2008 10:14:54 AM
Tron was an awful movie that has somehow managed to get a good shot of nostalgia for its effects.
Captain Katanga i'm feelin' ya by g-ride9000	May 10th, 2008 10:18:31 AM
he's a prick
"2 hours of the pod race from SW 1" by palewook	May 10th, 2008 10:19:37 AM
is what one reviewer said about speed racer, which scared me. very much.
y do they keep advertising "from the Wachowskis"? by BMacSmith	May 10th, 2008 10:24:39 AM
they are complete hacks. like it was already said, they stole the ffirst Matrix, destroyed the sequels and V For Vendetta was terrible! why would you put their name in your advertisements. you might as well say "made by Uwe Boll and endorsed by George W. Bush".
this film defnitely is an acquired taste by Captain Katanga	May 10th, 2008 10:26:32 AM
...if you go in wanting to hate it, then you probably will. But if you can manage to get yourself into the mindset of a 10 year old kid (and I realise thats a quite a big ask lol) then you will love it. Sure, some of the visuals are kind of tasteless and garish, and some of the humour early on falls flat. But there is a real emotional thoughline to this film, and it actually manages to pack a little emotional punch at the end, something I would never have suspected from the trailers. The final race is brilliantly staged, the climax gave me a RUSH! GO SPEED GO!
Fuck Speed Racer! I want the ROBOTECH movie! by Tacom	May 10th, 2008 10:32:36 AM
The Speed Racer was before my time and from what I've seen of it it's a pretty silly cartoon . Robotech however is way cooler! The first time I was really exposed to "mecha" was what really got me about Anime! I know "Robotech Generation 1" was actually Macross in Japan but for American kids like me it was a revelation. Tobey Maguire as Rick is questionable but they better pick the right actress for Lisa! Someone who not only is hot but got some brains and personality.
Susan Sarandon was never beautiful.. by jfp2007	May 10th, 2008 10:32:55 AM
Anyone who thinks she still is or ever was is an acquired taste.
obviously Capone is having terrible personal issues these days by ludmir88	May 10th, 2008 10:33:27 AM
i'll wait your wall-e review.
The Bros. W didn't direct V for Vendetta.. by jfp2007	May 10th, 2008 10:34:50 AM
Fools.
HA! I knew it. by dr sauch	May 10th, 2008 10:36:20 AM
I knew this would suck, despite Harry (and others) fellating it. Its just dumb. And don't call this the new Tron, Tron was awesome.
Spoilers.. by jfp2007	May 10th, 2008 10:36:29 AM
Assume any review, tagged or not, contains massive spoilers including how it ends. More fools.
Robotech Movie by Kraken	May 10th, 2008 10:43:25 AM
Be careful what you wish for. It's being made, at Toby Maguire's production company with him attached to play Rick (17 year old) Hunter.
Galaxy rangers... by SOHOMEMADEITHURTS	May 10th, 2008 10:45:42 AM
With the gift of Hyperdrive.... these cowboys STILL ride horses (robot ones.. given) Let's see this one next eh! Or C.O.P.S!!!! Kick ass Speed racer is a song.... at best...
Fsck you, Capone, and the horse you rode in on. by TheCap	May 10th, 2008 10:48:04 AM
I don't know what movie YOU saw, you mobster prick, but I saw a hit movie that kids will love, from which they'll secretly learn how valuable family is in life, and that ANY adult with half a heart still working who grew up on the original will find a reasonably faithful and fun two-plus-hour light-speed fun-ride. Those who have said that this movie is a live-action CARTOON based faithfully and unashamedly on a 1960's anime CARTOON hit the nail perfectly on the head. It's not meant to be f*cking Shakespeare, moron, and if I wanted a film with substance, an intelligent and sophisticated script and great cinematic potential, I'd go to an art-house film and sit through something in French. In short, Capone, get bent, jackass. That is all.
Looks like audiences agree with you Capone by kwisatzhaderach	May 10th, 2008 10:49:55 AM
Floptastic.
jfp2007 by Pariah74	May 10th, 2008 10:53:33 AM
They "wrote" the screen play but it was hyped that they were the ones behind it...but they actually did very little. Which is why I said what I said. As for the other sad little fucks who are mad because they I called them stupid. Oh well. Your insults weren't even clever but they did make me laugh a little. I'm sorry the epic that is Speed Racer is now ruined for you! Like I said, not all of us are smart enough to make the jump that Speed's older brother "Rex Racer" is now the mysterious "Racer X" despite the fact that it says it everywhere! Oh and Prince Caspian blows Susan's horn to summon the children.
I loved it... by Frankenbastard	May 10th, 2008 10:55:33 AM
I watched it yesterday with my family and we all loved it. My kids are 5 and a half and 2 and it was obvious that kids are the target audience. I seem to remember the show being an hour long when I was a kid (not sans commercials). We watched it on the IMAX and I’m not sure exactly that’s the best way to see it since everything is right in your face to begin with. To each his own I guess .
I can't believe people aren't enjoying this by phantom_of_teh_paradise	May 10th, 2008 11:00:43 AM
Sure sign that movies are dead is when a gem like this is popular to hate on. Fuck all you haters, this is one of the most entertaining movies of recent history and it's undeniably an achievement of technical merit. What the fuck is wrong with everybody?!
Actually Tron . . . by WerePlatypus	May 10th, 2008 11:01:21 AM
is boring as hell. Now that you've gotten older, rent it again.
Forget the "cartoon" visuals... by Quake II	May 10th, 2008 11:02:07 AM
How was the production design? The Mid Century furniture and crazy clothing? How well were the action scenes choreographed? I still haven't gone yet but FUCK I am sick of all the reviewers just ragging on the running time and CGI f/x. No real meat in these reviews...."If you loved the cartoon" blah blah blah. Maybe I'm too observant when I go to movies but every review goes no deeper than the fucking trailers we've seen. Not a whole lot of artists review film obviously because there is no mention of set designs etc....Of course a real artist wouldn't be reviewing movies for a living, they would be CREATING something for the world to enjoy rather than shitting on someone else's creation......
Finally, someone here has common sense by BitterMan23	May 10th, 2008 11:08:23 AM
I've been aghast all week about how much this place loves this turd. I saw it on the Warner lot, with industry people and their kids, and even they were far from entertained once the 2nd hour began.
If you want to nurse a woodie for Ricci.. by malificus	May 10th, 2008 11:09:31 AM
.. then by all means go ahead, I personally am WAY into Tina Fey these days, but why do people keep insisting that she's "born to play Trixie"? Based on what exactly? Ricci bears no overwelming physical resemblance to Trixie in any discernable way, is this just the thing to say now? I've noticed many people making this point and I simply don't get it. Ricci is fine as an actress, she seems game and all that but give it a fucking rest with the: "It's the role she was born to play". I hope to god not, Trixie always was a barely developed character anyway, I hope Ricci's career has more legs than that, she better hope so too.
I saw it on-line by calnorso	May 10th, 2008 11:09:58 AM
I really need to see it in an actual theater to really take in the visuals. But in my opinion it wasn't that bad, I saw Iron Man opening day and although I really enjoyed it, I don't feel the desire to see it again anytime soon, I don't know, for some reason Speed Racer really stuck with me, and I'm totally unfamiliar with the cartoon/anime
And Susan Sarandon.. by malificus	May 10th, 2008 11:15:43 AM
is hotter than fuck. Watch any interview with her where she's not blathering about politics, or even if she is, she oozes sex from every pore.
calnorso....Iron Man by Quake II	May 10th, 2008 11:29:39 AM
I kinda agree. I really liked Iron Man but I'm in no rush to see it again. I will buy it on Blu Ray but as far as going back to the theater.....No desire. Why is that?
