While trying to study, I got distracted. This distraction of course, after going through various loopholes and websites (this is why the internet is not conducive to studying) led to me watching Speed Racers, the live action movie. I've seen it before but can I just say it was a bundle of awesome?
The acting wasn't fabulous...but come on, it's based on an anime. It has literal anime sequences (the fight scenes anyone?). The cars can throw things. The races are pretty much crack that make you wonder if this is what it feels like to be on LSD while watching. Casa Cristo will forever be epic. Speeds hesitation in the ice caves made me go ;___; "It's okay Speed!." Racer X's yell of "SPEED" when he goes over the cliff made me go "OMG!" (considering who he really is...though I wish the actor had put more emotion into that line). Speeds refusal to beat Rex's record in a race made me go "AW!!!" ...as you can see there were a lot of moments....OH! can't forget the awesome spearhook caught on tape moment. It makes me wonder if I'd like the original Speed Racer if I had watched it long ago. I can't watch it now...it's too outdated for me to enjoy despite everything.
But the main reason why I love it? Because honestly, I love these types of stories. The ones that aren't too burdened down by reality and truth. The ones that have moments of epicness. The scenes that make you want to jump around on vicarious adrenaline. I love the underdog stories, the big "reveals," and general random kick-ass that stories like these can provide. If I wanted "realism" or something edgier, grittier, closer to the "truth"...I could watch the local news, it's always so depressing.
I love the fact that the movie appears to almost be a tribute to the anime, created by people who appear to be huge fans of said anime (the Wachowskis).
This time, the only real realization that I came out with after watching the movie again, besides the fact that I still found it to be an awesome guilty pleasure (because lets be real, who would take me seriously if I ever admitted to liking this?) was the fact that the racing appears to show a lot of drifting. I mean I can't take it completely seriously because let's be honest, as mentioned before, the cars can throw things, etc. but it wasn't straight up racing either. I would call it a mix between street racing and drift racing...with a looooot of drifting. If you're confused about what drifting is, please youtube Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift but I wouldn't recommend watching the movie. It's horrible.
The only redeemable thing in the movie are the cars and the racing. Granted you could say that about the entire franchise but at least the other movies, the most recent Fast Five especially, didn't have as a bad a plot as this. I cringed the first time. Then I ended up taking Japanese at uni for two years. Then I watched it again. I cringed harder. Japanese with a southern drawl is beyond grating.
So what have you learned? Speed Racer the movie is a bundle of awesome crack. What have I learned? I need to buy the movie.
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