go speed racer go

Video: Original Speed Racer Opening
Right. I know. I was supposed to hate the Wachowski brother’s Speed Racer, the movie that the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer gave a 36 out of 100.

But I didn’t.

It might have had something to do with the ISCO OPTIC(R) Ultra-Star HD Plus Film Projection Lenses (to achieve optimal screen luminance and image resolution) [1] that the Cupertino 16 served it up with. (Right. Not my words. Try this for more on that »)

The projection definitely meant the film was a treat of pure radiant heat served up in saturated jewel tones. Maybe I wouldn’t have dug it so much if I saw it in a regular theater.

It might have had something to do with the funky pacing of the dramatic scenes, but now as then they were always offset by the heart racing time on the track. And every little vocal inflection sounded under anyone’s breath made me grin like a goof because of the way it mapped so tightly back to one of my favorite memories of the cartoon.

It might have been the groovy soundtrack that had a good beat and was easy to dance to.

Or maybe it was just the good company of b1-66er and his willingness to share his gummy treats.

There was no deep reflection, characters were not transformed by their heroic journeys -- tested maybe, but we knew their mettle at the outset -- there were only good guys and bad guys and middle of the road guys who had to make a decision about what kind of guy they wanted to be. And of course no where was it addressed that it's ludicrous to believe that burning all that petrol in a car race could possibly get us any closer to solving big problems.

What it was was wholly predictable and entirely simplistic and so much fun to watch.

And that’s all right by me.

p.s. except for that stupid Spridle. I never did like Spridle.