SPEED RACER = EPIC FAIL by ingloriousjedi	May 10th, 2008 11:33:10 AM
film not knowing what audience it was made for = EPIC FAIL
I saw Iron Man twice by Pariah74	May 10th, 2008 11:36:30 AM
loved it both times. Even laughed out loud at the same joke both times. Thought it was great! No real judgment on this yet, but the fact that racers don't crash and burn leaves me cold. Isn't Speed Racer notorious for killing like 2 or 3 people just in the opening credits? I mean c'mon?! You don't have to show blood, or even show them die...show them spin of the cliff and explode!
Chimp - The Movie by Motoko Kusanagi	May 10th, 2008 11:37:17 AM
I totally agree with you, Capone! The first turd of the summer. Couldn't have said it more to the point!
I have NO desire to see this movie, but... by darquelyte	May 10th, 2008 11:43:33 AM
I am ALMOST tempted to go see it at the local IMAX. Just because.
Stop expecting so much! by giapet	May 10th, 2008 11:43:39 AM
God forbid, a movie based on a cartoon that's...CARTOONY? Stop the presses! It's cute, popcorn fun. If the Wachowski brothers' previous films made you expect something deep, serious, or even witty, that's your own problem, not the film's. If the same film had been created by almost anyone else, it wouldn't be getting this much crap. Not that I'm saying it was amazing-- but if you drop all the pretentious elitist junk, it's a perfectly fine, very fun movie. Unless you're epileptic.
Big Time Bomb by ChetPussy	May 10th, 2008 11:51:43 AM
Friday grosses: Iron Man $15.3 million. What happens in Vegas $6.7 million. SPEED RACER $5.8 million. This could be the biggest bomb of the summer
Movies that don't do well at the box office... by Quake II	May 10th, 2008 11:53:19 AM
still exist and you are allowed to enjoy them anyhow. That's a great thing. If Speed Racer becomes a "cult" classic or a huge Blu-Ray seller, it will be considered a success. "The masses are asses" is a phrase that is proven all year long. Look at the films that people spend their money on! Meet The Spartans?! The latest PG-13 teen "horror" movie?! Scary Movie XXMCVI?! I am amazed all year long at the number 1 films every weekend. I will gladly join the crowd that loves Speed Racer if the masses hate it. Sign me up!
So this movie will do Lady in the Water numbers by Norman Bates	May 10th, 2008 12:03:34 PM
but has a budget rumored at nearly 3x Night's 2006 film. I wonder if people will pretend that the Wachowski's didn't make a huge mistake.
No, the action sequences do not work, either by lettersoftransit	May 10th, 2008 12:07:33 PM
There is no sense of danger, no sense of choreography, no sense you are there with them, Sorry, just the way it is.
Quake II your right about the majority of popular movies by ChetPussy	May 10th, 2008 12:10:10 PM
being crap but in this case the public was right. Speed racer is utter crap. Your logic that if the public doesn;t like then it must be good is flawed. But i guess you should check out speed racer for yourself but I can almost gaurentee ou will come out of the theater saying "what the fuck" and not in a good way
The problem with this movie by Series7	May 10th, 2008 12:12:31 PM
Is that it should have been released in march or December. So there weren't other big action movies that critics and people will sit around and talk about what they want to see more. Because after watching this movie I was like no wonder they had no idea how to market this. And since it comes out in second week of the summer people are going to refuse that we can get two amazing summer movies back to back. This needed to come out during a down period where people are kind of forced to see it and generate word of mouth sort of. I took my buddy to see it, and he was totally against it. He had Capone attitude about it, and when he left he thought it was awesome. Yeah there are some problems with the movie, but overall its a much better summer movie then most of what comes out, its better then anything that came out last summer (though that could be said for pretty much anything this year). I don't know what Capone is saying that he didn't want to see this again, I wanted turn right around and watch it right away (but in IMAX). With Iron Man I saw it and said, OK now that we got that out of the way lets make an amazing sequel and maybe I'll catch it on FX or something down the line. I caught Speed at the midnight show and never once started to fall asleep, and i am terrible about that. Had I got to see Iron that late I would've been passed out. Wasn't on drugs either, had eaten a big meal and had a couple of beers and tired from playing Wii boxing.
Racer Beaten By Diaz and Ashton! by wallygogo	May 10th, 2008 12:21:59 PM
According to Friday's receipts, Speed Racer in on pace for less than 20 million, finishing behind Iron Man and What Happens in Vegas. Yep, It's a Turd!
That's 2 hours and 15 fucking minutes deliciouscowbell by Norman Bates	May 10th, 2008 12:27:50 PM

giapet, you're like these cunts running our schools... by poeticwarriorII	May 10th, 2008 12:28:01 PM
anymore, let's just get rid of letter grades, I mean after all we don't wanna expect too much. Let's just get rid of common sense and taste, I don't wanna overload those buckets of shit the Wachowskis try to call heads by expecting them to make something watchable. Looks like I was right, this movie will be WAAAAYYYYY under 30 million for the weekend.
The problem with Capone's review... by Mostholy	May 10th, 2008 12:32:08 PM
...is that he's not an 8-year-old boy. Newsflash: The source material was utter garbage. With that in mind, I thought Speed Racer was decently entertaining, if you don't go in expecting your childhood to be validated, and just treat it like the kid-centered summery fluff it was meant to be. It's no better or worse than the Spy Kids flicks. In other words, Mostly Harmless. There's no reason to threaten suicide over it.
ricci, born to play trixie??? by bacci40	May 10th, 2008 12:33:19 PM
maybe when she was 12...but then she grew huge boobies...and trixie is flat as a pancake...oh, and the german screener is up...god, i love the internet
Yeah it's a bomb by The Curious Dr Humpp	May 10th, 2008 12:36:12 PM
$5,8 million on friday. Which most probably means a $18-20 million weekend gross. And I highly doubt this turkey will make more than $40 million domestically. And did somebody say this film would at least rock the overseas box-office? Please. Apart from Japan, this thing will tank everywhere. Simply because nobody outside of the U.S. and Japan knows anything about the cartoon this film is based on. I saw it yesterday over here in The Netherlands - and the kiddies in the theater didn't understand it at all.
Mostholy's post... by poeticwarriorII	May 10th, 2008 12:38:19 PM
Look the excuses have already begun to trickle in. Hey, it's not the wretched shit fest everyone thinks it is!!! It's kids summer fluff, that's it!! SUMMER FLUFFFFFFFFFF!!! I can picture the Wachowski's at their next meeting yelling that in panic.
Poeticwarrior by Mostholy	May 10th, 2008 12:44:55 PM
I have no interest in defending the Wachowskis. I thought the last Matrix was a colossal, embarrassing bomb. I'm just calling it as I saw it. Speed Racer was a visually interesting kids' flick that kept me reasonably entertained and showed me something I'd never seen before. No more, no less.
"For kids?" Listen up... by ckane123	May 10th, 2008 12:46:13 PM
I have three sons, 6, 8 and 10 years old. Only my youngest wanted to see SR. They don't want to watch people racing, they want to play racing video games (ironically they are playing the free SR games online right now). ALL of them wanted to see Iron Man. ALL of them want to see it again (and most important to the studio, they also want all the toys). This movie would not exist if not for Cars making mucho bank in '06 (mostly from merchandising). I think the word of mouth is really hurting this film, and they will have a good Saturday and drop like a stone after Sunday. It may be sensational, but I (and a lot of other parents and potential ticket buyers) ain't seeing or hearing it. Hey, at least I got a $20 super-cool Mach 5 vehicle because this movie was made...
Turd place on Friday... by BEEK	May 10th, 2008 12:47:28 PM
..according to box office mojo.
And one more thing by ckane123	May 10th, 2008 12:54:08 PM
My wife (who did not see it yet) and I went to see Iron Man again last night - packed theatre, wife loved it. It got legs, folks. Looked in on a screen showing Speed Racer? Three people, maybe four. Crickets, people.
