Speed Racer - Recent changes [en]

List of Speed Racer cars

2009-12-06T18:07:17Z

Shooting Star:

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	==[[Shooting Star]]==		==[[Shooting Star]]==
	[[Image:Challengeofmaskedrider1.jpg\|60px\|thumb\|right\|Shooting Star]]		[[Image:Challengeofmaskedrider1.jpg\|60px\|thumb\|right\|Shooting Star]]
-	The black and yellow [[Shooting Star]] was always behind the [[Mach 5]] for a reason - the [[Shooting Star]] was driven by [[Racer X]], the masked racer who is actually [[Speed Racer]]'s older brother [[Rex Racer]]. Years earlier, [[Rex]] had crashed the [[Mach 1]] and ran away when [[Pops]] told him that he was too inexperienced to race. [[Rex]] soon became a professional racer under the guise of [[Racer X]] and with this car (which also carried certain special modifications) struck fear into the hearts of criminals and racers alike. Although the [[Shooting Star]]'s name does not come up in the Movie, [[Racer X]]'s personal car is also number 9.	+
		+	=== ''The Shooting Star'' is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racer_X_(Speed_Racer_character) Racer X]'s car, colored bright yellow with a black front bumper and numbered 9 on the hood and sides. The car's engine is located in the back, and it is a very agile machine, often displaying abilities akin to and above those of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach_Five Mach Five]. Many of its high-tech features allowed Racer X to keep an eye on Speed Racer, who is his younger brother. ===
		+	In later comics written by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Yune Tommy Yune], Rex acquires the car that he names "Shooting Star" from Prince Kabala of Kapetapek. During his time training with the royal leader, Rex is informed that he is the ninth student of Kabala, hence the number 9. Rex also builds other cars numbered 9 with similar paint schemes and names them variants like "Falling Star".
		+
		+	In the 2008 film adaptation, the car makes an appearance but is not named. The car  features weapons like machine guns mounted above the cockpit and under the chassis. In addition to this car, Racer X also drives a car built for the competitions in the film, a T180. This car was named the "Augury" in the film's video game. Like Racer X's unnamed street car, it features a number 9 and has the black and yellow color scheme, with a large black "X" on the front bumper. The T180 only makes one appearance in the film, when Racer X competes to protect Speed in the Fuji race after he has rejected Royalton's offer.

	==[[Skullmelter]]==		==[[Skullmelter]]==

Snake Oiler

2009-12-06T18:03:32Z

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	[[Image:SnakeOiler.jpg\|thumb\|right\|'''Snake Oiler''' as seen in the original show.]]		[[Image:SnakeOiler.jpg\|thumb\|right\|'''Snake Oiler''' as seen in the original show.]]
	{{performer\|Christian Oliver}}		{{performer\|Christian Oliver}}
-	'''Snake Oiler''' is an antagonist in ''[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Speed Racer]]''. In the 2008 ''[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Speed Racer]]'' movie, he is played by [[Christian Oliver]].	+	'''Snake Oiler''' is an antagonist in ''[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Speed Racer]]''. In the 2008 ''[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Speed Racer]]'' movie, he is played by [[Christian Oliver]].
		+
		+	The Car Acrobatic Team (or the Car Acrobats) is one of the original set of characters that appeared both in the manga and in the anime. The 16 racers' (automobiles numbered 11 through 26) uniforms are embroidered with a letter from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_alphabet English alphabet]. All of the cars in the team, except for number 11, look the same in appearance, with purple and black accents. The cars also act similarly in function. The cars sprout wings from both sides, making them capable of traversing large gaps and gorges. The most notable of the team are Captain Terror and Snake Oiler (the latter being a character exclusive to the anime). It should also be noted that the initials of the '''C'''ar '''A'''crobatic '''T'''eam form the word, CAT, an agile and acrobatic animal. '''Captain Terror''' is the leader of the Car Acrobatic Team, is shown as an arrogant racing car driver in the manga, sabotaging races for his own benefit. His arrogance gets the best of him, and he ends being humilated when his team member Snake Oiler got severely injured in an explosion after not heeding Speed's warning about his car leaking oil in the dangerous Alpine Race. He has a "Z" embroidered on his racing uniform, and has a face of skeletal features and a lone feather atop his helmet. He drives the number 11 car, the only car different in appearance to the rest of the Car Acrobatic team. In the anime, Captain Terror's character exists, but his original attitude in the manga had formed a new character for the anime, '''Snake Oiler''', a hothead racer, eager to win. Embroidered with an "S" on his uniform and tinted visor on his striped helmet, Snake Oiler drives the number 12 car, similar in appearance to the other cars in the Car Acrobatic Team. The role Captain Terror had in the manga was lifted on to the Snake Oiler character, therefore Captain Terror's role in the Alpine Race was replaced with Snake. Although Snake didn't exist in the original manga, he was more notable in the West due to his appearance in the anime. In the live action movie, Snake has completely changed in appearance. He is no longer part of the Car Acrobatic Team as it never existed in the film's timeline. However, in homage to the Car Acrobatic Team, Snake is leader of his own racing team, named "Hydra-Cell". He wears large [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunglasses shades] and sports a black [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompadour_(hairstyle) pompadour]. His racing uniform is made entirely of snake skin (complete with a yellow snake on his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmet helmet]) and his car is now completely orange. Despite the change in appearance, Snake's car number and attitude are still intact in the film. He is portrayed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Oliver Christian Oliver]. Captain Terror, one of his "Car Acrobat" team members, and their cars make a recent cameo in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer:_The_Next_Generation Speed Racer: The Next Generation]'' during a flashback sequence.

	==Character traits==		==Character traits==
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	==References==		==References==
	<references />		<references />
-
	[[Category:Original Series Characters]]		[[Category:Original Series Characters]]
	[[Category: Movie Characters]]		[[Category: Movie Characters]]

Inspector Detector

2009-12-06T18:00:39Z

Differences:

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	In the anime, Inspector Detector was a senior law enforcement officer with the local police.		In the anime, Inspector Detector was a senior law enforcement officer with the local police.

-	In the movie, his role was more related to counterintelligence, and he was a "handler" of sorts for [[Racer X]].	+	In the movie, his role was investigating corporate crimes for the CIB, and he was a "handler" of sorts for [[Racer X]].

	==Relationships==		==Relationships==

List of Speed Racer cars

2009-12-06T17:56:08Z

Replica Mach 5:

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	In the 2008 [[Speed Racer Film]] The [[Augury]] is [[Racer X]]'s [[T-180]] [[WRL]] race car. It's color and number are similar to that of his personal/rally car, originally called The [[Shooting Star]] in the original series (no name is officially given for his personal car in the movie). The [[Augury]] appears only in the 2008 film and [[Speed Racer The Videogame]] for Nintendo Wii and DS.		In the 2008 [[Speed Racer Film]] The [[Augury]] is [[Racer X]]'s [[T-180]] [[WRL]] race car. It's color and number are similar to that of his personal/rally car, originally called The [[Shooting Star]] in the original series (no name is officially given for his personal car in the movie). The [[Augury]] appears only in the 2008 film and [[Speed Racer The Videogame]] for Nintendo Wii and DS.

