Speed Racer: The Dazzling Fan-Favorite Makes Its Long-Awaited 4K Debut (4K)

The Film:

When "Speed Racer" first debuted in manga form 60 years ago, it quickly gained quite a following, so much so that an anime was launched the very next year that's become quite a fan-favorite over the decades. It seemed almost inevitable that a filmmaker would want to try their hand at adapting it into a film somewhere down the line, which brings us to The Wachowskis and their 2008 attempt to adapt the material for the big screen. To say that the critics didn't care for it is a bit of an understatement, and its performance at the box office left a lot to be desired, but that hardly stopped the film from gaining quite the cult following in the proceeding years.

Nearly two decades later, there's no denying that there are fans who have come to appreciate what The Wachowskis tried to do with this visually-striking adaptation, so for them, Warner Bros. has decided to put the film in the spotlight by giving it a stunning 4K upgrade and throwing in a handful of extras. As usual, this gives us the perfect excuse to go back and revisit the film to see if its original reception was perhaps a little harsh, and to see if perhaps it might be worth a revisit for those that were so dismissive all those years ago.

As the film opens, we meet Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), a professional racecar driver who has been obsessed with the sport ever since he was a kid. He lives with his Mom (Susan Sarandon) and Pops (John Goodman), who run Racer Motors, as well as his brother Spritle (Paulie Litt) and his pet chimp Chim Chim. Speed has always idolized his older brother Rex (Scott Porter), who was tragically killed during a particularly deadly race, and has been gaining quite a bit of fame as a skilled driver.

This is what brings Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam), CEO of Royalton Industries, to the Racers' home, bringing with him an incredible offer to have Speed race for his company. Speed ultimately declines, and after some angry revelations from Royalton, soon finds himself entangled in the man's retribution, forcing him to fight back by assisting Taejo Togokahn (Rain) win the same race his brother died in so that he'll help expose Royalton as a criminal. Will Speed be able to succeed where his brother failed and set everything right?

When it comes to The Wachowskis' "Speed Racer," obviously the very first thing everyone is going to notice are the eye-popping visuals that are proudly displayed throughout. Clearly a lot of time and effort went into them, with the intention of giving the audience the feeling of watching a cartoon, and indeed it does accomplish that quite successfully. Between the production design, the costumes, and the myriad of special effects, the creative teams behind the film's unique look certainly go all-out to immerse you in this intriguing world in order to get you engaged in its tale of racing ambition & family ties.

That said, the story itself is where we start to see a few cracks in this ambitious endeavor. For the overall narrative, The Wachowskis sadly opted to go with pretty much the most basic tale that could be told with this material, that being that there are a couple of big races that Speed needs to win, and he sets about trying to do that with the help of his family & friends. As mentioned, it does also include a thread about the importance of family, which helps throw in a positive message among all the racing, but then it also strangely includes a lot of corporate business deals on top of everything that just come off as a very odd & awkward inclusion for a film like this (Because audiences obviously want to see a bunch of backdoor business dealings in a film about racecar driving, right?).

To be fair though, one has to assume that the basic plot of any "Speed Racer" film would involve races that this young man has to win against some heavy odds, so really it all comes down to the reasons behind it all, which is where the film unfortunately stumbles a bit. It's certainly not a bad effort, and one can easily see why it has gained a kind of cult following ever since its release. The beautiful eye candy it has to offer is bound to catch anyone's attention, so much so that some would very likely be willing to overlook the weaknesses in the writing. All things considered, it's a mixed result, one in which the looks appears to have been the main focus, but that doesn't mean that there isn't some fun to be had with it, which will be more than enough for some.

Video/Audio:

"Speed Racer" comes to 4K in a 2.40:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of gorgeous quality. The picture is beautifully sharp & clear throughout its entire 135-minute duration, with bright, vibrant colors that perfectly highlight the film's incredible visuals. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a marvelous job with the film's 4K upgrade, truly making it look the best it ever has.

Special Features:

Fast/Future/Family: Speed Racer Revisited (13 Minutes): The Wachowskis reminisce about making the film.

Spritle in the Big Leagues! (14 Minutes): A featurette that has Paulie Litt talking with various members of the cast & crew.

Speed Racer: Ramping Up! (10 Minutes): A behind the scenes look at the film, featuring interviews with the cast & crew.

Speed Racer: Supercharged! (16 Minutes): A featurette that looks at the cars of the film.

Speed Racer: Car-Fu Cinema (28 Minutes): A featurette that explores the film's extreme races.

Speed Racer: Wonderful World of Racing - The Amazing Racer Family (21 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on the film's racing family.

Conclusion:

The Wachowskis' "Speed Racer" is a bold & ambitious attempt to bring the beloved manga & anime to the big screen, featuring eye-popping visuals that go a long way towards immersing the audience in this cartoon-like world, but which sadly stumbles a bit when it comes to its writing, where we find a rather basic narrative with some strangely awkward elements thrown in, ultimately making for an eye-catching adaptation that could've used a little more work under the hood.

Score: 3/5

Available on 4K starting tomorrow.

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