FUCK SPEED RACER, FUCK SPEED RACER NOW! by Yelnick McWaWa	May 10th, 2008 12:56:32 PM
Now THIS is a review I can get behind. The obnoxious colors and the ridiculous leaps in logic make this one a shitter for me. They look like they are driving in hamster tubes in a gay pride parade. Nothing wrong with a Pride parade, I just don't want in my summer blockbusters. I guess there are NO black people in Speed's world? Sense when is Christina Ricci cute? I guess if you are into bulbous foreheads and mousy voices. The Wachowskis need to go away, they've had their fun, now they are just being assholes. Hey remember when summer movies used to be good? 1982....an untouchable year for the real movie fans out there. I pity all of you born after that seminal year. Sucks to be you...
Disagree with the review. by max314	May 10th, 2008 01:08:48 PM
The film is absolutely stunning in every way. I think the films highly divisive nature is testament to the groundbreaking, experimental style the film employs.
did you really .... by DigitalBeachWar	May 10th, 2008 01:08:57 PM
expect much from the makers of the matrix? i mean the promos for this "film" look soo awful and annoying... it looks like a video game... why go see a video game when you can play one?
I love the "stop expecting so much" defense... by ckane123	May 10th, 2008 01:16:52 PM
This whole "turn your brain off and enjoy it" argument will NEVER hold water with me. "It's based on a cartoon! Lighten up!" Come on. Batman and Iron Man is a comic book. Indiana Jones is based on movie serials. You CAN create great entertaining movies from wafer-thin source material.
You know what else was too long by 30 minutes? by mr.brownstone	May 10th, 2008 01:56:10 PM
Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
A SERVICE MESSAGE, RE BOX OFFICE RECEIPTS by The Wolf at the Door	May 10th, 2008 02:00:40 PM
For the love of God, PLEASE. SHUT. THE. F. UP!!! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!! My God ... The Godfather would be a great movie if only ONE PERSON ON EARTH saw it. The Last Action Hero is absurdly bad, even if EVERY HUMAN BEING WHO'S EVER LIVED EVER sees it. Even if they revive corpses back to life, sit them down and charge them $1 million dollars a pop to rewatch it over and over again for all eternity. Why ... in HOLY HELL!!!!!!!! ... are film geeks going online, taking the time to get an AICN account, and spend their weekends talkbacking about how much studio execs are making or not making as if it has anything whatsoever to do with the qualify of the film!?! Is it at all funny, or ironic, or ... anything at all to you guys that there's a Donnie Darko sequel being discussed? (To say nothing of a SR sequel, which - no matter how many times you declare it "teh worstest movie evers" - has enough support that they're not going all Incredible Hulk reboot for part II.) Does it maybe say something about how films take time to be recognized as either successful or not? Maybe that the ALMIGHTY, HOLIEST OF HOLIES first weekend BO receipts maybe DON'T tell you everything there is to say about the essence of a film? Please, please, please either stop pretending your a fan of movies or go to HollywoodSaloon.com and listen to the Apocalypse Hollywood podcasts. Goooood night, what's wrong with y'all!?!
Speed Racer is a box office DUD!!! by GalactusZ	May 10th, 2008 02:04:47 PM
Box Office Mojo's Friday estimates...Iron Man 15 million, Speed racer a paltry 5 million (and in third place behind that Vegas movie). NO Speed Racer, NO! http://www.boxofficemojo.com/d aily/chart/?sortdate=2008-05-0 9&p=.htm
Does Mori know you don't like it? by The Funketeer	May 10th, 2008 02:06:13 PM
because I guess that would make you a hipster who doesn't know how to have fun.
yes sarah marshall was way too long by BMacSmith	May 10th, 2008 02:06:18 PM
and given that the guy was a lazy, cowardly, whiny, nerdy, all around pathetic axcuse for a human being, i was rooting for the hot, successful girl to tell him to fuck off and get a life.
crap review by crashbarbarian	May 10th, 2008 02:07:09 PM
saw this last night and thought it was great, entertaining, different, and well done... get over it you blow hards
Speed Racer was slightly before my time and i'm 28 by BMacSmith	May 10th, 2008 02:08:38 PM
so who is this movie for? even when i was a kid i thought it was a shit cartoon. He-man looked like Pixar compared to that shit.
This spring/summer's big bomb. by Yeti	May 10th, 2008 02:10:17 PM
Joining the ranks of Lost In Space, The Avengers, The Saint, the career destroying Josie and the Pussycats, Eyes Wide Shut, Catwoman, The Invasion, the list goes on and on....
"The FX consumed the performers and story". Just like the matrix by Mike_D	May 10th, 2008 02:18:06 PM
loved the first movie, hated the sequels. I can never watch another movie where its completely filmed on a green screen.
They shoulda made this movie 15 years ago by Liberty Valance	May 10th, 2008 02:20:06 PM
It would have cost 1/3 as much, been 100 minutes tops and had an audience that still remembered the original cartoon. Anyone who watched that relic is like 40 or 50 now and has stopped giving a shit about an antiquated, low-budget cartoon from their youth. Exactly whom did WB think would go see this shitburger?
5 million on friday? by Bouncy X	May 10th, 2008 02:21:01 PM
seriously? wow....i knew this wouldnt be a huge 90-100 million in the first weekend movie but i figured it would do pretty well anyway. i was expecting a good 40-60 for the weekend but if it only made 5 friday, then it'll be lucky to hit 30 by sunday night. as for the constant bitching over box office, while it does not determine the quality of a movie, it does determine how many people saw it and how often. so if a movie has a shitty box office then few went to see it, and if so few went to see it then that's not a good sign.
ckane123 by mr.brownstone	May 10th, 2008 02:26:35 PM
I couldn't agree more.
THE TRAILER GAVE AWAY THE BAD GUY? by Saluki	May 10th, 2008 02:36:16 PM
Bastards! What summer popcorn flick would ever do such a thing?!? Oh, wait, actually that is a dumbass criticism. Nevermind.
i am in speed's demo by bacci40	May 10th, 2008 02:36:23 PM
aging fan boy...ran home everyday from school to watch the manga block on uhf (you guys remember the uhf band...dont ya?) channel 44...started with kimba, went to speed, then johnny socko and then finally....ULTRAMAN...so the studio was banking on guys like me to bring the kids (or grandkids, depending on how young you were when you got married) but heres the prob (and also the prob with capones review) as one ages, one also loses the ability to enjoy a roller coaster ride...has something to do with the deterioration of the inner ear (its what causes the elderly to fall so easily) and this movie is basically a roller coaster ride...capone was looking for substance, but the source material had no substance, just alot of hypervisual scenes (as was the case with all the old manga toons)...and im sure they will recoup costs on the dvd/bluray market...this will be a great diversion for the kids, while mom and dad head off to the bedroom...as for the grosses...look for a bounce on sunday
Reaction to this one has made me more interested to see it. by Chewtoy	May 10th, 2008 02:39:30 PM
I'm not surprised that it's off to a sluggish start, as they did a really poor job of selling it on anything other than the eye candy factor, and frankly it wasn't a sure-sell in that regard. I was really intrigued by the look in first glimpses, but the more I saw of it the more it reminded me of a young artist who first finds access to Photoshop filters... it takes a while for taste and restraint to override the wow-neato! factor of using them. However, I can forgive overblown visuals if there's something else there, and there seems to be a strong segment of the audience who really just had a blast with this. Assuming they're not all druggies, it raises my interest in seeing this film sometime.
DOMESTIC BOMB by la_sith	May 10th, 2008 02:40:22 PM
$6M opening day.
