Okay, so...
I start too many of these with "Okay, so."
Who am I, Joe Pesci?
Anyway, okay, so I never saw Speed Racer when it came out. I made plans to, but I just never got around to it. Also, it seemed like the kind of movie that needed to be seen in a theater, and now that I've seen it, I think that's probably true.
I have no particular affection for Speed Racer as a thing. Like, I've seen maybe one episode of the cartoon, and that was enough to know it wasn't the kind of thing I was interested in. So it didn't bum me out too much when the movie sailed by and I missed it.
That was in 2008. A lot has happened since then and my tastes have changed dramatically. Things that I used to find entertaining don't always hold up for me, and sometimes things I didn't catch the first time, end up being something that totally works with my vibe.
This was one of those times.
Okay, so...
God damn it.
Alright. That's better.
Alright so last week I bought a ticket with the last of my christmas movie gift card for Speed Racer in the IMAX. I did that knowing that this movie was divisive. I remembered it being something that people either really really liked or really disliked. I don't remember many people saying it was just alright.
Either way, I really liked it. I didn't have the context of the show or even the genre that it's emulating, but that movie was like a painting and tribute to something that they obviously took very seriously, because it was played straight. That's the best kind of big swing. The one that doesn't apologize for being what it is.
For instance, The Flintstones movie always, to me, felt a little like a bad SNL sketch gone on too long. I never felt like anyone in it was really taking any of it seriously, except maybe Rosie, who I think loved being Bettie Rubble just about more than anything in the world.
Anyway, full disclosure, I maaaaay have enjoyed a particularly potent reefer cigarette before I went into the movie, and it may have hit me particularly hard, which made watching the first 40 minutes or so of this movie a completely transcendent experience.
Also, full disclosure, I sat all by myself right up in the front like a boss. That way, I didn't have to see or think about anything except for my entire eyeballs being completely burned out by absolutely bonkers cartoon racing directed by some of the movie talented and impressive directors working today, The Wachowskis.
I've really come to dig their stuff. I'm gonna try out Cloud Atlas next.
Here are some highlights:
This movie made me fall in love with Christina Ricci again. She's just absolutely delightful.
I don't know who this actor is and how he wasn't Chris Cornell. Like, they should have done something to make him look less like Chris Cornell. It was honestly kind of distracting.
One thing I really was surprised that I found absolutely thrilling in this movie was the character of Racer X. He was so goddamned entertaining, and I never in a million years would have expected that from Matthew Fox. Not because I have some problem with Jack from Lost, but because it didn't seem like his kinda thing. But shit, I don't the guy. Maybe this is exactly his kind of thing, because he was awesome. Like I said, played it 100% straight, and took it as seriously as anything. And I respect that kind of commitment to an idea. A vision. That's powerful to me.
This movie got it. Like, really got it. And I don't even know what it exactly it was that it got, because it's not something I'm dialed into. But jesus, whatever it is, it's awesome. It's so much fun. I would watch another at least, maybe one and a half more of those. That's it. I mean, let's not go too nuts.
John Goodman was in this! Speaking of The Flintstones movie. I honestly found him kind of scary, because he yells a lot, and I don't want John Goodman yelling at me. That's not a great feeling. I'll show you the life of the mind indeed. Yikes.
Susan Sarandon was great. She was very sweet and kind and motherly, but also just a little sexy, because, you know, that's her vibe a lot of the time. It just kind of can't be helped. Or maybe that's just me, but I didn't hate it.
There was also a chimpanzee that was pretty awesome. Points for that.
There was a rambunctious little child named Scritters or some shit like that. I don't remember. The chimp's name was ChimChim.
What I'm getting at was that I'll probably never watch this movie again, unless it comes back into IMAX, because I had a really great time watching this, but it's the only way I want to watch it.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS!