Speed Racer The Movie

Speed Racer The Movie

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DVD Reviews of Speed Racer The Movie

DVD Review: Go Speed Racer Go!
Summary: 4 Stars

I'm not an anime fan - just a 38-year-old guy who hadn't seen the show since I was a kid - completely oblivious to the MTV & Cartoon Network resurgence in the early 90s. For me, this DVD was an absolute treat! The characters and storylines are great - from the complete camp of the villains, to the complex and intriguing storyline of the Mammoth Car episode - my all-time favorite as a kid. It's amazing how this episode portrays so many aspects of what now makes up the modern action film. It still seems fresh, and I was struck by the definitive role it obviously played in shaping my personal tastes for drama in the years to follow. I say that with one exception - specifically the now shocking scene of the Car Hater angrily, yet almost casually, lashing his daughter with a horse whip! I'd like to think that was as politically incorrect & offensive then as it is now.

The DVD:

The color and sound are both very good - certainly superior to any pre-cable-era broadcast previously viewed in the 70s. The sound effects are awesome - the animation straightforward and well preserved, original dust bunnies and all. The Trivia challenge is enlightening & forgiving, so you won't have to resort to the internet for clues to view the bonus hidden feature. All in all, the DVD operated perfectly from my inexpensive Sony player.

There were a few disappointments, most notably the lack of the original score/song for the opening sequence. It has been replaced by a hip-hop 90s version, filled with typical DJ rap-esque samplings. A music video of this is also included. The exclusion the original song from this disc seems a curious and rather maddening oversight.

Reviews of the VHS edition mention 60s era commercial announcements in between the episodes, but they do not seem to be included on the DVD. Also, casual watchers seeking to relive their youth may be surprised to learn "The Treacherous Pirate" (the hidden bonus feature) is not a Speed Racer episode, but rather a 50s short. It's kinda cute, but I'd rather have been rewarded with the original song!

The audio commentary is interspersed with a number of interesting & insightful gems, however it spawns more questions about the production than it answers. Ms. Orr, unarguably a very nice person, seems to be lost in the clouds with her giggly, repetitious, syrupy-sweet reflections of how "fun" it all was, how Trixie was such a "fun" role model, how Sprittle was so "fun" - well it's just over the top! I found Peter's commentary much more insightful as well as entertaining... there are many occasions where you can almost see him cringing at Corrine's sunny-day musings, wanting for another glass of scotch, which he mentions in hindsight at least twice. Though sometimes tedious and sparse, ultimately the commentary is a generous inclusion that's definitely worth the listen.

Having become aware of this DVD's imminent release, I rented a couple episodes of the NEW adventures of Speed Racer (circa 90s?) on VHS. In my humble opinion, they don't hold a candle to the original series. There is only one Speed Racer, and he and the Mach-5 have been restored faithfully on this DVD, sans the original opening song. I'll doc it a star for that, but it's still a keeper I would highly recommend to both anime and casual fans alike.