Little kids have no clue who Speed Racers is! by fiester	May 10th, 2008 02:41:49 PM
Here's the problem with making a kids flick based on a character only people over 30 recall: kids dunno who or what Speed Racer is! If they'd done a Yughio or Dragonball or Dora the Explorer or whatever else little kids know, know and like for cartoons these days they would have had a built-in audience. Instead the package nostalgia for 8 year olds. Nostalgia for 8 year olds! Anyone else see how wrongheaded that is?
Pariah74 by smackfu	May 10th, 2008 02:59:35 PM
I would like to thank every person who's ever beaten you up, ridiculed you, made you feel alienated, and called you a fag. I'd also especially like to thank your father for those 3 years he disowned you and wouldn't speak to you. All for posting that Iron Man spoiler.
I'm 34 and I had no idea what Speed Racer was.. by Cotton McKnight	May 10th, 2008 03:01:16 PM
until some video or something came out on MTV. And as a kid, I actually watched a bunch of stuff.. Battle of the Planets, etc. I have no idea when Speed Racer was popular. By the time I saw it, it was nostalgia.
DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE WARNING by ganymede3010	May 10th, 2008 03:06:29 PM
This wasn't a horrible moive, i mean they did an excellent job translating the cartoon world onto the silverscreen. But this movie is BORING AS FUCK!! What a letdown after seeing Iron man. Stay away from this movie.
script 5/10...filmmaking 10/10 by BrowncoatJedi	May 10th, 2008 03:06:36 PM
Would have been perfect with a script by Frank Miller or or Whedon or Brain K Vaughn who could have created a good story.
i do want to see the eye candy in this by BMacSmith	May 10th, 2008 03:17:58 PM
but not if its 2 hours long and dumb as shit. i liked the visual style. it is unique. but fuck it. I hate the Wachowski bros anyway.
It's for KIDS, not GEEKS by christian66	May 10th, 2008 03:23:03 PM
Any child worth his/her salt will go bonkers over this. It's fun, imaginative and it's got a far more important message than Dreamworks cutter-cookie crap like BEE MOVIE - which I believe Capone liked.
Capone, I'm confused...... by Massage...Bored	May 10th, 2008 03:51:01 PM
...you begin by saying that you loved the cartoon so much that you ignored how awful (by that I mean campy awful) it really was and then you berate the film for the exact same flaws. I'm the sure the cartoon wasn't written by a literary genius. You just seem to completely contradict yourself with this statement. How can you expect something more from source material that didn't have much there to begin with?
Speed Racer's 3 day take is projection is... by Amadeo Zeller	May 10th, 2008 03:57:40 PM
19.5 million. The execs at Warner's are breaking out the Maalox right about now. Poor bastards.
Fake looking CGI by blakes7	May 10th, 2008 03:58:51 PM
The GGI looked liked it belonged on a PS3 or on a t.v. show, not a $200 million dollar film. It's like they chromakeyed the whole film on an Imac.
Browncoat Jedi- Frank Miller? You sure about that? by blindambition238	May 10th, 2008 04:01:07 PM
Mom Racer, Trixie, the Mach 5 and Chim Chim would be 'god damned whores!' And the movie would be totally in black and white save for Speed's red kerchief.
Wolf at the door... by Gilkuliehe	May 10th, 2008 04:03:18 PM
Amen, brother. Amen.
blakes7, it's pointless to critique the CGI by Orionsangels	May 10th, 2008 04:04:38 PM
What you're saying is what they were going for. They weren't going for realism. Obviously you didn't like it. That's fine, but the movie went for a certain look and they achieved it.
Hmm... by Cobbio	May 10th, 2008 04:24:18 PM
Thanks for the review, Capone. I respect your opinion, but I respectfully fall on the other side on this film. Not ever having given a shit about the cartoons in the 80's, maybe I'm a little more at ease with the visuals and story. So Capone, I hope your apartment's fully recoved from the "accident" a while back. Keep writing those fabulous reviews.
I hate the term "eye candy." by Captain Mal	May 10th, 2008 04:26:55 PM
Not sure why, it just bugs the shit out of me. So tired of hearing how this flick is "a sugary burst of bubble-gum, soda-pop, cotton candy-infused visuals, with taffy swirls and fructose-syrup-coated wads of skittle-bomb snak-packets for your eyes! It's a sensory wash of fruit-roll-up-wrapped gumdrops splashed with kool-aid and pop-rocks!"
This review reminds me of a Dave Attel quote: by jimmay	May 10th, 2008 04:43:52 PM
From the great Comedy Central toon of yore, Dr. Katz, speaking on opera: "Look how much it takes to bore me."
well i liked it! by Obscura	May 10th, 2008 04:51:10 PM
so ner!
Spoiler Warning by BobPalpatine	May 10th, 2008 04:52:03 PM
It's now "The Wachowskis" and not "The Wachowski Bros." The reason being should spoil any family outing to this movie.
My theater had a midnight release by BobPalpatine	May 10th, 2008 04:54:59 PM
I walked out of iron man around 11:50 pm, and there was a long mazed off section for the expected line. There was nobody, just 2 guys standing at the front of the 'line' with blank looks in their eyes. It was very sad.
Actually, it IS still The Wachowski Brothers by phantom_of_teh_paradise	May 10th, 2008 04:56:00 PM
Check the credits at the end of the movie. Just an internet rumor, guys.
Just saw it, my eyes glisten by g-ride9000	May 10th, 2008 05:18:34 PM
crap has never been so incredibly beautiful.
This Review by dioh10	May 10th, 2008 05:23:20 PM
Fuckin' Blows! Capone you are a goddamn plant (a bad plant by the way). This movie fuckin' rocks. It has a great casting, a compelling story and great sequences and VFX. This page has been going downhill for a while now.
I thought by second cousin of phartegod	May 10th, 2008 06:15:14 PM
this movie was merely fun and trippy, until about the last leg, starting from where he confronted Racer X at the tracks, yeah. That's when this movie got pretty fucking brilliant. It has 80s cult classic status written all over it. Unfortunately, I did have some tetrahydrocannabinol in my system last night, so my opinon may change on a second, THC-less viewing.
Why do people get angry about reviews? by RenoNevada	May 10th, 2008 06:16:48 PM
For the life of me I can't understand why people go apeshit over someone's opinion. That's just what it is, THEIR opinion. Some of you people need to sit back, relax and take some Prozac. And one more thing, just because tne Wachowski [Bros.] made a revolutionary film like the Matrix it doesn't mean all of their movies are going to be good. Remember Steven Spielberg made 1941 and Hook. That being said, IN MY OPINION, Speed Racer ias a spectacular, neon-coloured pile of shite!
I Agree With The Wolf at the Door.... by TheCap	May 10th, 2008 06:24:08 PM
In addition to his spot-on logical evaluation of a movie's eventual value to the world, I wholeheartedly endorse and support his message to all SR haters out there : For the love of God, PLEASE. SHUT. THE. F. UP!!! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!! That is all.
This movie has about as much value to the world... by poeticwarriorII	May 10th, 2008 06:35:38 PM
as the shit I took this morning. It's not going to be groundbreaking. It's not going to be landmark. It's not going to advance film in any way, shape, or form. It's a horrid POS movie that never should have or would have been done but for two self-masturbatory lunk heads to involved with how awesome they are to realize they shit poop just like everyone else.
And you can bet your ass WB is... by poeticwarriorII	May 10th, 2008 06:38:06 PM
sweating their balls off over that shitty cartoon in that shit tank they try to call a film studio after this fucker bombed to the tune of MAYBE a 20 million dollar weekend.
Fake, still by blakes7	May 10th, 2008 06:38:57 PM
Orionsangels, I liked the "hyper-real" style, but I did not like the poor CGI and greenscreen work; it looked like a t.v. show, not a $200 million dollar movie. Yes, I know it was a t.v. show, but I doubt it was their intended effect to make it look like "spy kids" level of CGI.
