Film: Need for speed
Speed Racer (PG)
Tale about a racing driver facing problems on and off the track, starring Emile Hirsch.
HURTLING down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless.
His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolised - the legendary Rex Racer, whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfil.
Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5.
When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret - some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless tycoons who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that Speed never crosses another finish line.
The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival - the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) - to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.
Yet, the ultimate test of Speed Racer's true racing grit will be at the pinnacle event of the World Racing League: the Grand Prix. But standing between Speed and the chequered flag are the world's best - and most cutthroat - competitors, fuelled by a million-dollar bounty from Royalton to the driver who takes Speed out once and for all.
Creators of The Matrix trilogy, writers/directors/producers Larry and Andy Wachowskis, have helped redefine the action film genre with their unique brand of filmmaking, which blends multi-layered storytelling with groundbreaking special effects.
They employed not only spectacular visual effects and high-flying action, but also cutting-edge photographic techniques and state-of-the-art computer- generated imagery.
When the main cast of Speed Racer arrived at Babelsberg Studios in Berlin, the Wachowski brothers gave the actors a first look at the world they would be entering, including paintings, storyboards and artwork, as well as 3D storyboard animation of a race sequence.
"There were 12 actors in the room, and I guarantee you, it's a rare occasion when so many actors are in a room together and completely speechless," recalls Matthew Fox, who plays Racer X. "Everyone was looking at each other, completely blown away. It was pretty exciting."
"I couldn't believe it when I got the part," says Emile Hirsch, who takes the title role. "I used to watch the Speed Racer cartoon at home in the mornings while eating my cereal. I've watched every episode.
Christina Ricci plays Trixie, Speed's number-one crush, who has been his friend and fan since grade school. Smart, stylish and strong-willed, Trixie can be found cheering for Speed in the grandstand or helping him navigate treacherous racecourses from her helicopter.
"Trixie is my kind of girl," says Ricci. "She's always up for adventure and does everything the boys do without the film commenting on the fact she's a girl. She does all these thing - strategises with Speed, flies a helicopter and even does kung fu - but she has a special super cute ensemble for each activity. Trixie is a tomboy and girly girl all at the same time, which makes her really fun."
Another supporter in Speed's world is Mom Racer, played by Susan Sarandon, who says she was attracted to the project by the story, which emphasises the importance of a cohesive family unit.
"I liked the idea that the Racer family lives in a timeless little pod, where they still sit down together to have dinner every night," she says. "Mom Racer is the glue that holds everybody together."
"Mom Racer is definitely the rock of the Racer family," adds John Goodman, who stars as the head of the Racer family in the role of Pops Racer. "She's the one everybody goes to with problems."
Goodman, who also grew up watching the Speed Racer cartoon series on TV, recalls, "I had never seen anything like Speed Racer when it first came out, so I watched it all the time. When I heard that the Wachowskis were shooting a live-action version, I jumped at the chance be a part of it."
4:15pm Friday 9th May 2008
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