Go, Speed Racer, Go!

[fantastic_jackie]

As I type, little Pat (the black kitten) is climbing all over me. She (yes, we found out a while ago that she's actually not a he and that she just had a... er... saggy bum for a bit) is particularly fond of my hair and keeps getting tangled. Her sissy, who we have dubbed Siren because she can wail like one and she's also quite pretty, is somewhere in the front room, no doubt running around. They've grown a lot!

Today, I didn't get any writing done like I'd planned on. I am, however, not upset about this. One, because of the extension, and two, because today has put me into such a good mood that I think tomorrow, I'll be able to make very good headway.

Firstly, I picked up a book that's NOTHING but analogies at Barnes and Noble today! :D Apparently, there's a test called the Miller Analogy Test, shortly known as MAT. I have no idea why someone would need to take said exam, but I'm very glad for its existance! I picked up a study guide for it! Along with a ton of analogies, it also has definitions and very brief histories of people... I'm gonna learn a lot from studying for this exam!

Which, when I asked about an analogy book, the attendants thought I was crazy when I told them, "Oh, it's not for a test. I just like analogies." LOL

After that, we had dinner, and then it was off to the movies for Speed Racer. (With my ticket, I got some totally awesome Prince Caspian trading cards! They're pretty! Especially the people on the cards. XD) We arrived really early though, so we spent some time loitering in the lobby, oohing and ahhing the coming sure-to-be blockbusters of the near future. 

Ter, my mom, and I Oohed, Ahhed, and Squeed over the simple X-Files poster and decided that in preparation for it, we're going to watch every. single. episode. Plus the first movie! :D She's ordering them on Netflix right now! I feel like breaking out the movie right now, actually...

But. This is supposed to be about Speed Racer!

I don't know what movie everyone else watched, but the movie I just watched was EXCELLENT!!

I read reviews of this movie, both from critics and regular people, that trashed everything from the acting to the plot to the special effects, and I, for the life of me, cannot figure out WHAT they're talking about!

The acting? I thought it was spectactular! This wasn't a film that was absolutely serious and "We must stick to reality! These characters must be multi-dimensional and dynamic!" It was based off a cartoon! And not even a cartoon, but an Anime! ... with very cartoonish tendancies. You may think I'm splitting hairs there, but there really is a big difference. In any case, the characters were very real and dynamic for the reality in which they exist. Which was purposely animated!

I think the thing that really made this movie was the way that they stuck to that form of the original series, including the random and completely silly antics of Chim Chim and Spritle! They didn't try to make it cool and stick it into our world, with super high-tech gadgets and explanations of things. Just the races themselves wouldn't allow for reality. Not having even seen a full episode of Speed Racer, I know that it would be impossible to portray it well! So they made their own world, and it was... Well, it was incredible! I can't understand people saying that it took away from the movie! It absolutely MADE the movie! How can you go to see Speed Racer and expect it to be a film based on reality?! When you walk into this movie, as any other, you should expect to be removed from it! That's the purpose, after all! It was the modern equivalent of real people moving about in an animated scene! 

It was practically the fruition of what the original Hobbit animated movie started so long ago!

As for the plot, so it was a bit cliche, but again, this is Speed Racer. Why hold it to a different standard from what it is? There aren't supposed to be any spectacular twists and deep plot developments! It was a cliche show, like many Animes are! That's what makes many of them great. (And then you have Gundam Wing, and... well... They broke the mold with that one. ^^) You have to allow yourself to get caught up in the excitement. Who goes to a movie with a rod shoved up their butt and determines that they will not enjoy this movie??? Why even go when you know you won't like the type of story it's going to tell?

And that's the main reason why I've actually reviewed it here, because it received such bad press from not only the critics but many of the movie-goers. You expect that from the critics, but not the regular Joe Blow. 

So if you haven't seen this movie, I can't reccommend it highly enough. I know the preivews make it look sucky - even suckier than the previews make Iron Man look! But like Iron Man, Speed Racer is wonderful surprise. It's a fun, action-packed movie that has the ability to move and inspire you if you allow it. ;)

Comments

[xxdesert-rose.livejournal.com]

DEAR GOD I LOVE YOU! Everyone else who saw Speed Racer said the movie was terrible but I LOVED IT! I am soooo buying it when it comes out! Mwuahahahaha! Though this is just me being slow but I totally missed your GW reference. Anyway, I was really upset when everyone kept trashing the movie. I read all of the reviews and everyone was like, "The movie sucks! It's not very good. It's too sugar coated." If anything, it made me want to go back and watch the original cartoon! Yes, they've made a new cartoon series but that's besides the point! Anyway, I guess this just means great minds think alike huh? ^___^

[patriot-jackie.livejournal.com]

I thought it was 100% right on the dot for what they were attempting to accomplish. Any and all criticisms that I've seen hold no water imo because they were looking for a different movie!

My GW reference I only meant that it was completely unexpected what happened. Twists, turns, plot and character development... Not your average Anime. ;) They really broke the mold with it.

I do hope that they don't make a second one, though. I think that would be pushing their luck, and a sequel to that would only mean the repetition of some of the jokes they already used.

[xxdesert-rose.livejournal.com]

At first, I kinda did want them to make a sequel but then when I really thought about it, I decided against it. I think it was because I was so hyped up after seeing the movie that I wanted to see another Speed Racer movie. Does that make any sense?

And you are sooo right about the Speed Racer movie and GW. It still blows my mind that there are people who don't like GW though. I rememeber when I first got into the fandom, everyone was like, "This is NOT the most popular Gundam series, etc, etc, there's no plot development, Relena's not a witch, there's no this or that, etc, etc"...

And I couldn't help wondering if that's really the case then how come GW has managed to stick around for so long? If it were so forgettable, then there wouldn't be so many websites, pictures, fanfictions, etc, etc right? Anyway, I stick by the following saying: Great minds think alike!

In which case, that means you and I have great tastes in anime and movies! Mwuahahaha!

[vinyahuinewen.livejournal.com]

psh you copy cat...I already posted my Speed Racer review :p

yeah I love Love LOVED it! :D :D glad you did too ^_^

alllso; I like your layout. The flag picture is way neato looking :D

[patriot-jackie.livejournal.com]

LOL I saw your review! I normally don't write them, but I wanted to add to the good ones that are out there! ;)

Thankies! :D Yays for Photoshop! I never thought I'd be able to use that program!