Yep, it certainly is.
More heart than Iron Man, more streamlined than Indiana Jones, Speed Racer was wire-to-wire fun and never forgot the most important thing in story, the characters. The Wachoski Brothers took cartoon sprites with names like Speed, Pops, and Sparky and made them people I could root for and care about. The dynamic between the Racer family was the engine that drove Speed Racer’s 135 minute running time and because of that, and a script with little fat (ahem Iron Man) and a comprehensible plot (grumble Indy), I never felt its length. Throw in some thrilling car and fighting action, all the better in IMAX, and Speed Racer was the best time I’ve had at the movies in a while.
I won’t address Speed Racer’s box office woes other than to say it deserves a far better fate and is likely to see a renaissance on DVD and, especially, Blu-Ray, which I will buy the day it’s released.
If you’ve seen Speed Racer, spread the word. If you haven’t, Mach Go Go Go while it’s still in theaters, you won’t be sorry.
-JJJ
You’re the only one.
J, we go back a ways, but I’ve just gotta take issue with your statement that IRON MAN had fat… where? What would you cut?
I don’t ask you to grandstand or primadonna. You know how to get a hold of me. I’d be interested in this discussion, that’s all.
– Kevin
I agree, I enjoyed Speed Racer more than Indiana Jones and Iron Man. I found myself silently rooting for Speed Racer to GO GO GO during the race scenes.