-	==[[The Black Tiger]]==	+	==[[The Black Tiger\|Black Tiger]]==
-	Driven by [[Kim Jugger]], the son of a famous general in [[Flathill Country]], [[The Black Tiger]] is a formidible rally car. First appearing in the episode [[The Desperate Desert Race (Part 1)]], [[The Black Tiger]] features a fully sealed cockpit and specially modified breaks. [[The Black Tiger]] sees its fair share of tragedy however, as it is first blown up and restored, just to be lost to the desert quicksand during a 1 on 1 desert race against [[Speed Racer]]. [[The Black Tiger]] is number 4	+	Driven by Prince [[Kim Jugger]], the son of a famous general in [[Flathill Country]], Sandoland. [[The Black Tiger]] is a formidible rally car. First appearing in the episode [[The Desperate Desert Race (Part 1)]], [[The Black Tiger]] features a fully sealed cockpit and specially modified breaks. [[The Black Tiger]] sees its fair share of tragedy however, as it is first blown up and restored, just to be lost to the desert quicksand during a 1 on 1 desert race against [[Speed Racer]]. [[The Black Tiger]] is black and gold, with a red 4 on the hood, red highlights, and a yellow 4 on each side.

	==[[Captain Terror's Car]]==		==[[Captain Terror's Car]]==
	[[Image:Captain terror1.jpg\|right\|60px\|thumb\|Captain Terror's Car]]		[[Image:Captain terror1.jpg\|right\|60px\|thumb\|Captain Terror's Car]]
-	[[Captain Terror]] is the leader of the infamous [[Car Acrobatic Team]]. He and the other members develop an early hatred for [[Speed Racer]] and the [[Mach 5]] during the [[Big Alpine Race]]. Although his car is unammed [[Captain Terror's Car]] is a formidible racing machine with a skilled driver behind the wheel. [[Captain Terror's Car]] is number 11	+	[[Captain Terror]] is the leader of the infamous [[Car Acrobatic Team]]. He and the other members develop an early hatred for [[Speed Racer]] and the [[Mach 5]] during the [[Big Alpine Race]]. Although his car is unammed [[Captain Terror's Car]] is a formidible racing machine with a skilled driver behind the wheel. [[Captain Terror's Car]] is red with yellow highlights and is number 11.

	==[[Chalk-Head]]==		==[[Chalk-Head]]==
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	A pale-green car driven by [[Sonic "Boom Boom" Renaldi]] in the movie. It is number 33, and sponsered by Gogelian Autonomics.		A pale-green car driven by [[Sonic "Boom Boom" Renaldi]] in the movie. It is number 33, and sponsered by Gogelian Autonomics.

-	==Cumulus 5==	+	==Replica Mach 5==
-	[[Image:Cumulus5.jpg\|thumb\|right\|60px\|\|Cumulus 5]]	+	The replica of the [[Mach 5]] that was made by a man called Cumulus, to frame Speed for robbery in the episode "Mach 5 vs. Mach 5" The plan backfires when he is caught and put into jail. The Replica Mach 5 also had a Mismo Beam under it's hood. The fate of the car after this episode is unknown...
-	The Clone of the [[Mach 5]] that was made by a man called Cumulus to frame Speed for robbery, The plan backfires when he is caught and put into jail.The fate of the car is unknown but it was probably destroyed.

	==[[Fumee]]==		==[[Fumee]]==
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	==[[GRX]]==		==[[GRX]]==
	[[Image:GRX.jpg\|thumb\|60px\|\|GRX]]		[[Image:GRX.jpg\|thumb\|60px\|\|GRX]]
-	In the [[Speed Racer (1967)]] series the [[GRX]] is a car named after its revolutionary prototype engine. Its sleek and fashionable gold body hides a fearsome car that has even taken the lives of several test drivers. It is first introduced in the episode [[The Fastest Car on Earth (Part 1)]]. In the [[Speed Racer Film]] the GRX is driven by [[Royalton Industries]] top driver [[Jack "Cannonball" Taylor]]. In the WRL Grand Prix it is outfitted with an illegal "spear hook" but until then had no other non-standard modifications. In the [[Speed Racer Film]] it is number 66.	+	In the [[Speed Racer (1967)]] series the [[GRX]] is a car named after its revolutionary prototype engine. Its sleek and fashionable body hides a fearsome car that has even taken the lives of several test drivers. The car is yellow in the anime, gold in it's various diecast versions, and purple with gold highlights in the film. It is first introduced in the episode [[The Fastest Car on Earth (Part 1)]]. In the [[Speed Racer Film]] the GRX is driven by [[Royalton Industries]] top driver [[Jack "Cannonball" Taylor]]. In the WRL Grand Prix it is outfitted with an illegal "spear hook" but until then had no other non-standard modifications. In the [[Speed Racer Film]] it is number 66.

	==[[Hangul]]==		==[[Hangul]]==
	[[Image:Hangul.jpg\|thumb\|60px\|right\|The Hangul]]		[[Image:Hangul.jpg\|thumb\|60px\|right\|The Hangul]]
-	The Hangul is [[Taejo Togokhan]]'s racer. Built by his fathers company, Togokahn Motors, The Hangul is the car Taejo used in the Casa Cristo. The Hangul is not officially named in the [[Speed Racer Film]] but is named in [[Speed Racer The Videogame]]. In both media however, [[Taejo Togokhan]]'s car is number 77.	+	The Hangul is [[Taejo Togokhan]]'s racer. Built by his fathers company, Togokahn Motors, The Hangul is the car Taejo used in the Casa Cristo. The Hangul is not officially named in the [[Speed Racer Film]] but is named in [[Speed Racer The Videogame]]. In both media however, [[Taejo Togokhan]]'s car is red, with black dragon "tattoos", and is number 77.

	==[[Hydrophiidae]]==		==[[Hydrophiidae]]==
	[[Image:Snakeoiler t-180(2008).jpg\|60px\|right\|thumb\|The Hydrophiidae]]		[[Image:Snakeoiler t-180(2008).jpg\|60px\|right\|thumb\|The Hydrophiidae]]
-	The [[Hydrophiidae]] is [[Snake Oiler]]'s [[T-180]]. Unlike his rally car used in the [[Casa Cristo]] the [[Hydrophiidae]] is only seen a handful of times in the [[Speed Racer Film]]. It is however a playable car in [[Speed Racer The Videogame]]. The [[Hydrophiidae]] does not have a number, but is sponsored by the [[Hydra-cell]] racing tream.	+	The [[Hydrophiidae]] is [[Snake Oiler]]'s [[T-180]]. Unlike his rally car used in the [[Casa Cristo]] the [[Hydrophiidae]] is only seen a handful of times in the [[Speed Racer Film]]. It is however a playable car in [[Speed Racer The Videogame]]. The [[Hydrophiidae]] is number 12, and is sponsored by the [[Hydra-cell]] racing tream.

	==[[Mach 1]]==		==[[Mach 1]]==
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	==[[Snake Oiler (car)]]==		==[[Snake Oiler (car)]]==
	[[Image:Snake_oiler.jpg\|60px\|thumb\|Snake Oiler]]		[[Image:Snake_oiler.jpg\|60px\|thumb\|Snake Oiler]]
-	[[Snake Oiler's car]] first appears in episode 9 "[[The Most Dangerous Race (Part 1)]]". [[Snake Oiler]] drives as a member of [[The Car Acrobatic Team]] and his car features unique retracting wing-like modifications to get better distance and maneuverability on acrobatic maneuvers. [[Speed Racer]] accepts [[Snake Oiler]]'s challenge to participate in the "Big Alpine Race". Late in the race as Snake seems headed for sure victory, Speed catches up to his opponent and warns Snake that his car is leaking oil. Snake ignores Speed, and his car explodes. [[Snake Oiler]] escapes but swears revenge on [[Speed Racer]]. In the anime, [[Snake Oiler's car]] is number 12. In the movie, Oiler does	+	[[Snake Oiler's car]] first appears in episode 9 "[[The Most Dangerous Race (Part 1)]]". [[Snake Oiler]] drives as a member of [[The Car Acrobatic Team]] and his car features unique retracting wing-like modifications to get better distance and maneuverability on acrobatic maneuvers. [[Speed Racer]] accepts [[Snake Oiler]]'s challenge to participate in the "Big Alpine Race". Late in the race as Snake seems headed for sure victory, Speed catches up to his opponent and warns Snake that his car is leaking oil. Snake ignores Speed, and his car explodes. [[Snake Oiler]] escapes but swears revenge on [[Speed Racer]]. In both the anime and the film, [[Snake Oiler's car]] is number 12.
-	not have a number, but rather, drives for team [[Hydra-cell]], in which all of their cars are themed as snakes.