Haters Missed the Point by Baron Merlot	May 10th, 2008 06:52:06 PM
All you haters missed the point here. I think the film captured the look and feel of the cartoon perfectly. The source material never had great depth to it, the dialog was stiff, this was (I though) translated well onto the screen. It was a fun film, slow at points, but still entertaining. What more could you ask from a film interpreting cheesy 60's Japanese animation? Relax and enjoy, people.
bacci40 - Christina Ricci was not born to play Trixie by BiggusDickus	May 10th, 2008 06:52:45 PM
She was born to take a massive beating from my love truncheon. Still even footage of a naked Ricci doing her Rabbit couldn't drag me to see this awful shitstorm of a movie...
Damn You Michael Bay by MCMLXXVI	May 10th, 2008 07:02:06 PM
Damn You Michael Bay
Speed Racer is... by DigitalBeachWar	May 10th, 2008 07:04:59 PM
colorful diarrhea. Oh yeah.. I never watched the show as a child... and i know who the hell Racer X is. Are grown ups really pining for their childhood so much as to believe a pool of vomit like Speed Racer is actually good? The movie is awful nothing about it is good. If you enjoyed this movie and defend it you should be ashamed and just know that you know nothing about what makes a good movie... even for children.
Do kids movies normally do big on Friday night? by INWOsuxRED	May 10th, 2008 07:06:55 PM
Seems like a Saturday comparison might work better for this one, not that I plan on seeing it in a theater.
Capone, seriously, grow up and get over yourself. by Datascream	May 10th, 2008 07:07:30 PM
This movie was simply fun. everything about it from the Racer Family, the racing and Racer X. Even the bad guy "Royalton" was fun to watch. We knew who the bad guy was from the get go. what mattered was getting there and seeing everything play out. Everyone shined in this movie. Capone, I have no idea what you were expecting from the this movie, but this was a true golden masterpiece from the Wachowski Brothers. It really felt they made the Speed Racer they felt was a true representation of the cartoon in a real-time form. And it really felt like the cartoon in every shape and form. Only in this version the action is actually fun to watch. Plus the movie never took itself seriously and was able to have fun with the time on screen and let people in on the joke. You really just can't seem to enjoy yourself anymore. It's really very sad.
Cool beans! by beelkay	May 10th, 2008 07:08:24 PM
Just wanted to say that my partner and I loved it. I would definitely see it again. It was a colorful, kinetic, heartfelt, live cartoon adrenaline rush the whole time.
Missed the point is a poor argument by Norman Bates	May 10th, 2008 07:15:14 PM
It makes the assumption that the people who disagree with you aren't as smart as you. Plus the whole "it captured the vibe of the show - which was cheesy" defense just sounds silly doesn't it? That is like making a TV show called Gigli and wondering why people don't like it and then arguing "well it captured the vibe of the movie perfectly"
Ok by Series7	May 10th, 2008 07:18:05 PM
It feels like a lot of people are jumping on the second week of the summer this movie has to suck band wagon. First off anyone saying that this cartoon is too old don't realize that it really doesn't matter. Alvin & the Chipmunks is pretty old as well. Both shows have been around forever in either repeats or updated versions. Same with Transformers. Transformers and Alvin were both huge hits last year, granted pretty much every big movie last year sucked. You can't compare Speed to Iron Man because cartoons and comic books are two different realms for storytelling. about 90% of cartoons go no where, there isn't any character development, just different situations. Comic book characters grow and change, huge difference when starting with source material. In fact the only cartoon I can think off (outside of Animie) in which the characters grew and changed is Transformers, Doug and Rugrats. This is going to be the band wagon movie to hate this summer and it really doesn't deserve it. Also we all know the W's like to steal ideas from Asian because most Americans don't think that they do anything but make our shit. So if any of you have seen Cashern knows that this movie had to have been a huge influence for the W's for Speed. And yes both movies are overly long, but Speed is a lot more exciting and original then Cashern. If you are shitting on this film and haven't seen it, they your a follower. The only reason I would tell someone to not see this film is if A). They look down on kids things because they are too mature and cool or they saw TMNT and didn't like it. Because next to Speed I would say its the best Cartoon to movie flick, and anyone who says that the old Turtles are SO much better then TMNT needs to stop watching so much VH1. Bottom line is, if the only video games you play are Medel of Honor, Halo, GTA and Call of Duty. And you only watch shows like Lost, Greys Anatomy, Battlestar, 60 Minutes. And only listen to stuff thats on the billboard 200 then this movie won't be for you. Like the problem I had leaving that movie was that I felt sorry for all the marketing people involved because they are probably going to lose their jobs after this because this has to be one of the hardest movies ever to sell. I mean its not like Redbelt where they didn't have to give a shit because it was cheap to make and you could make it look like a cheap fighting/DTV movie like the trailer and banner ads make it out to be. They were told that this had to make money. But whatever hate the movie, I know I hate plenty of movies for no real good reason besides the fact that I hate it. I just really liked this movie. And for people who say its like Tron, thats right except its not going to suck when I re-watch it after some time like Tron always does. Go rent it, Tron sucks and its wicked boring.
This talkback is officially a dead end... by Quake II	May 10th, 2008 07:25:43 PM
It's now an endless array of pre-teens that didn't see the film telling everyone how bad Speed Racer is and people that actually did see it defending it. Boring.
Still SPEED RACER has to be better than BAYFORMERS, right? by Violator90	May 10th, 2008 07:33:23 PM
Hell, I wan't that much into the cartoon but I still liked it for what it was, a cartoon. That said, this thing was always going to have a 50/50 chance that it would work. So that's still a better chance than most of the shit that awaits use this and next year. Sure the commercials alone give me seizures, but its based a cartoon. The SAME fucking arguement that people had with BAYFORMERS, so if people can use that to justify liking TINO2, hell at least that's my reason to see it. Well at least I know what I'm getting myself into this time. No JOE or TINO2 for me. I learned my lesson.
The Ugly Truth Is... by RenoNevada	May 10th, 2008 07:39:50 PM
Hollywood is creatively bankrupt. So the studios rape some ol' cartoon/TV show then make a movie and count on people being nostalgic and willing to shell out the cash to reminisce about their long lost childhood. So by the year 2020 we should be seeing "Sesame Street: The Movie".
All you Racer X spoiler douches... by James_O'Nasty	May 10th, 2008 07:49:04 PM
IN EVERY EPISODE of the cartoon, that's EVERY EPISODE, they said that Racer X was Speed's older brother who ran away. Fucking crybabies.
This is the worst talkback ever. by cyrent	May 10th, 2008 07:49:13 PM
Just wanted to put my 2 cents in.
I'm sick of the phrase - "It's like nothing you've ever seen bef by Orionsangels	May 10th, 2008 08:01:10 PM
From Dick Tracey, Sky Captain to Sin City. "It's like nothing you've ever seen before!" Yeah yeah yeah! We get it. It's some form of CGI to make it stand out and grab our attentions. It's gonna make us say, wow! Is this the future of movies? NO!
Loved it by morrik	May 10th, 2008 08:01:46 PM
Cheers from Germany. It´s my first time, but I felt, this trashing of SPEED RACER needed reaction. I never watched the show, I´m not even into car races, but I loved SPEED RACER from the bottom of my heart. I will definitely buy it on DVD. Man, I´ve never seen something like this before (and working in the movie business I see a LOT of films). Despite the candy-cartoonish-look (I guess, it was not a mistake, but on purpose, man) SPEED RACER has more soul than the calculated SPIDERMAN PIRATES OCEANS threequels and TRANSpirationFORMERS combined. Good night Morrik
SoylentMean I know! by Orionsangels	May 10th, 2008 08:03:23 PM
May 22nd 1999 Talkback on The Phantom Menace. One of the longest most brutal talkbacks in history! I was there. Many lives were lost.
Racer X spoiler is a running joke on the cartoon. by Mace Tofu	May 10th, 2008 08:16:58 PM
I think every time Speed would race Racer X the VO told you he was his brother who ran away from home. I think the fact that is the spoiler of the movie is in the spirt of the cartoon. Ultraman used the same gimmick. I downloaded the 7 minute HD clip and watched it on my HD DVD player and this is going to look nice in Blu-ray ( too bad I don't have a BR player). I won't be seeing the movie 'till tuesday but from the short clip and based on re-watching a few episodes of the original 'toon it seems to me they did a great job. It was not done the way I would of done it but they did work in all the elements I wanted to see in a SR movie so I'm happy so far.
Capone's ADD by Christobal	May 10th, 2008 08:39:49 PM
He reminds me of the two 3-year-olds who were in the theater I was in who couldn't sit still while dialog was happening on screen. God forbid any exposition to give the film meaning. I loved it and can't wait to see it again.
2-hour cartoon by pocketlint59	May 10th, 2008 08:45:06 PM
it was fun, if it was a cartoon, but it fails as a movie. I mean, if you look at it, the premise is cartoon movie with actors. it works if that's all it wants to be. Speed racer isn't a movie.
am i the only one who liked Tron? by BMacSmith	May 10th, 2008 08:46:39 PM
a weird fucking movie, and kind of creepy.
Insert clever subject here... by krish-0	May 10th, 2008 08:56:27 PM
I'm actually looking forward to seeing this movie, maybe more so now that I've seen all of the hate filled reaction its caused. Maybe I'm a masochist. How can anyone not justify spending 3 bux to see this on the big screen once it hits the cheapies, if only for the hyper kinetic visuals. And if the word of mouth continues as it has, I probably won't have to wait long either.
Orionsangels by WerePlatypus	May 10th, 2008 09:10:07 PM
Hey, I'm glad you mentioned Sky Captain. Speed Racer DID remind me of that, as well as Sin City, The Cell, 300, and so on. Personally, I find the images and kenetics of such movies somewhat artistic, and I have to give pros to the vision and creativity of the studio . . . . BUT these movies don't work. Speed Racer, Sin City, Sky Captian, etc DON'T WORK as movies because the creative juices stop dead cold once the idea leaves the Art Departmnet. And as creative as such a team of artists and designers can be, they add no substance. Hell, sometimes the Art Department actually restrains the rest of the movie, bending actors into wooden performances and limiting the possibilities of cinematographers working to visualize a green screen. They even requre the script to be rewritten to include the visual content. They are all Style and no Substance, and I say that any movie that tries to sell itself based on the work of its Art Department (above directing, acting, writing, etc.) is an utter piece of shit.
And . . . by WerePlatypus	May 10th, 2008 09:15:55 PM
contrast that with movies that have used their Art Department to further the story, as opposed to taking it over as the prime impetus . . . Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, The Holy Trilogy, perhaps even the first Matrix and Iron Man, and so on. Hell, look at Ben fucking Hur and imagine a movie where the impetus is chariot design, the historical details of the slave galley, Rome's outfits and archetecture. Can you see the difference?
Didn't anyone notice that Pariah74 used BOLD in one of his posts by thebearovingian	May 10th, 2008 09:31:19 PM
As in a BOLD font. How?! Isn't that the Holy Grail of TBs?! Everyone (okay, most everyone) knows about paragraph breaks but BOLD is the crown jewel.
NICE by damnkenyans	May 10th, 2008 09:37:09 PM
Went to see it today. Acting:7, Story: 5, SFX: 10+ It's a must-see on a big screen; I wished I had seen it on Imax. P.S. Monkeys rock!
Origins of the Matrix by Jed	May 10th, 2008 09:44:58 PM
yeah, that's a fucking lie. I've read all the mother of the matrix postings, she's an insane liar. Bound is one of the best modern noir films, and this movie blew me AWAY.
Aw c'mon, it's not that bad! by Shadowcat99	May 10th, 2008 09:52:23 PM
Yeah, we really don't get out that much to any movies, however, for the 4 year old, it was long, for the 11 and 14 yr olds, it was great! They both loved it! Yeah, it's hokey, but wow! Visually it's just amazing. John Goodman was FANTASTIC! and Paulie Hitt as Spritle was just a Hoot! Emile Hirsch (Speed) was good, could have been better, and it's sad, because he was the MAIN character, however, everyone else was GREAT! The story was fine. Not something to go ga-ga over, but c'mon, we go to a movie to just relax and enjoy ourselves. This movie will be out on DVD soon based on the mixed reviews and the fact that there are just some kick-ass movies that ARE coming out soon, but for now, this movie is just a fun little flick. Definetly a matinee goer, but hold your big bucks for the later shows for another show.
I loved it by TheMcflyFarm	May 10th, 2008 09:56:56 PM
so did my three friends. We are in our twenties and are unfamiliar with the show. If you didnt like it, you are an ass.
SoylentMean, just sit in the back row by Mace Tofu	May 10th, 2008 09:57:42 PM
when you go to the IMAX.
I almost fell asleep by CherryValance	May 10th, 2008 09:58:00 PM
and I never really do that in the theater. I think it was too much to take in visually. But I also barely remember the show, so I thought it would have been perfect for the fans of it. I didn't like that villain guy and wish I'd known who those other racers were. I think we got more background on the podracers in TPM, which was something I couldn't help be reminded of in 'Speed Racer'. It wasn't a bad movie, I just didn't know what the hell was going on.
When I saw Iron Man a dude in the next row fell asleep. by thebearovingian	May 10th, 2008 10:06:27 PM
12:30pm showing. Where are the l33t? \|\|BOLD\|\|
by thebearovingian	May 10th, 2008 10:07:02 PM

i love the people attacking capone or anyone who doesnt like thi by Bouncy X	May 10th, 2008 10:14:53 PM
god forbid he should you know, have his own opinion of the movie and it should be different than your own. you people are funny, no wonder i read talkbacks a lot.
Surprise. I loved it too. by AllPowerfulWizardOfOz	May 10th, 2008 10:34:42 PM
It does help to get blazed out of your mind before you see it. That makes the movie a pretty amazing experience IMO.
nice tip of the cap to the original japanese series by bacci40	May 10th, 2008 10:37:58 PM
with the original theme song playing over the credits...however, you can save your money and see that on youtube...god, what a mess the movie was...shoulda made it a porno and let trixie blow the monkey
AND THAT... by Kingdaddy	May 10th, 2008 10:43:07 PM
is why Capone is the most grounded reviewer here. Cheers.
Sarandon is beautiful? by brobdingnag	May 10th, 2008 10:47:54 PM
Really? REALLY?
Sardine and Onion Sandwiches by WerePlatypus	May 10th, 2008 11:02:52 PM
is the title of my talkback post. Yep - that's what I chose to call it. You have no right to tell me it's stupid, and that it doesn't apply to the discussion. I don't care. It's saturday night and my wife's asleep, so if I want to make a post called "Sardine and Onion Sandwiches," and drift off into internet oblivion before I get too tired and fall asleep to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure again . . .then gawdammit, no one's going to stop me.
if this movie is a box office bust by bacci40	May 10th, 2008 11:19:22 PM
i guess they wont be making the big screen version of ultraman or johnny socko and his flying robot...darn
Haters missed the point??? by poeticwarriorII	May 10th, 2008 11:29:46 PM
You say this then you go on to say the cartoon was utter shit, and the utter shittiness of the cartoon was captured perfectly by the movie yet you are puzzled about why the fucking thing is a goddamn bomb at the BO??? Jesus H. Christ, are some of you fucking morons retarded or are you just 12?
