C**M
Not the Childhood Cartoon You Remember
***SPOILER WARNING *** First of all, as you may have already noticed, this movie pretty much gets one star or five stars. Something to consider about this film is the fact that it is PG rather than the ever-popular PG-13 rating (Ironman). That means this film is geared as much toward children as it is toward adults. This film is a bold approach in art direction and creativity. Kind-of the TRON of the 21st Century. I doubt you will see it on any Academy Award listings but that is not the reason I go see movies. If that were the case, I would have already seen No Country For Old Men.So now for the review...Take is as you will. Reviews and opinions are just that. I will tell you the facts and what I believe to be general good information about the film. Whether you lay down, near ten bucks to see it, will be a decision you have to make for yourself. I saw this film at an IMAX theater with my family (wife, 5yr-old son and 9yr-old daughter). To prepare my son for the onslaught of action, I bought him the entire 60's era Speed Racer series on DVD two months before the release of the film. When he stepped into the theater, he knew the characters and was prepared for all the action; unlike when he saw Transformers. In my opinion, IMAX is the only way to go with this film. I had to travel over an hour to get to an IMAX theater and then pay a premium to see the film, but I think it was worth it. A week after seeing this film, my son is still asking to go see it again. What did he like most, you may ask? Well, remember he is a 5yr-old; he most remembers the scene when Speed is young boy, and is day-dreaming in class about winning a race. Something about the wacky animation and music connected with my son, somehow. He still laughs about it. Currently, he has no less than 8 Mach vehicles in his collection. The one thing about the film, that was disappointing for my son, was the reveal of Racer X. In the cartoon, Racer X is Speed's older brother. In this film, when his identity is revealed, Racer X does not look like Speed's older brother (due to an elaborate plot to fake his death and extensive plastic surgery). This disappointed my son, because he couldn't understand the whole "deception/plastic surgery" thing. My son said, "I guess he isn't Speed's brother. That's not right." In any case, this is a small gripe, which shows that some parts of this film will play to an older audience. When you think about what "going to the movies" is all about, this film stacks-up nicely. There was a lot of effort to do it well, some really great lines, comedy, action and colors galore. If you just can't sit back and enjoy a flick without having to banter around philosophical discussions of salt shakers and silly expectations, you should probably just go rent a copy of No Country For Old Men...the critics loved that one.
A**P
Go! Go! Go!
The Good Things*Loads of special effects. Most of them are used to create vivid, cartoonish backgrounds or weird transition effects. But the racing scenes are fun too.*The cars and all their gadgets are pretty cool. The race tracks are a series of wild, loopy circuits (which reminded me of certain computer games. Could also be a bad thing, because it is so wild, but I found it imaginative and cool).*There is a cool kung-fu fight towards the end. Also a few nifty shootout scenes.*Pretty good story. Contains a good amount of action, drama, comedy, and romance.*Good cast of characters.*Great writing.*Music is not bad.The Bad Things*The film bombards you with transitions and weird effects, and although it can be seen as hypnotic and stylish, it is also goofy and kind of dizzying. I think it also detracts a lot from the action scenes.*Some of the antics are a little too goofy (although this can be a good thing, because it corresponds to the cartoonish style).*The racing scenes themselves, although cool and fun, are also very fast, and it can be hard to see what's going on. Whatever you do, don't blink!*A few scenes contain flashbacks that are intercut together, and can be convoluted (although you might also say that this is unique and stylish).This movie has its share of coolness, with the fast and furious racing scenes, nifty background effects, and some awesome writing. At the same time, there are a lot of cartoon effects, some of which are great (like the backgrounds and the wild racing), some of which are goofy or weird (like some of the time-lapse effects, or the goofy antics), and some of which are annoying (like all of the transitions where people's heads move across the screen...I got pretty sick of it). Still, it's vivid and entertaining. Older kids should have a blast with it. Fans of the original cartoon may enjoy it. If you like crazy action or lots of sillyness (movies like "Kung Fu Hustle" come to mind), then perhaps you should rent it when it comes out.
B**K
Awesome workout dvd
Great cd for ppl looking to shed pounds over the winter and get toned.... quick delivery...you will sweat and is good cardio
Trustpilot
1 day ago
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