Speed Racer -live Action Movie-

[Guest Jamieâ„¢]

My friend saw this, and told me not to see it lol

[Guest losborrachos]

ok, this is gonna be a quick comment since i gotta jet to set in a moment: this is the kind of film where unless you go in with the right set of expectations, you're either gonna love it or hate it. i liked it, it didn't blow me away but i enjoyed the experience. the graphics are sensational. it reminds me of pushing daisies in that it's so intentionally rough and campy and colorful. frankly, i don't see any other way to do this film justice--speed racer is futurism, right, it's all about speed, cars crashing into one another, big explosions, adrenaline rushing, visual overdose, and i expected all these things before i even bought the tickets. the film is an experiment and i think that's what freaking everyone out, but i say all new filmmaking styles and techniques have to start somewhere. i loved the fast-paced editing with all the floating head wipes, the over the top acting, the cheesy lines--the film basically tries to out-cartoon the anime. it's all very brechtian, you see, you make it obvious that you're seeing something that is constructed that you have no choice but pay attention to the storyline. the unfortunate thing is, unlike pushing daisies, it wasn't terribly strong in the storyline or character development--everything's just kinda of flat and predictable. it's all very melodramatic, with clear morally polarized characters. even the good guy who turned out to be the bad guy turned out to be the good guy again in the end. i think there's a reason for this, though, and i'm not just making excuses. the wachowski brothers are catering to a very specific segment of the audience, and they expect you to know, even as the opening credits roll, who speed racer is, what he stands for, and how everything's gonna work out. bonus points if you're an anime/video game/comic book nerd, since basically what you're gonna see on screen is all of those things on celluloid. i fit into that category like a glove, not to mention i'm a color junkie, so every single shot, every single segment, was pure exhilaration for me. this might be the wachowskis' downfall--i know the film is flopping big time--but for some reason, i don't think they care. the producers probably care, unless they're aiming for a long-term revenue from merchandising and video sales, but i think the wachowski brothers just kinda duped everyone into letting them do whatever they want, with little consideration for the mass market. to put it crudely, speed racer is the film equivalent to a masturbation, and you're not gonna enjoy it unless you're into it from the get go.

[Guest S O U R*]

i really wanna see this movie just to see how rain does but i kinda feel it won't be worth seeing since critics only gave it 1.5 stars which is way lower than what i thought the turnout would be

[pralee]

This movie is okay. I wouldn't recommend for anyone to pay $10 for this..should wait for the video or DVD to be release.

[Guest vip_gd]

I wanna watch cuz rain is there rofl

but i'm not really fond of racing or all that guy stuff .. so maybe not then haha

I can't make up my mind

[Guest Platinum]

i read an article saying how it opened on a terrible weekend...

the second week of summer. it tends to be weak, since a lot of people went to see iron man last week, they wouldnt really be down to go to the movies again this week... and with iron mans word of mouth and success, those who didn't see it last week, went this week.

http://www.hollywood.com/news/Speed_Racer_...Weekend/5232877

Speed Racer' in 'Death Slot': Summer's Second Weekend

By Steve Mason | Friday, May 09, 2008

Speed Racer Movie Stills

Photo Gallery

HOLLYWOOD - Iron Man (Paramount) is the almost certain winner at America’s multiplexes this weekend, and it has been well-reported that Speed Racer (Warner Bros.) will have an uphill drive. This should probably not come as a surprise, and it may have less to do with the movie than its release date.

Although I am by no means a movie critic, I like Speed Racer. The Wachowskis are certainly equal parts genius and self-indulgence, but this movie is an absolute original. In many ways reminiscent of Disney’s 1982 film Tron, it is too long, but it is consistently engaging, and this candy-colored adventure is almost hypnotic. On a resume that includes the lesbian-themed thriller Bound, the Matrix trilogy and the underrated V for Vendetta, Speed Racer is a more-than-worthy title for the Wachowskis.

