Speed Racer (2008)

I think this has got to be the most underrated movie this year. Granted this movie was no intellectual giant, but it was highly artistic.

Now this is one of those movies which I did not get around to reviewing it while it was in the theatres, and I am not familiar with the sixties Aimee cartoon. I am not familiar with the characters and plot outside of this movie. I think my older sister was a fan of the T.V. show, but I am not sure.

Speed Racer is the best movie that looks and acts like video game that I have ever scene. At least this will be the case until the live action Pokemon movie comes, which talks are still underway. John Goodman who plays Speed’s father looks like he jumped out of Super Mario Brothers and on to the screen. The action sequences, almost all CGI, look like a video game on steroids. The rules of the races are only the rules you had playing with your matchbox cars as a kid, which is the fun of the movie.

The world created in this movie is incredible to watch. It is a hodgepodge of every cartoon from the 60’s to the early Nintendo games of the late 80’s. It has a 1960’s look to it as if the 1960’s were in the future. The dialogue had the simplicity of a Charlie Brown special. The colors are bright and vibrant, which makes it a visual delight. It is a movie to see on the big screen because it will lose its grandeur shrunk. It is something that I have never seen before on film, and I am sorry that I only saw it once on the big screen.

It is directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, who are the guys from The Matrix. They tell the story in an interesting and novel way at least in the start of the movie. They give it a family feel throughout; even with the mysterious (who was never that mystersous) yet protective Racer X.

It stars a great cast John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, and a delicious Christina Ricci as Trixie. What was great about Trixie in this movie is that she was core character who helps Speed Racer without doing it with tired feminist feel that is so boring after watching it for 20 years. So she was a smart, capable, beautiful, woman without the attitude.

I think Speed Racer is more of an art film then a summer blockbuster, which it proved not to be. It is more style than story. I suppose I am its target audience or at least the type of person who would get a lot of it. Being that I am too young to know of the old Speed Racer cartoon and I cannot speak the nostalgia feel of it, but do know he that silly jumping out the car and giving a “thumbs up.”

I do think that this movie is worth a shot for most people. So give it a chance.

Penelope (2008)

Penelope is a little movie that most people probably will wait to see on T.V. This is fair enough; especially as this is another late review, where the movie has left theatre, but I thought I might get it out anyway.

Penelope is short and sweet updated fairytale. It is a delightful story of a girl who was cursed by a witch to have a pig’s noise. The curse can only be broken when a suitor of blue blood marries her. Her parents, especially her mother, being of high society, in London maybe New York or a hybrid of the two, hide in her room till she is of age. Upon time that she is ready, they send in boys with blue blood to meet her. The problem with that being that when they get a look at her they go running to woods or anywhere they can get to. To off set this Penelope hides behind a two way mirror when she meets them in an effort to not scare them off too quickly.

Now being that she is such a mysterious girl of wealth and stature there is a media interested. A newspaper man, little man, goes after picture of the young woman; as none exist in the public spectrum. He finds a blue blooded boy, played by James McAvoy, who is down on his luck to walk in with a secret camera to snatch a shot. He is collected by the parents along with other boys, but he misses the sight of Penelope when the others run. He stays. He keeps coming back, talking to her through a wall until he can take a picture. He ends up liking her and he doesn’t run when he sees but he cannot marry her because he is not really of blue blood, which no one knows.

Penelope runs away to the city, and is discovered. When she learns to love herself the curse is broken. She finds the young man of her affections and they go out.

It is a charming little movie with a blight and vibrant look to it. It marks Reese Witherspoon’s first producer credit. She is also an actress in it.

Penelope is a great family film that is totally watchable for adults.