	==[[TRX-Rod]]==		==[[TRX-Rod]]==
	[[Image:trx-rod_t-180(2008).jpg\|60px\|thumb\|right\|TRX-Rod]]		[[Image:trx-rod_t-180(2008).jpg\|60px\|thumb\|right\|TRX-Rod]]
-	The [[TRX-Rod]], [[Trixie]]'s [[T-180]] racer never appears in the [[Speed Racer Film]] nor the original [[Speed Racer (1967)]] series, but instead as a playable character in [[Speed Racer The Videogame]]. Taking place 1 year after the movie ends, [[Trixie]] decides to also compete in the [[World Racing League]]. Trixie shows her racing prowess in the [[Speed Racer Film]] when she drives in [[Taejo Togokhan]]'s place during the Casa Cristo 5000 race(much to her beau's chagrin), when he falls victim to an assassin's poison. The [[TRX-Rod]] is number 7.	+	The [[TRX-Rod]], [[Trixie]]'s [[T-180]] racer never appears in the [[Speed Racer Film]] nor the original [[Speed Racer (1967)]] series, but instead as a playable character in [[Speed Racer The Videogame]]. Taking place 1 year after the movie ends, [[Trixie]] decides to also compete in the [[World Racing League]]. Trixie shows her racing prowess in the [[Speed Racer Film]] when she drives in [[Taejo Togokhan]]'s place during the Casa Cristo 5000 race, when he falls victim to an assassin's poison. The [[TRX-Rod]] is number 7.
-
-
	[[Category:Cars\| ]]		[[Category:Cars\| ]]

Chim Chim

2009-12-06T17:29:55Z

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	[[Image:Chimchim.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Chimchim.jpg\|frame]]
-	{{performer2\|Jack Grimes\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]]\|Kenzie and Willy\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}	+	{{performer2\|Jack Grimes\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]]\|Kenzie and Willy\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}   Spritle had a pet [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimpanzee chimpanzee], who responded to the name of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chim-Chim Chim-Chim] in the American version,''Sanpei'' in the Japanese original and Chito in the Latin American version, constantly got into mischief by hiding in the trunks of cars. :Despite being children, they are delinquents. Their rebellious attitudes often lead them to trouble. Although they are this way, their mischief somehow often aids Speed away from danger. Oddly, Spritle and Chim-Chim dress in identical jumpsuits and striped hats and often perform identical physical actions. They both have an extreme appetite for candy and they are usually [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribed bribed] with dessert or other presents by other characters, sometimes even by baddies. This occurs when Spritle and Chim-Chim refuse to do a favor at first. Spritle and Chim-Chim often use a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slingshot slingshot] to combat any threats that come to both themselves and/or Speed.
		+
		+	According to the Peter Fernandez's introduction in the American release of the Mach GoGoGo manga, Spritle got his name for him being an energetic "sprite". Chim-Chim got his name because he was considered a chimpanzee. In the live action film, they are portrayed faithfully like they were in both the anime and the manga. Spritle was portrayed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulie_Litt Paulie Litt] in the film. In the original Japanese release of the anime, Sanpei's sounds were realistic, sounding more like a monkey. In the American airing, when Jack Grimes provided the voice of Chim-Chim, Sanpei's sound-effects were also heard behind Grimes' re-recording, which explains why Chim-Chim has two "voices" in the American adaptation.
	[[Image:ChimChim.movie.jpg\|thumb\|300px]]		[[Image:ChimChim.movie.jpg\|thumb\|300px]]
	'''Chim Chim''' is [[Spritle Racer]]'s pet. He was voiced by [[Jack Grimes]] in the original series.		'''Chim Chim''' is [[Spritle Racer]]'s pet. He was voiced by [[Jack Grimes]] in the original series.
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	==Character traits==		==Character traits==
-	Chim Chim is a chimpanzee that is best friens with [[Spritle Racer]], and often joins along in sneaking around with him. He has brown fur and enjoys pancakes. He's somewhat "resurected" as a robot in Speed Racer: The Next Generation.	+	Chim-chim loves pancakes and all types of candy. In one episode, he also loves hot dogs. He is always getting into trouble.

	==Relationships==		==Relationships==
-	''Add more information about this character's relationships!''	+	''Chim-chim is both pet and best buddy of Spritle Racer. He is treated as a member of the Racer family.''

	==Behind the scenes==		==Behind the scenes==
-	-Chim Chim is the name that [[Conor]], a [[Speed Racer]] fanatic in the new series [[Speed Racer - The Next Generation]]. He is able to get [[Speed Racer Jr.]] of trouble such as acting as a lighting rod when the [[Mach 6]] is sabatoged by Annelise and no longer is grounded.	+	In the [[Speed Racer (2008)\|Speed Racer film]], Chim Chim is portrayed by two chimpanzees, [[Kenzie and Willy]].

	==References==		==References==
	<references />		<references />
-
	[[Category:Original Series Characters]]		[[Category:Original Series Characters]]
	[[Category:Movie Characters]]		[[Category:Movie Characters]]

Sparky

2009-12-06T17:22:22Z

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	{{performer2\|Jack Grimes\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|Kick Gurry\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}		{{performer2\|Jack Grimes\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|Kick Gurry\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}
		+
		+	Sparky (サブ, Sabu?)
		+	*''Voiced by: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_Tomiyama Kei Tomiyama] (Japanese), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Grimes Jack Grimes] (English)''
		+	:Other regular characters included Sparky, whose full name in the movie and in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer:_The_Next_Generation Speed Racer: The Next Generation] is Wilson Sparkolemew (in the manga and anime, he is only called Sparky), was originally named ''Sabu'' and is called Bujía in the Latin American version, the company mechanic, whose yellow shirt bears an "pid" that matches both his original Japanese name and the North American renaming. both in the anime and manga as a quirky young man who is a best friend of Speed and knows everything about cars. In the live action movie, he is portrayed as older than Speed but is still his close friend, and still retains the quirkiness of the original character. He is portrayed by actor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_Gurry Kick Gurry] in the live action film. He makes a cameo in Speed Racer: the Next Generation.
	[[Image:Gurry sparky.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Gurry sparky.jpg\|frame]]
	'''Sparky''' is [[Speed Racer]]'s mechanic.		'''Sparky''' is [[Speed Racer]]'s mechanic.

	==Character traits==		==Character traits==
-	Sparky is very loyal to Speed, and does whatever it takes to help him. He will try anything from finding an essential auto part to riding with [[Trixie]] in her airplane to make sure thing run smoothly (and to get a front row seat at the show). He has been known to snoop around the competitors vehicles to get new ideas. Along with [[Pops Racer\|Pops]], he knows the [[Mach 5]] inside and out, and he makes sure it outperforms all other cars on the track. Sometimes this means making last minute adjustments seconds before the race begins.	+	Sparky is very loyal to Speed, and does whatever it takes to help him. He will try anything from finding an essential auto part to riding with [[Trixie]] in her airplane to make sure thing run smoothly (and to get a front row seat at the show). He has been known to snoop around the competitors vehicles to get new ideas. Along with [[Pops Racer\|Pops]], he knows the [[Mach 5]] inside and out, and he makes sure it outperforms all other cars on the track. Sometimes this means making last minute adjustments seconds before the race begins.