I guess I'm in the minority in this talkback... by Zakari Paolon	May 10th, 2008 11:43:43 PM
...but I completely fell in love with this movie from the first frame on, I recommend it to anyone but I guess I'd say leave your cynicism at the door. This movie blew me and my friends away, it took us many hours, after the movie, to just come down from the cloud we were on after watching it. To each his own I guess.
zakari by frankenfickle	May 10th, 2008 11:46:51 PM
me too. don't feel bad.
Saw it today with my 7 year old by zekmoe	May 10th, 2008 11:54:55 PM
And he absolutely loved it. But there wasn't 20 people in the theater. Saw Iron Man last week, same time, and house was full. The 7 year olds must not be getting the message out to the paying parents. As for the movie, it was ok enough to see. Certainly not entralling like Iron Man, but about as interesting as any kid movie, which this obviously is. I was about equally bored and entertained as I was at Horton, which my son also liked. Jaded film reviewers have to take that into account. For it's target audience, it's the first time they've seen a plot like this.
Why is it a bomb??? by poeticwarriorII	May 11th, 2008 12:20:20 AM
Because it's a pile of stinking fecal matter that should never have been made in the first place. That would be my first guess but I'm sure there'll be those that make their excuses.
Saw it twice already by Gordak	May 11th, 2008 01:00:00 AM
I'm a hardcore film fan and rarely write into this site, but I feel this review was such a misfire. And the talkbacks are misfiring as well. Please don't go off the trailer and see the movie. The opening frames tap into childhood, then it takes you for a brilliant ride. Not only does the opening race thrill you, it interweaves a story, using CINEMA!!! The W's are not limiting themselves to simple story telling here. They're using techniques we haven't seen on the screen in a long long time, if ever. And they are notes we've heard before, but they are notes played brilliantly. That end race was a god damn moment of zen for me. The theater I saw it in went ape shit. Granted there are a lot of goofy scenes, but if you love film, go see this movie. Plan on seeing it again in the next week.
"The first turd of the summer has been hatched." by Breotan	May 11th, 2008 01:23:56 AM
Raise your hands if you saw this coming.
hand raised by Norman Bates	May 11th, 2008 02:12:30 AM

Not even good while being totally baked... by DarkCouncilus	May 11th, 2008 02:27:11 AM
Tequila slurpee doesn't undress Ricci enough to endure this bomb.
NO, it does NOT look like the cartoons! by aicnreader	May 11th, 2008 03:38:25 AM
I'm so sick of hearing everyone saying that this movie "looks just exactly like the original cartoons". NO it does not. The colors and the cityscapes do NOT look right. In the original cartoon the colors were not nearly as bright. They were much more pale, almost like pastels. And also the original cartoons did NOT have super-futuristic looking cities. They were just regular, plain-old looking towns and cities. And there's one more big thing that this movie's missing that the original cartoon had: the WAY dialogue is spoken. In the cartoons all the characters had a really funny and oddball way of speaking. That in fact was one of the biggest reasons why the original show was so fun and entertaining to watch! Unfortunately, that aspect is missing in this new movie.
Susan Sarandon? by CeejayNightwing	May 11th, 2008 03:49:31 AM
Skinny, bug-eyed, has to appeal to somebody I guess but not exactly oozing sex appeal while the eorld is still inhabited by the likes of Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, Salma Hayek or Jessica Biel. If Susan Sarandon could go back in time, eat some meals and grow a butt, she's probably make Milf level by now! Couldn't give a flying bogey for Speed Racer, it was never a regular cartoon on TV in the UK so they might as well release it straight to home video.
Wow, I Couldn't Possibly Disagree More by LaserPants	May 11th, 2008 03:52:09 AM
I thought it was a brilliantly campy, insane, cool and hilarious work of pop art. A truly, truly psychedelic and insane movie. I loved every second of it. Even the awkward exposition felt right and very in line with the show. It was effing brilliant, don't hate. That said, I understand how something this experimental and out there would confuse some people. Still, it was fucking amazing. I loved it.
It's ridiculously long for a kids' film. by BigTuna	May 11th, 2008 04:15:50 AM
Really, the word-of-mouth amongst families is going to be horrendous. This is the biggest bomb of the summer movies. It's just so dull.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FUCKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by shaell	May 11th, 2008 04:41:33 AM
This movie is a gleaming jewel in the ever-marching pageant of cinematic history!
Iron Man, Wall-E and Dark Knight will be the hits this summer by Prof. Pop-Cult	May 11th, 2008 05:43:38 AM
Speed Racer will be the biggest box office disappointment. Indiana Jones will open well but quickly taper off in the following weekends. I'm uncertain about Hancock, but I just have this feeling it will disappoint at the box office, and reviews for it will be so-so.
Flash AND Substance! by ballyhoo	May 11th, 2008 07:49:54 AM
I pity the people who didn't have a good time with this. It tells a story that is driven by characters and races. It's simple and it fucking works. Oh and I agree with The Wolf at the Door. Shut the fuck up about box office numbers. You don't fucking care about the producers wallets. You only care about using the numbers to justify your feelings. That's fucking lame.
From the moment I heard of this movie by D o o d	May 11th, 2008 07:51:37 AM
I was bored. I've seen the trailers and there's nothing ground breaking or pioneering about blue/screen stuff. In fact I find it ugly and boring. I think this film will only appeal to those who know anything of Speedracer and children younger than 1 years old.
20 million take for a 160 million project by palewook	May 11th, 2008 08:05:08 AM
on opening weekend will make some suits nervous enough to look at the want ads.
Interesting movie that will appeal to a small demographic. by The Founder	May 11th, 2008 08:33:54 AM
Sorry to the fans and i'm not a 100 percent sure that hardcore fans will enjoy, but i did. I liked a lot. The beginning was slow, not bad but overall i enjoyed and it was different. it won't be a huge hit. It'll appeal to the fans of the show, which in book isn't even enough. I personally didn't likethe cartoons but i liked the movie as I've said before.
160 million?? Good Lord WB didn't shell out that much did they? by The Founder	May 11th, 2008 08:36:03 AM
Someone should have sat down and really thought this over. This was a risky project and the long running time doesn't help. About 30 mins could've been shaved off.
actually it was more than 160 million by palewook	May 11th, 2008 09:11:02 AM
budget ran over 100 million and they spent $80 million on marketing. but various grants from Germany helped offset some of that cost from the books.
This Film Is Longer Than Steve Guttenberg's Cock! by BigTuna	May 11th, 2008 09:22:12 AM

This was a pain for much the same reason as Tranformers... by FILMFUNK	May 11th, 2008 09:31:10 AM
Because I couldn't see the FX for the pigging CG!!! I don't know how the Wakowski nutters directed this (If at all) because how do you direct an FX guy to go THAT mental!? They simply must have farmed out all the long, franetic race sequences to as many CG guys as possible with a note attached saying ''Make it look as bright, fast and crazy as you possibly can then add a dash of WTF I can't see what's going on!'' and then sneaked acid and speed in their drinks. The only good things were somehow the anoying fat kid and his Chimp and mom and Pops Racer. Too long, Too wordy, Too Speedy, Too bad! my kid couldn't look at the screen, got fidgety, fell asleep.
Loved the cartoon when I was a kid but. . . by Rikrik_the_Wise	May 11th, 2008 09:47:08 AM
no way in fucking hell will I see this movie. Not now, not later, not ever.
So this talkbalk (of a negative review) should not be used to di by Chewtoy	May 11th, 2008 09:58:06 AM
So people should not respond to discuss their personal disappointment with the flick, as that just shows that they are "dead inside" and should be pitied. Nor should anyone bring up the solidly negative critical consensus at Rotten Tomatoes, because the critics don't get that it's supposed to be a cartoon and therefor not supposed to be "good". And no one should ever mention box office results (or the truly startling lack thereof for 'Speed Racer') because those don't matter in any way, shape or form to anyone who cares about movies or follows them. So, um... I guess... How's the weather where you folks are?