The die may have been cast, however, when distributor Paramount moved Lucasfilm's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to May 23, successfully chasing the Emile Hirsch/Christina Ricci anime adaptation off that original date. It went to the 2nd weekend of the Summer Blockbuster season, which, as one studio exec told me, is a "death slot."

In 8 of the past 10 years, the movie that signaled the start of Hollywood’s most lucrative season went on to win the next weekend. This weekend on the release schedule has included full-on disasters, like 2006’s Poseidon, medieval action film A Knight's Tale in 2001 and 2000’s horrific laugher Battlefield Earth.

Speed Racer will not be a disaster. This may be remembered as a disappointment domestically, but, especially with the presence of Asian music superstar Rain, the film will perform well overseas, particularly in Japan, South Korea and China, where he has a huge following.

Here is a historical look at the first 2 weekends of Summer Blockbuster season for the last 10 years.

1st Weekend of Summer 2007:

Spider-Man 3 - $151.1M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - Spider-Man 3 - $58.1M

Top New Release - 28 Weeks Later - $9.8M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 2006:

Mission: Impossible III - $99.6M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - Mission: Impossible III - $25M

Top New Release - Poseidon - $22.1M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 2005:

Kingdom of Heaven - $78.4M

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - Monster-in-Law - $23.1M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 2004:

Van Helsing - $51.7M opening

Follow-up Weekend ?

#1 - Troy - $46.8 opening

1st Weekend of Summer 2003:

X2: X-Men United - $85.5M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - X2: X-Men United - $40M

Top New Release - Daddy Day Care - $27.6M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 2002:

Spider-Man - $114.8M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - Spider-Man - $71.4M

Top New Release - Unfaithful - $14M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 2001:

Mummy Returns - $68.1M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - Mummy Returns - $33.7M

Top New Release - A Knight's Tale - $16.5M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 2000:

Gladiator - $34.8M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - Gladiator - $24.6M

Top New Release - Battlefield Earth - $11.5M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 1999:

1999 - The Mummy - $43.3M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - The Mummy - $24.8M

Top New Release - Black Mask - $4.4M opening

1st Weekend of Summer 1998:

Deep Impact - $41.1M opening

Follow-up Weekend:

#1 - Deep Impact - $23.2M

Top New Release - The Horse Whisperer - $13.6M opening

Photo(s) © 2008- Warner Bros.- All Rights Reserve

[Guest saruuyri]

I saw the trailer already . I am quite fond of the graphics and fast motion.

However i can't spot Rain in the trailer...or he's not in it ?

[bimini]

Weekend box office

[Guest splendidlure]

'Speed Racer' Crashes at the Box Office

The summer of 2008 is only two weeks old, and it already has its first flop.

Speed Racer, the Wachowski Brothers' kaleidoscopic retelling of the classic cartoon series, got stuck in neutral this weekend, grossing a mere $20.2 million, according to Sunday's estimates — a disastrous sum for a movie that cost well in excess of $100 mil and that Warner Bros. had considered one of its major summer tentpoles.

Therefore, the highway was wide open for Iron Man (No. 1) to cruise to an easy repeat win, with $50.5 mil, on a respectable 49 percent decline. That's the 13th-best second weekend of all time and the fifth-best for a non-sequel. The Marvel comic movie is already 2008's top earner, with a 10-day total that now stands at $177.1 mil.

But back to Speed Racer (No. 2), which banked less than half of what many in Hollywood had originally expected it would earn over the course of its premiere weekend. Leaked word that the film was tracking poorly coupled with particularly weak reviews made this outcome visible from way down the road (I, for one, saw it coming by a mile). But that doesn't mitigate the damage. The movie is a wreck on the level of recent memorable summer failures like Kingdom of Heaven (which opened with $19.6 mil) and Poseidon ($22.2 mil) — at the domestic box office, at least. Overseas, well, that's another (possibly sadder) story. While would-be blockbusters that fail domestically usually have a chance to recoup their costs in foreign multiplexes (the aforementioned Kingdom of Heaven and Poseidon both did just that), there are reports that Speed Racer may have gotten a flat tire at the international box office as well; the dust still has to settle before we know the full story there.