-	Sparky assists Speed off the track as well. This sometimes requires him to put down his wrench and put up his fists, although not very well.	+	Sparky assists Speed off the track as well. This sometimes requires him to put down his wrench and put up his fists, although not very well.

	==Relationships==		==Relationships==

Trixie

2009-12-06T17:18:39Z

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	[[Image:Trixie.jpg\|thumb\|300px]]		[[Image:Trixie.jpg\|thumb\|300px]]
	{{performer2\|Corinne Orr\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]]\|Christina Ricci\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}		{{performer2\|Corinne Orr\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]]\|Christina Ricci\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}
		+
		+	Trixie (志村ミチ, Shimura Michi?)
		+	*''Voiced by: Yoshiko Matsuo (later [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michiko_Nomura Michiko Nomura]) (Japanese), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinne_Orr Corinne Orr] (English)''
		+	:Originally ''Michi Shimura'' , Trixie is Speed's chaste girlfriend. The "M" adorning Trixie's blouse stands for Michi. Michi would often fly around in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter helicopter] during a race, advising Speed Racer via a radio link to the Mach 5, in effect acting as his spotter, a function she also serves in the live-action film during the Casa Cristo 5000. In the manga it is mentioned that her father is the president of Shimura Aviation, which explains why she owns her own helicopter. Further implying that she is a "rich girl", she can also be seen driving a Mercedes (in the anime; in the manga, it's a generic symbol not representing any car company). A recurring event, used to add comic relief in the anime, is when Trixie becomes jealous and arrogant if Speed is appalled or enthralled by another beautiful girl or when she is ignored or left alone. In the 2008 live action film, she is portrayed by actress [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Ricci Christina Ricci]. She had a reddish brown [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_cut bob cut] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fringe_(hair) bangs] in the Anime version her hair was dark brown.
		+	Unlike most female characters in cartoons at that time, Trixie is not portrayed as a helpless perpetual victim in need of saving. Trixie often proves herself the equal of Speed when forced into physical altercations. While Trixie has been captured on occasion by the villains, she refuses to cower or plead for her release, more often giving the bad guy a serious tongue-lashing until she is either rescued or escapes on her own. On some occasions, Trixie has even been the one to rescue Speed or other male characters from their predicaments.
		+	:Casually Trixie wears a pink blouse with the aforementioned embroidered "M" on her left side. She also sports red pants. In racing events where she spots for Speed as his navigator, she dons a white long-sleeve shirt with pink [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overalls overalls] placed over it. The overalls also have the embroidered "M". In this situation, she also wears a pink [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap cap] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goggles racing goggles] placed over it. In special occasions, Trixie wears a blue hat and dress.
	[[Image:Trixie.ChristinaRicci.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|[[Christina Ricci]] as Trixie]]		[[Image:Trixie.ChristinaRicci.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|[[Christina Ricci]] as Trixie]]
	'''Trixie''' is [[Speed Racer]]'s girlfriend, who is always ready to aid Speed in a time of crisis.		'''Trixie''' is [[Speed Racer]]'s girlfriend, who is always ready to aid Speed in a time of crisis.

Racer X

2009-12-06T17:17:26Z

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	{{performer2\|Peter Fernandez\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|original series]]\|Matthew Fox\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}		{{performer2\|Peter Fernandez\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|original series]]\|Matthew Fox\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}
		+
		+	Racer X (The Masked Racer) (覆面レーサー, Fukumen Rēsā?)
		+	*''Voiced by: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinya_Aikawa Kinya Aikawa] (Japanese), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Fernandez Peter Fernandez] (English)''
		+	:A frequent recurring character, driving car number 9, the "Shooting Star," is the enigmatic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racer_X_(Speed_Racer_character) Racer X] (''Fukumen Racer'' in the Japanese version and El Corredor Enmascarado in the Latin American version). Racer X is a heroic, mysterious, flamboyant, selfless, sympathetic and often brooding [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenary soldier of fortune] whose [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_identity secret identity] is that of Rex Racer (''Ken'ichi Mifune'' in Japan) Speed's older brother. Six years ago, Rex had a falling out with Pops after Rex wrecked a race car that Pops had built. Pops had told Rex prior to the race that Rex was not yet prepared to compete at the professional racing level. With less than one lap to go in his first major race, Rex was leading and cruising toward victory, but lost control of the car and wrecked it. Pops exploded with anger and berated Rex. In even more enraged response, Rex fled the family and exiled himself while vowing to become the world's greatest race car driver. It was at that time that Rex assumed the mysterious, Racer X identity, to pursue his racing career. In both ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_X Speed Racer X]'' and in the 2008 movie, however, Rex is thought to have died in that accident. In the film, he is portrayed by two actors, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Porter Scott Porter] as a younger Rex Racer, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Fox_(actor) Matthew Fox] as the older Rex Racer and Racer X. :It was acknowledged by both Pops and Speed over the years that Racer X was the superior driver of the two, and the greatest driver that they had ever seen, but Speed always vowed to defeat Racer X as the two vigorously competed. In the anime, Speed was often suspicious of Racer X's identity and motives because Racer X would repeatedly, and inexplicably, sacrifice winning races to protect Speed from drivers and others who tried to harm him. The assistance from Racer X nearly always led to Speed winning races, while Racer X came in second place. Racer X always left the scene unnoticed, receding into his secret life. It was not until the episode "The Trick Race" that fans of the show finally got to see the face of Racer X. Early in the series, in the episode "Challenge of the Masked Racer," Speed had already begun to suspect that Racer X might, in fact, be his estranged older brother; this suspicion would be expressed by Speed in later episodes such as "Race Against The Mammoth Car."
	[[Image:Racerxposter.jpg\|thumb\|300px]]		[[Image:Racerxposter.jpg\|thumb\|300px]]
	[[Image:Racerx.jpg\|frame\|Racer X in the original series.]]		[[Image:Racerx.jpg\|frame\|Racer X in the original series.]]
	[[Image:RacerX.MatthewFox.jpg\|frame\|Racer X in the [[Speed Racer Film]].]]		[[Image:RacerX.MatthewFox.jpg\|frame\|Racer X in the [[Speed Racer Film]].]]
-	'''Racer X''' is actually [[Speed Racer]]'s older brother Rex. (This was revealed in the episode "[[Challenge of the Masked Racer (Part 2)\|Challenge of the Masked Racer]]"). Rex got into an argument with [[Pops Racer\|his father]] after he wrecked the first car Pops built. Rex chose to leave the family and vowed to become the world's greatest race car driver. He frequently helps Speed out of trouble from people who would want to hurt Speed because of his driving skills. Rex does this as an "agent" working with law enforcement.	+	'''Racer X''' is actually [[Speed Racer]]'s older brother Rex. (This was revealed in the episode "[[Challenge of the Masked Racer (Part 2)\|Challenge of the Masked Racer]]"). Rex got into an argument with [[Pops Racer\|his father]] after he wrecked the first car Pops built. Rex chose to leave the family and vowed to become the world's greatest race car driver. He frequently helps Speed out of trouble from people who would want to hurt Speed because of his driving skills. Rex does this as an "agent" working with law enforcement.

	Racer X drives a yellow race car with the number 9 known as the "[[Shooting Star]]" in the anime, although it is nameless in the film.		Racer X drives a yellow race car with the number 9 known as the "[[Shooting Star]]" in the anime, although it is nameless in the film.