Just kidding... by Chewtoy	May 11th, 2008 10:00:27 AM
And I still am curious to see the flick now that so many people who have swear it's much better than it is given credit for. I just find those who feel like they need to defend this movie are kind of grasping for a leg to stand on, to mix a metaphor or two.
My friends and I liked it by Shut the Fuck up Donny	May 11th, 2008 10:00:46 AM
We found it very tongue-in-cheek, intentionally over-the-top and stylized. I think what it was supposed to achieve was achieved. Is it a masterpiece? Not by any means. But I totally dig it for what it's supposed to be. But then again, I think monkeys are comedy gold!
Listen by mr.brownstone	May 11th, 2008 10:09:01 AM
I'm not putting down Speed Racer or defending TRON but comparing the two has got to stop. They have absolutely NOTHING in common other than the fact that they both employ CG. You might as well compare it to Pirates Of The Caribbean.
gotta respectfully disagree by faelon	May 11th, 2008 11:02:14 AM
I went and saw this last night at a late IMax showing near Atlanta. The theater was completely packed, and the audience loved it. I dont think I have ever seen a movie audience seem to be having so much fun with a movie. This was a good well mixed suburban audience ranging from kids to middle aged adults. few seemed to have any preconceptions. The chatter on the way out was how amazed everyone was that it was sooo much better than what the reviewers were saying. Personally I loved it.
by Chishu_Ryu	May 11th, 2008 11:53:06 AM
Meaning a movie that was nearly universally panned by critics and the general public who never even saw it because of some kind of mass herd hysteria. With Ishtar, the hysteria effect was a combination of the outrageous budget, grudges within Columbia Pictures itself, a media backlash against Warren Beatty(think Barry Bonds), and resulting bad media buzz. People who actually saw Ishtar enjoyed it, unless they went into it with bad feelings already. Comparing to Speed Racer, its mass herd hysteria effect is most likely due to a Wachowski Bros. backlash and the oftheard rallying cry "it looks like a video game!" (which is what I've heard from everyone I know refusing to give this film a chance). Ah, well. If it is a great film (I haven't seen it yet, will tomorrow), it will or should eventually find its way to the top. I remember I had to drag a group of friends at gunpoint into the opening day of Iron Giant when they all wanted to go see Sixth Sense. They were bitching and moaning the whole first two minutes until they shut up and 90 minutes later, they were in tears (some of them), while one or two held their stance that we should have seen Sixth Sense. Iron Giant still bombed (I think less than 30 mil tops), but it's now become a cult classic and looks where Brad Bird is now. Sometimes, it's best to go against one's better instincts, lest you live all your life in a cage. That group of friends have me to thank for forcing them to see Iron Giant that day, because there's nothing like seeing that film on a multiplex screen with surround sound. I'm hoping for that same experience with Speed Racer. We'll see.
Speed Racer: this generation's Ishtar? by Chishu_Ryu	May 11th, 2008 11:54:30 AM
Meaning a movie that was nearly universally panned by critics and the general public who never even saw it because of some kind of mass herd hysteria. With Ishtar, the hysteria effect was a combination of the outrageous budget, grudges within Columbia Pictures itself, a media backlash against Warren Beatty(think Barry Bonds), and resulting bad media buzz. People who actually saw Ishtar enjoyed it, unless they went into it with bad feelings already. Comparing to Speed Racer, its mass herd hysteria effect is most likely due to a Wachowski Bros. backlash and the oftheard rallying cry "it looks like a video game!" (which is what I've heard from everyone I know refusing to give this film a chance). Ah, well. If it is a great film (I haven't seen it yet, will tomorrow), it will or should eventually find its way to the top. I remember I had to drag a group of friends at gunpoint into the opening day of Iron Giant when they all wanted to go see Sixth Sense. They were bitching and moaning the whole first two minutes until they shut up and 90 minutes later, they were in tears (some of them), while one or two held their stance that we should have seen Sixth Sense. Iron Giant still bombed (I think less than 30 mil tops), but it's now become a cult classic and looks where Brad Bird is now. Sometimes, it's best to go against one's better instincts, lest you live all your life in a cage. That group of friends have me to thank for forcing them to see Iron Giant that day, because there's nothing like seeing that film on a multiplex screen with surround sound. I'm hoping for that same experience with Speed Racer. We'll see.
More Like SPEED RACER: This Generations TRON by LaserPants	May 11th, 2008 11:58:13 AM
A movie far ahead of its time that was meant to be a blockbuster, failed at that, but became a beloved cult hit, and thereby turned a profit, albeit over time. Still watched in dorm rooms well into the 2020s, stoned/tripping undergrads laughing with glee at the sheer explosion of psychedelic pop art awesomeness on the screen.
History will be kind of this Speed Racer by BrowncoatJedi	May 11th, 2008 12:06:52 PM
It's ahead of its time. I'm not surprised today's mouthbreathing unwashed masses don't like it.
LaserPants by mr.brownstone	May 11th, 2008 12:09:01 PM
Oh for fucks sake... but I can see your point.
$20.2 million boxoffice take, barely beating out What Happens in by Pennsy	May 11th, 2008 12:14:58 PM
The 21st century Heaven's Gate, anyone?
Capone is completely dead inside!! by BamaJama	May 11th, 2008 12:24:21 PM
If this movie didn't make you feel like you were five years old, playing with your matchbox cars, you are dead inside. end
Fuck you, Capone. by LordEnigma	May 11th, 2008 12:36:50 PM
It's good to know that your inner-child is dead.
i knew it wouldnt do well by Mr_X	May 11th, 2008 12:50:21 PM
internationally, it has no brand recognition. if it hasn't done well in the states you can guarantee the same across the world. the trailer did it no favours
RE: instruction by ballyhoo	May 11th, 2008 12:52:08 PM

RE: instruction by ballyhoo	May 11th, 2008 12:55:22 PM
I would have used great box office numbers to brag, therefore making me? You sure about that? Read my post again. I specifically stated "justify your feelings." That means ANY kind of feeling, positive or negative. So yes, I mean that people that used terrible returns to rub it in how they hated a film are just as bad as those who use great returns to exalt how great a movie was. In conclusion, you don't know me, shut the fuck up.
Correction: "therefore making me?" by ballyhoo	May 11th, 2008 12:58:17 PM
therefore making me a hypocrite?
i keep on thinking of aquas barbiegirl video when i wtach the tr by Mr_X	May 11th, 2008 01:00:52 PM
http://tinyurl.com/ek4q3 i dont know what it is!
Anime and Snobbery by WerePlatypus	May 11th, 2008 01:06:42 PM
I have to raise my hand and say that I think anime is boring. In my limited experience, a character in an anime has two emotional states: Completely calm and serene, with a hint of mournful (but mysterious) sadness, and crazy emotional, cheap-comic-effect stupid and over-cute. Based on recommendations, I have seen Evangelion, Gunsliner Girl, Full Metal Alchemist, and (most of) The Lotus War thing. I wanted to try, I really did. . . but Jesus. Oh, I did watch 3 episodes of The Slayers. I may be a snob, but I am also a good friend to watch that stuff in the first place. I just have to admit that my friends are weird and into their own thing, and I'll be happy watching Deadwood and Weeds.
Looks like Capone didn't 'get it' then.. by Lemming	May 11th, 2008 01:09:02 PM
I just saw it today and thought it was a marvel. A live-action cartoon with all the physics, characters and loudness you'd expect. Villains are always obvious in cartoons, Capone...just FYI
I saw this yesterday with my son by batmans_pants	May 11th, 2008 01:30:18 PM
who is nearly seven. I

Talkbacks

Capone says SPEED RACER doesn't win, doesn't place and doesn't even finish the race