http://movies.aol.com/movie/speed-racer-2008/28066/main
The Warchowski brother and sister are a mixed bag … I loved Bound.
I’m not a huge fan of The Matrix movies, the first was enjoyable enough, the animated shorts were interesting, but the films 1 through 3 as a trilogy and an arcing mythology don’t really wash IMO.
AND V for Vendetta didn’t work for me - I think the comic is superior, and there’s something about Natalie Portman that just grates on me. Except for her performance in The Professional, and her nearly fully nude in “The Hotel Chevalier” (yum), I just can’t seem to watch her performances without getting annoyed.
But, I digress.
I’ll be seeing Speed Racer for it’s Matthew Fox content, but I’m also a fan of the 60’s toon’, and I like the whole cast involved in this one. Everybody seems perfectly cast … Emile Hirsch (probably best known from The Girl Next Door) as Speed, John Goodman as Pops, Sue Sarandon as Mom, Christina Ricci as Trixie (christ she LOOKS like an anime character already!) and Matthew Fox as Racer X … which is just awesome by itself. He looks JUST like X in the leather driving suit!
I’m also really impressed that the Warchowski siblings didn’t mess with the car designs … the Mach 5 and the Shooting Star look great and VERY faithful.
And, of course, a huge plus for use of a REAL chimp as Chim-Chim.
The effects in the trailer are VERY fast, high key color, and pretty exciting looking.
It’s equal parts what I’d expect from the Warchowskis and what I’d expect from an adaptation of the classic cartoon.
Sure, it could easily be a crap-fest … but, I think at the very least it’ll be as much of a fun popcorn flick as Transformers.
Check it out and let me know what you think!