	==Character traits==		==Character traits==
-	:Racer X is the most misunderstood racer on the formula one circuit. Both feared and revered, he inspires rumors that whenever he races crashes are sure to happen. A face mask shrouds his face adding to his mystique. Racer X frequently challenges Speed to races of the track, but during real races he helps him.<br />  In the film Racer X avoids contact with ther Racer film due to emotional troubles he suffers from keeping his sercet.	+	:Racer X is the most misunderstood racer on the formula one circuit. Both feared and revered, he inspires rumors that whenever he races crashes are sure to happen. A face mask shrouds his face adding to his mystique. Racer X frequently challenges Speed to races of the track, but during real races he helps him.<br /> In the film Racer X avoids contact with ther Racer film due to emotional troubles he suffers from keeping his sercet.

	==Relationships==		==Relationships==
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	In every episode (that Racer X appears in), the narrator confirms that Racer X is Speed's older brother who went missing.		In every episode (that Racer X appears in), the narrator confirms that Racer X is Speed's older brother who went missing.

-	In the original anime, Racer X's white shirt had an "M" on it, just like the Mach 5 symbol, making it a little obvious that he was somehow connected to the Racers. In the movie, this is changed to a black suit with another "X".	+	In the original anime, Racer X's white shirt had an "M" on it, just like the Mach 5 symbol, making it a little obvious that he was somehow connected to the Racers. In the movie, this is changed to a black suit with another "X".

	==Casting==		==Casting==
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	==Alternate Stories==		==Alternate Stories==
-	In the both the 2008 movie and the original Speed Racer television show, Racer X is thought to be dead after the car accident instead of leaving the family. In the movie, during a flashback, it is shown that he destroyed the car using explosives and he had re-constructive surgery on his face and voice, in order to fool Speed Racer into think Racer X is someone else, although Speed Racer knows that Racer X races just like Rex Racer.	+	In the both the 2008 movie and the original Speed Racer television show, Racer X is thought to be dead after the car accident instead of leaving the family. In the movie, during a flashback, it is shown that he destroyed the car using explosives and he had re-constructive surgery on his face and voice, in order to fool Speed Racer into think Racer X is someone else, although Speed Racer knows that Racer X races just like Rex Racer.
-
	[[Category:Original Series Characters]]		[[Category:Original Series Characters]]
	[[Category:Movie Characters]]		[[Category:Movie Characters]]

Mom Racer

2009-12-06T17:16:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:16, December 6, 2009
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	{{performer2\|Corinne Orr\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|Susan Sarandon\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}		{{performer2\|Corinne Orr\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|Susan Sarandon\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}
		+
		+	Mom Racer (三船アヤ, Mifune Aya?)
		+	*''Voiced by: Ryoko Kinomiya (Japanese), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinne_Orr Corinne Orr] (English)''
		+	:Speed's mother, Mom, originally ''Aya Mifune'' is a side character in the series. She rarely appears in the anime or manga, having limited dialogue. In the live action film, however, she is portrayed as an encouraging, caring, parental figure by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sarandon Susan Sarandon].
	[[Image:Sarandon momracer.jpg\|frame\|Susan Sarandon as Mom Racer.]]		[[Image:Sarandon momracer.jpg\|frame\|Susan Sarandon as Mom Racer.]]
	[[Image:Momracer.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Momracer.jpg\|frame]]
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	==References==		==References==
	<references/>		<references/>
-
	[[Category:Movie Characters]]		[[Category:Movie Characters]]
	[[Category:Original Series Characters]]		[[Category:Original Series Characters]]

Pops Racer

2009-12-06T17:15:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:15, December 6, 2009
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	{{performer2\|Jack Curtis\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|John Goodman\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}		{{performer2\|Jack Curtis\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|John Goodman\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}
		+
		+	Pops Racer (三船大介, Mifune Daisuke?)
		+	*''Voiced by: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teiji_%C5%8Cmiya Teiji Ōmiya] (Japanese), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Curtis_(voice_actor) Jack Curtis] (English)''
		+	:Speed's father, Pops, originally ''Daisuke Mifune'' is a former wrestler-turned race car owner and builder. Reluctantly quitting his job after feuding with a member of a corporate car manufacturing company who disapproved of the construction of a new engine for the Mach 5, he founded his own company, '''Mifune Motors''' (In the series' Americanization, the company was changed to ''Racer Motors''). He is portrayed as a hothead who is overprotective of his family. His care for his family caused his eldest son, Rex (who would return as Racer X) to run away. In addition to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spritle Spritle] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chim-Chim Chim-Chim], his attitude brings comic relief in the anime series and live action film. He wears an athletic red shirt and a beige mechanic's cap and is overweight. Despite his build, Pops is nearly unmatched in combat as he was once a champion heavyweight wrestler. His unique design skills have created very powerful engines for his cars, especially his (in the film) prized "Mach" Series, giving them the ability to travel at high speeds while at the same time sustaining maximum performance. He is portrayed by actor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goodman John Goodman] in the 2008 film.
	[[Image:Popsracer.jpg\|frame\|Pops in the Original series.]]		[[Image:Popsracer.jpg\|frame\|Pops in the Original series.]]
	[[Image:MomPopRacer.jpg\|frame\|[[Mom Racer\|Mom]] and Pops in the movie]]		[[Image:MomPopRacer.jpg\|frame\|[[Mom Racer\|Mom]] and Pops in the movie]]

Spritle Racer

2009-12-06T17:14:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:14, December 6, 2009
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	[[Image:Spritle.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Spritle.jpg\|frame]]
	{{performer2\|Corinne Orr\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]]\|Paulie Litt\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}		{{performer2\|Corinne Orr\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]]\|Paulie Litt\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}
		+
		+	Spritle (三船くりお, Mifune Kurio?) and Chim-Chim (三平, Sanpei?)
		+	*''Voiced by: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junko_Hori Junko Hori], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshi_Ohtake Hiroshi Ohtake] (Japanese), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinne_Orr Corinne Orr], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Grimes Jack Grimes] (English)''
		+	:Speed Racer has a younger brother named [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spritle Spritle], originally ''Kurio Mifune'' and Chispita in the Latin American version who, along with his pet [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimpanzee chimpanzee], who responded to the name of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chim-Chim Chim-Chim] in the American version,''Sanpei'' in the Japanese original and Chito in the Latin American version, constantly got into mischief by hiding in the trunks of cars. :Despite being children, they are delinquents. Their rebellious attitudes often lead them to trouble. Although they are this way, their mischief somehow often aids Speed away from danger. Oddly, Spritle and Chim-Chim dress in identical jumpsuits and striped hats and often perform identical physical actions. They both have an extreme appetite for candy and they are usually [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribed bribed] with dessert or other presents by other characters, sometimes even by baddies. This occurs when Spritle and Chim-Chim refuse to do a favor at first. Spritle and Chim-Chim often use a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slingshot slingshot] to combat any threats that come to both themselves and/or Speed. :According to the Peter Fernandez's introduction in the American release of the Mach GoGoGo manga, Spritle got his name for him being an energetic "sprite". Chim-Chim got his name because he was considered a chimpanzee. In the live action film, they are portrayed faithfully like they were in both the anime and the manga. Spritle was portrayed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulie_Litt Paulie Litt] in the film. :In the original Japanese release of the anime, Sanpei's sounds were realistic, sounding more like a monkey. In the American airing, when Jack Grimes provided the voice of Chim-Chim, Sanpei's sound-effects were also heard behind Grimes' re-recording, which explains why Chim-Chim has two "voices" in the American adaptation.
	[[Image:Spritle.PaulieLitt.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Spritle.PaulieLitt.jpg\|frame]]
	'''Spritle Racer''' is [[Speed Racer]]'s younger brother.		'''Spritle Racer''' is [[Speed Racer]]'s younger brother.