In the meantime, one has to wonder where the movie — which stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, and Matthew Fox — goes from here. Its CinemaScore grade of A- from an audience that was generally evenly divided between people old and young and male and female certainly is one bright spot. That could translate into a nice word-of-mouth boost for the film headed forward. But will it be enough gas to help Speed Racer keep up with another family friendly flick, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which opens a week hence? No chance.

Worse still, Speed Racer could even fall to third place when this weekend's final numbers are unveiled on Monday. That's because its total is a mere $200,000 ahead of the initial No. 3 finisher, What Happens in Vegas, which banked an estimated $20 mil. Seen by an audience primarily comprised of older women (which gave the movie an A- CinemaScore of its own), Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher's farce bowed better than the three romantic comedies that opened in the three consecutive weeks before it.

credit: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20199172,00.html

Speed Racer’s wreck at the box office was worse than expected. When all the tickets were finally counted today, the Wachowski brothers’ homage to the 1960’s cartoon did $18.7 million, not the $20.2 million Warner Bros. claimed on Sunday. That put the debut in third place, behind the low-budget comedy What Happens in Vegas – a major blow to the egos of studio executives and the reclusive creators of the Matrix trilogy.

Studios are known to occasionally inflate their numbers slightly on the weekend to appease bosses and stars; last weekend, Paramount Pictures claimed that Iron Man did $100 million in its opening weekend when it actually made $98.6 million. It’s small potatoes, but in Hollywood, bragging rights mean everything in the box office derby.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/entertainment/20...os-inflate.html

[Guest eliteninja]

personally,

I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!

[Guest CharlotteDarcy]

I originally wanted to see the movie for Rain but end up falling in love with the entire cast and story. 5 stars from me.

[Guest xCATHY]

i luv this movie

its so trippy at first and colorful and i was blown away with all the graphics

i luv emile hirsch, christina ricci, and the little brother OMG

[Guest tuna_madunna]

I generally love this movie even if Bi wouldn't be in it. LOL

It's like I'm watching a Mario Kart movie in 3D. WHEE~

..and Speed's dad reminds of Mario. :]

[Guest del32]

Does it live up the hype? i heard it was such a box office bomb.

[Guest ` k s]

^ WATCH THE MOVIE. Honestly I can't believe the crap Speed Racer is getting. The movie was an absolute blast and after browsing some forums I can see most people feel the same way. I don't understand what was wrong with the critics on this one. They took it way too seriously or were expecting a different kind of movie.

The movie is FUN, VISUALLY AMAZING, and just nothing like any other movie in recent memory. The way the movie handles transitions and certain scenes is amazing. The CG is amazing although it might be a little weird at first. The way the Wachowski brothers told the story was brilliant.

The racing scenes were intense and I could almost feel the immense speeds they were racing at. People in the audience were cheering and clapping during the final race and I almost joined them. I kinda wish I did now.

Watch it.

[Guest marasshi]

I didn't expect it to be so good, but honestly, it WAS! At first the graphics were a little seizure-inducing, but once I got used to it (and got rid of the vanilla frapp which I honestly think was giving me brain freeze), it was just so fun! I was watching for Rain and Christina Ricci (who was perfect as Trixie), but the movie was just so entertaining, I was completely taken by surprise. It's not The Matrix - it's Speed Racer. It's supposed to be a movie about racing and having fun, I don't think they missed the mark at all.

I generally love this movie even if Bi wouldn't be in it. LOL

It's like I'm watching a Mario Kart movie in 3D. WHEE~

..and Speed's dad reminds of Mario. :]

I may be a tad biased, however, because I am a big racing fan, and Mario Kart DS is actually my favorite game right now (the racetracks reminded me of the pinball one in Mario Kart LOL) so yeah. It was like watching a Mario Kart race except with real people and faster cars that exploded. :x

IF YOU'RE A MARIO KART FAN, GO WATCH IT! Hahaha.