Speed Racer

2009-12-06T17:13:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:13, December 6, 2009
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	{{performer2\|Peter Fernandez\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|Emile Hirsch\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}		{{performer2\|Peter Fernandez\|[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original series]]\|Emile Hirsch\|[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Movie]]}}
		+
		+	Speed Racer (三船剛, Mifune Gō?)
		+	*''Voiced by: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuji_Mori Katsuji Mori] (Japanese), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Fernandez Peter Fernandez] (English)''
		+	:The focus character of both the anime and the manga is Speed Racer, originally Gō Mifune. He is known for his love of racing and values his family. He drives the Mach 5 (as well as other cars, such as the Mach 6 in the movie) and always manages to wind up in extreme danger (such as encountering thugs, race fixers, gangs, etc.) with his younger brother or his girlfriend Trixie. Speed is shown to miss his older brother, Rex (secretly disguised as the Racer X) in both versions. :Casually, he wears a blue shirt with a yellow "G" (standing for his Japanese first name, Gō) that sports a white collar, a red racing bandanna around his neck, white pants, red socks, brown loafers and yellow gloves. He has a brown Elvis [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompadour_(hairstyle) pompadour] hairstyle. In racing, he sports a white open-face helmet with an M (representing Mifune Motors) flashed on top. On special occasions, Speed wears a red [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blazer blazer] with a yellow "G" embroidered on. This only happens in the anime. In the manga, he wears his standard outfit on special occasions. In the live action film, he wears a white [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather_jacket leather racing jacket] unzipped and over his classic outfit, and white pants. He wears his classic outfit (without the embroidered "G") in the first half of the Casa Cristo 5000. To strengthen character backstory between Speed and his older brother Rex, Speed's red socks were considered "lucky socks". :According to Peter Fernandez's introduction in the American release of the Mach GoGoGo manga, he wanted a name that everyone could remember. So he came up with ''Speed Racer'', a name for both the main character and the actual series itself. In the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film) 2008 film], he is portrayed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Hirsch Emile Hirsch] as an adult and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Elia Nicholas Elia] as a child.

	[[Image:Speedracer.jpg\|frame\|voiced by [[Peter Fernandez]] in the [[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original Series]].]]		[[Image:Speedracer.jpg\|frame\|voiced by [[Peter Fernandez]] in the [[Speed Racer (1967)\|Original Series]].]]
	[[Image:Speed.EmileHirsch.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|portrayed by [[Emile Hirsch]] in the [[Speed Racer (2008)\|2008 Movie]].]]		[[Image:Speed.EmileHirsch.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|portrayed by [[Emile Hirsch]] in the [[Speed Racer (2008)\|2008 Movie]].]]
-	'''Speed Racer''' is the central character from the television series and the film. He is a race car driver, who drives the ''[[Mach 5]]''. He is the star of the 1967 [[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]] and the 2008 [[Speed Racer (2008)\|feature film]] of the same name. He helped design and build the [[Mach 6]].	+	'''Speed Racer''' is the central character from the television series and the film. He is a race car driver, who drives the ''[[Mach 5]]''. He is the star of the 1967 [[Speed Racer (1967)\|TV series]] and the 2008 [[Speed Racer (2008)\|feature film]] of the same name. He helped design and build the [[Mach 6]].
		+
		+	Speed Racer is a young man who's whole life is behind a wheel and on a track.Speed races in the Mach 5(and Mach 6 in the 2008 live action movie). Speed also races to get back at the forces of evil that killed his older brother, Rex Racer who dies when Speed was very young in a terrible race that scares the family even today. In the 1967 anime, Rex has a falling out with Pops and runs away from home, vowing not to come back until he is world champion.
		+
		+	According to [[Emile Hirsch]], who played Speed in the 2008 ''[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Speed Racer]]'' movie,
		+
		+
		+
		+
		+
		+	{{quote\|Speed is a very, very passionate, serious guy who's completely committed to doing the right thing.<ref>[http://www.scifi.com/sfw/interviews/sfw18872.html Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox were built for Speed]</ref>}}
		+
		+
		+
		+

-	Speed Racer is a young man who's whole life is behind a wheel and on a track.Speed races in the Mach 5(and Mach 6 in the 2008 live action movie). Speed also races to get back at the forces of evil that killed his older brother, Rex Racer who dies when Speed was very young in a terrible race that scares the family even today. In the 1967 anime, Rex has a falling out with Pops and runs away from home, vowing not to come back until he is world champion.

-	According to [[Emile Hirsch]], who played Speed in the 2008 ''[[Speed Racer (2008)\|Speed Racer]]'' movie, {{quote\|Speed is a very, very passionate, serious guy who's completely committed to doing the right thing.<ref>[http://www.scifi.com/sfw/interviews/sfw18872.html Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox were built for Speed]</ref>}}
	==Relationships==		==Relationships==
	[[Trixie]] seems to have a crush on Speed Racer in the TV series. This is made more explicit in the movie, with Speed kissing Trixie in the finale.		[[Trixie]] seems to have a crush on Speed Racer in the TV series. This is made more explicit in the movie, with Speed kissing Trixie in the finale.
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	==References==		==References==
	<references />		<references />
-
	[[Category:Original Series Characters]]		[[Category:Original Series Characters]]
	[[Category:Movie Characters]]		[[Category:Movie Characters]]

Category:2008 Movie Cast

2009-12-06T07:22:37Z

new

New page

{|class="infobox vevent" cellspacing="5" style="font-size: 90%; width: 22em; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: left"
!colspan="2" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 110%; text-align: center"|''Speed Racer''
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align: center"|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Speed_racer_ver5_xlg.jpg]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Directed by
|class="description"|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wachowski_brothers Larry WachowskiAndy Wachowski]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Produced by
|Larry Wachowski Andy Wachowski[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Silver Joel Silver]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Written by
|'''Screenplay:''' Larry Wachowski Andy Wachowski '''Original Story:'''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatsuo_Yoshida Tatsuo Yoshida]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Starring
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Hirsch Emile Hirsch] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Ricci Christina Ricci] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goodman John Goodman] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sarandon Susan Sarandon] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_Gurry Kick Gurry] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Allam Roger Allam] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Fox_(actor) Matthew Fox][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_(entertainer) Rain]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Music by
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Giacchino Michael Giacchino]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Cinematography
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Tattersall David Tattersall]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Editing by
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Barton Roger Barton][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Staenberg Zach Staenberg]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Studio
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_Roadshow_Pictures Village Roadshow Pictures][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Pictures Silver Pictures]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Distributed by
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros. Warner Bros.]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Release
|May 3, 2008 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany Germany]) May 9, 2008 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States United States])July 7, 2008 (Japan)
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Running time
|135 minutes
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Country
|United StatesGermany
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Language
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language English]
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Budget
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USD $]120 million
|-
!style="white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"|Gross revenue
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USD $]93,945,766
|}

'''''Speed Racer''''' is a 2008 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States American] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action live action] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_adaptation film adaptation] of the 1960s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan Japanese] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime anime] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer series of the same name]. The film is written and directed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wachowski_Brothers The Wachowski Brothers]. The film had been in development since 1992, changing writers and directors until producer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Silver Joel Silver] and the Wachowski brothers collaborated to begin production on ''Speed Racer'' as a family film.

Actor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Hirsch Emile Hirsch] was cast as Speed, the hero of the animated series, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Ricci Christina Ricci] portrays Speed's girlfriend, Trixie. ''Speed Racer'' was shot between early June and late August 2007 in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam Potsdam] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin Berlin], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany Germany] at an estimated budget of $120,000,000. ''Speed Racer'' premiered on May 3, 2008 as the closing film at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribeca_Film_Festival Tribeca Film Festival], and was released on May 9, 2008. The film has sold $17,968,063 in DVD sales making $114,997,404 in its total film gross.