Oh, and I didn't expect Rain to have that big of a part in it, but he did have a pretty big part and he acted so well. : ) (I really like the ninja part - it was like they were hinting at that ninja movie LOL) Emile Hirsch was great as Speed as well. : ) After watching it for myself, I don't get how it can bomb in the box office like that. :x

[fwnc_b!]

same like everyone, i was impressed. i DID not like the trailer, it was a lil too childish for me, I went to watch because I wanted to see how Rain fare in it. Well, I end up liking the movie, like I did for IronMan...

Emile and Ricci had a good chemistry, in which at first I thought it was a weird pairing. I enjoyed Susan Sarandon's character- one the best, in fact, John Goodman who played Pops Racer- Speed's dad, was a lil awkward with his lines, esp during one scene where he was having this heart to heart talk with the son. hmm.. but he is funny!

The lil bro and the chimp were hilarious! hahaha.

Roger Allam- the villain!!! was one the best characters!

Matthew Fox is really hot as Racer X! ;p hmm.. oh yeah, of course, Rain- he did well, deserves a pat on the back for his Hollywood debut- he had some great lines, his expressions were funny (at some scenes)- He had this cheeky expression like the one he had in FH (lol, of course) And I'll be looking forward to see him in his next LEAD ROLE.

Yes, the Wachowski brothers done really well for a directorial debut- the "moral" or the intended message was brilliant, i mean not many could take it in because you really get distracted by the whole action, CGI, sound (it's grand, and that's an understatement!)

I will def re-watch it to really understand the movie, because it offers so much that it's overwhelming. It's worth your money to go watch it, def.

Oh, if you guys want a funny review: go to spill.com (but go watch it, and then watch the review, it's twice the laugh-o-meter!)

if you're doubting whether to go watch it or not, GO WATCH IT!

[Guest Myss Blewm]

IN DEFENSE OF "SPEED RACER":

1) The Race Issue: melimoocow basically summed it all up very well. It irritates me when people try to play this race stuff on silly things like a movie. Instead of making light of the fact that it's not an Asian as the title character, why not be happy that the movie gave Rain a supporting role in this movie? The Wachowski's could have easily just given that role to Josh Hartnett or some other white actor.

2) The movie being considered a bomb: Ahhhhh further proof that we now live in the age of a movie "making or breaking" it based upon first week movie ticket sales. These days, it is pretty clear that most successful movies do tend to do very well opening weekend, but that's not always true. I am still holding onto the fact that "Speed Racer" is not a "bomb" until the end of the movie season. We still have all summer to watch these movies, if the theatres will still give them chances. Back before there were a billion movies coming out every year, movies were given the chance to be seen in theatres for longer than a month's time (if you're lucky; many these days tend to get what seems like 2 weeks only). When families realize that "Speed Racer" is a family film, they might be inclined to go watch it, especially at their children's whining. So don't be so quick to count your movie bombs until the summer's over.

3) The movie itself: I thought it was a pretty good film. A lot better than I thought it would be. It was a very colorful film and I couldn't stop staring. So many colors and so much action, I just could not stop marveling at it all. The story and acting is a bit cheesy but let's face it, the show itself wasn't known for being deep and profound. The story itself I found pretty good, especially the whole family values thing. I took my little sister to go watch it and she loved it! I think it is an absolutely quality film when it comes to being a family film. It was funny and action packed. I think when you take kids to go watch it it's not as bad as you may think it to be if you watch with friends or by yourself. I especially loved the racing bits. I was on the edge of my seat.

[Guest ` k s]

^ The thing is SR only made 18.5 million this weekend, didn't have that great of an internal multiplier (meaning it didn't have great increases or decreases from day-to-day usually indicating WOM wasn't that great) AND it bombed overseas. I really want it to do well but with Narnia coming out this week it'll pretty much take over for the family demographic. I don't see SR going above 50-60 million domestically.. unfortunately. :[

[Guest xXJaeJoongSarangXx]

this movie is damn good!! watch it!!