{|class="toc" id="toc"
|
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Plot 1 Plot]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Cast 2 Cast]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Project_history 3 Project history]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Production 4 Production]
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Animal_abuse_on_set 4.1 Animal abuse on set]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Marketing 5 Marketing]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Soundtrack 6 Soundtrack]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#New_theme_song 7 New theme song]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Critical_reception 8 Critical reception]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#Box_office_results 9 Box office results]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#DVD_and_Blu-ray_release 10 DVD and Blu-ray release]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#References 11 References]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(film)#External_links 12 External links]
|}

== ==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer Speed Racer] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Hirsch Emile Hirsch]) is an 18-year-old whose life and love has always been automobile racing. His parents Pops ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goodman John Goodman]) and Mom ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sarandon Susan Sarandon]) run the independent Racer Motors, in which his brother Spritle ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulie_Litt Paulie Litt]), mechanic Sparky ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_Gurry Kick Gurry]), and girlfriend Trixie ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Ricci Christina Ricci]) are also involved. As a child Speed idolized his record-setting older brother Rex Racer ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Porter Scott Porter]), but Rex was disowned by Pops for his decision to join a corporate racing team and was publicly defamed for appearing to cheat in a race. He was then killed while racing in the Casa Cristo 5000, an intense cross-country [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rallying racing rally] notorious for rough and foul play. Now embarking on his own career, Speed Racer is quickly sweeping the racing world with his skill behind the wheel of his brother's car the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach_5 Mach 5] and his own [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One Formula One] car the Mach 6, but remains primarily interested in the art of the race and the well-being of his family.

E.P. Arnold Royalton ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Allam Roger Allam]), owner of conglomerate Royalton Industries, offers Speed an astoundingly luxurious lifestyle in exchange for signing to race with him. Speed is tempted but declines due to his father's distrust of power-hungry corporations. Angered, Royalton reveals that for many years the key races have been [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_fixing fixed] by corporate interests, including Royalton himself, to gain profits. He threatens Speed's career and family, making good on these threats by having his drivers force Speed into a crash that destroys the Mach 6 and suing Racer Motors for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property_infringement intellectual property infringement]. Speed decides that he must do something to stop Royalton and save the Racer business, and an opportunity to do so arises in the form of Inspector Detector ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benno_F%C3%BCrmann Benno Fürmann]), head of a corporate crimes division. Racer Taejo Togokahn ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_(entertainer) Rain]) claims to have evidence that could indict Royalton but will only offer it up if Speed and the mysterious masked [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racer_X_(Speed_Racer_character) Racer X] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Fox_(actor) Matthew Fox]) agree to race on his team in the Casa Cristo 5000. Taejo claims that a win could substantially raise the stock price of his family's racing business, blocking a Royalton-arranged buyout. Speed agrees but keeps his decision secret from his family, and Inspector Detector's team makes several defensive modifications to the Mach 5 to assist Speed in the rally.

Speed begins to suspect that Racer X is actually his brother Rex in disguise, after they drive together and work naturally as a team. His family discovers that he has entered the race and agree to support him. With the help of his family and Trixie, Speed defeats many brutal racers who have been bribed by fixer Cruncher Block ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Benfield John Benfield]) to stop him, and overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles to win the race. However, Taejo's arrangement is revealed to be a sham, as he never had any evidence against Royalton and was only interested in increasing the value of his family's company so that they could profit from Royalton's buyout. An angry Speed hits the track that he used to drive with his brother, and confronts Racer X with his suspicion that he is Rex. Racer X removes his mask, revealing an unfamiliar face, and tells Speed that Rex truly is dead. Speed returns home, where Taejo's sister Horuko ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Nan Yu Nan]) gives him Taejo's automatic invitation to the Grand Prix. The Racer family bands together and builds a new Mach 6 in 32 hours.

Speed enters the Grand Prix against great odds: Royalton has placed a bounty on his head that the other drivers are eager to collect, and he is pitted against legendary Hall of Fame driver Cannonball Taylor (Ralph Herforth). Speed overcomes a slow start to catch up with Taylor, who uses a cheating device called a spearhook to latch the Mach 6 to his own car. Speed uses his jump jacks to expose the device to video cameras and cause Taylor to crash. Speed wins the race, having successfully exposed Royalton's crimes. Racer X, who is watching, reveals through a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashback flashback] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montage_(filmmaking) montage] that he is indeed Rex, having faked his death and undergone [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_surgery plastic surgery] to change his appearance as part of his plan to save his family and the sport of racing. He chooses not to reveal his identity to his family, declaring that he must live with his decision. The Racer family celebrates Speed's victory as Speed and Trixie kiss, and Royalton is sent to jail.

== ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emile_Hirsch Emile Hirsch] as Speed Racer. Actors [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Gordon-Levitt Joseph Gordon-Levitt], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zac_Efron Zac Efron], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_LaBeouf Shia LaBeouf] were previously considered for the role. To prepare for the role, Hirsch watched every ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer Speed Racer]'' episode and visited [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowe%27s_Motor_Speedway Lowe's Motor Speedway], where he met with driver [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Johnson Jimmie Johnson].
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Elia Nicholas Elia] as young Speed Racer.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Ricci Christina Ricci] as Trixie, Speed's girlfriend. Ricci was chosen over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisha_Cuthbert Elisha Cuthbert] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Mara Kate Mara].
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_Winter Ariel Winter] as young Trixie.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Fox_(actor) Matthew Fox] as Racer X. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keanu_Reeves Keanu Reeves] turned down the role.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_(entertainer) Rain (Bi/Jeong Ji-hoon)] as Taejo Togokahn, a rookie racer.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goodman John Goodman] as Pops Racer, Speed's father.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sarandon Susan Sarandon] as Mom Racer, Speed's mother.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Porter Scott Porter] as Rex Racer, Speed's older brother.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Litowsky Paulie Litt] as Spritle Racer, Speed's younger brother .
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_Gurry Kick Gurry] as Sparky, Speed's mechanic and best friend.
*A [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimpanzee chimpanzee] as Chim Chim, Spritle's pet and best friend. Two chimpanzees were used to portray Chim Chim: Kenzie and Willy.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nayo_Wallace&action=edit&redlink=1 Nayo Wallace] as Minx, a scientist and Racer X's girlfriend.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benno_F%C3%BCrmann Benno Fürmann] as Inspector Detector, a C.I.B agent.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo_Igawa Togo Igawa] as Mr.Togokahn.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Nan Yu Nan] as Haruko Togokahn, Taejo Togokhan's sister.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Allam Roger Allam] as E.P. Arnold Royalton, the corrupt owner of ''Royalton Industries''. ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Magazine Time Magazine]'' critic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Corliss Richard Corliss] claimed that Allam was "channeling Brit pundit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens Christopher Hitchens] as his most pompestuous", a comparison made by several other reviews.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroyuki_Sanada Hiroyuki Sanada] as Mr. Musha, a president of ''Musha Motors''.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Benfield John Benfield] as Cruncher Block, a gang leader.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralph_Herforth&action=edit&redlink=1 Ralph Herforth] as Jack 'Cannonball' Taylor, a superstar racer sponsored by ''Royalton Industries''.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Oliver Christian Oliver] as Snake Oiler, a leading racer of ''Hydro-Cell'' team.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jana_Pallaske Jana Pallaske] as Delila, a leading racer of ''Flying Foxes'' team.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Daehn Werner Daehn] as Colonel Colon, a leading racer of ''Sempre Fi-Ber'' team.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Komi_Togbonou&action=edit&redlink=1 Komi Togbonou] as a leading racer of ''Thor-Axine'' team.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moritz_Bleibtreu Moritz Bleibtreu] as Grey Ghost, a racer.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milka_Duno Milka Duno] as Gearbox, a racer.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joe_Mazza&action=edit&redlink=1 Joe Mazza] as Nitro Venderhoss, a racer.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leila_Rozario&action=edit&redlink=1 Leila Rozario] as Hydrocell Driver
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Roundtree Richard Roundtree] as Ben Burns, a race commentator who was formerly a racer.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvil_Poupaud Melvil Poupaud] as Johnny 'Goodboy' Jones, a race commentator.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Fernandez Peter Fernandez] as a race commentator. (Cameo, Original 1970's cartoon English voice dub of Speed)

== ==
In September 1992, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros. Warner Bros.] announced that it held the option to create a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action live action] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_adaptation film adaptation] of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer Speed Racer]'', in development at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Pictures Silver Pictures]. In October 1994, singer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Rollins Henry Rollins] was offered the role of Racer X in the film. In June 1995, actor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Depp Johnny Depp] was cast into the lead role for ''Speed Racer'', with production slated to begin the coming October, with filming to take place in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California California] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona Arizona]. The following August, Depp requested time off to the studio for personal business, delaying production. However, due to a high budget, the same August, director [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julien_Temple Julien Temple], who was attached to direct ''Speed Racer'', left the project. Depp, without a director, also departed from the project. The studio considered director [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Van_Sant Gus Van Sant] as a replacement for Temple, though it would not grant writing privileges to Van Sant. In December 1997, the studio briefly hired director [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_Cuar%C3%B3n Alfonso Cuarón] for ''Speed Racer''. In the various incarnations of the project, screenwriters [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Levin Marc Levin], Jennifer Flackett, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Abrams J. J. Abrams], and Patrick Read Johnson had been hired to write scripts.

In September 2000, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros. Warner Bros.] and producer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Shuler_Donner Lauren Shuler Donner] hired writer-director [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_Williams Hype Williams] to take the helm of ''Speed Racer''. In October 2001, the studio hired screenwriters Christian Gudegast and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Scheuring Paul Scheuring] for $1.2 million split between them to write a script for the film. Eventually, without production getting under way, the director and the writers left the project. In June 2004, actor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Vaughn Vince Vaughn] spearheaded a revival of the project by presenting a take for the film that would develop the characters more strongly. Vaughn was cast as Racer X and was also attached to the project as an executive producer. With production never becoming active, Vaughn was eventually detached from the project.

== ==
In October 2006, directors [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wachowski_brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski] were brought on board by the studio to write and direct ''Speed Racer''. Producer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Silver Joel Silver], who had collaborated with the Wachowski brothers for ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta_(film) V for Vendetta]'' and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_(series) The Matrix Trilogy], explained that the brothers were hoping to reach a broader audience with a film that would not be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_rating rated R] by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_of_America Motion Picture Association of America]. Visual effects designer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gaeta John Gaeta], who won an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Visual_Effects Academy Award for Visual Effects] for the Wachowski brothers' ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix The Matrix]'', was brought in to help conceive making ''Speed Racer'' into a live-action adaptation. Production was set to begin in summer 2007 in European locations for a summer 2008 release. In November 2006, the release date for ''Speed Racer'' was set for May 23, 2008. Producer Joel Silver described ''Speed Racer'' as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_film family film] in line with the Wachowski brothers' goal to reach a wider audience.

In February 2007, the Wachowski brothers selected [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babelsberg_Studios Babelsberg Studios] in Germany to film ''Speed Racer''. In the following March, Warner Bros. moved the release date of ''Speed Racer'' two weeks earlier to May 9, 2008. The studio received a grant of $12.3 million from Germany's new Federal Film Fund, the largest yet from the organization, for production of ''Speed Racer'' in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The amount was later increased to $13 million. Filming commenced on June 5, 2007 in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin Berlin], and was shot entirely against [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenscreen greenscreen], lasting 60 days. The Wachowski brothers filmed in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_video high-definition video] for the first time. With the camera, the Wachowskis used a layering approach that would put both the foreground and the background in focus to give it the appearance of real-life anime. The film will have a "retro future" look, according to Silver. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach_5 Mach 5], the vehicle driven by the protagonist Speed, was a drivable vehicle. Filming completed by August 25, 2007. The Wachowskis purchased the rights to the sound effects and theme song of the television series for use in the film.

=== ===
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_rights Animal rights] group [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PETA PETA] claimed that a whistleblower on the set of ''Speed Racer'' reported that a chimpanzee used in the production was beaten after biting an actor. The incident was confirmed by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Humane_Association American Humane] Animal Safety Representative on the set, who reported that the stand-in for the Spritle character was bitten without provocation. The AHA representative also reported that "toward the end of filming, during a training session in the presence of the American Humane Representative, the trainer, in an uncontrolled impulse, hit the chimpanzee." The AHA Film Unit referred to this abuse as "completely inexcusable and unacceptable behavior in the use of any animal." The AHA has rated ''Speed Racer'' "Unacceptable" chiefly because of this incident, with American Humane noting "the aforementioned training incident tarnishes the excellent work of the rest of production" and that it "has no method of separating the actions of one individual in the employ of a production from the production as a whole."

== ==
The film was backed by multiple promotional partners with over $80 million in marketing support. The partners include [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mills General Mills], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s McDonald's], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Corporation Target], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topps Topps], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esurance Esurance], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel Mattel], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LEGO LEGO] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrobras Petrobras]. The film also received support from companies outside of America in an attempt to attract international audiences. With early support before the film's release, the studio provided 3D computer models of the ''Speed Racer'' vehicle [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach_5 Mach 5] to the companies so they could accurately render the vehicle in their merchandise. Warner Bros. aimed to garner enough attention for ''Speed Racer'' so it would spawn sequels.

Mattel produced toys based on the film through several divisions. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Wheels Hot Wheels] produced die-cast vehicles, race sets and track sets. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyco Tyco] produced remote-controlled Mach 5s and racing sets. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radica_Games Radica Games] produced video games in which players can use a car wheel. The products became available in March 2008. Also, The LEGO Company produced 4 LEGO sets based on the movie. As part of the General Mills promotional tie-in, during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Crown_Royal_Presents_the_Dan_Lowry_400 2008 Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400], part of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_NASCAR_Sprint_Cup_Series 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season], the famous #43 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Charger Dodge Charger] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petty_Enterprises Petty Enterprises] was transformed into a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR_Sprint_Cup_Series NASCAR Sprint Cup Series] version of the Mach 5, driven by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Labonte Bobby Labonte].

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros. Warner Bros.] self-published a video game based on ''Speed Racer'', which was released on May 6, 2008 on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS Nintendo DS] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii Wii], and was released on September 16, 2008 for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_2 PlayStation 2]. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer_(video_game_soundtrack) original music] for the Speed Racer video game was written by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winifred_Phillips Winifred Phillips] and produced by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie_Waldron Winnie Waldron]. The game was released on the Nintendo DS and Wii in May with the film's theatrical release and was released on the PS2 in the fall to accompany the film's DVD and Blu-ray release. Due to a short development schedule, the studio chose not to develop games for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3 PlayStation 3] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360 Xbox 360].

In the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom United Kingdom], ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_(Associated_Metro_Limited) Metro]'' newspaper ran a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_one,_get_one_free "Buy One Get One Free"] offer on tickets for Speed Racer showing at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire,_Leicester_Square Empire] Cinema in London's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester_Square Leicester Square].

== ==

== ==
In addition to the orchestral score, WB added an updated version of the "Go, Speed Racer, Go" theme song which plays during the end credits. Produced by Ali Dee and Jason Gleed, performed by Ali Dee Theodore and the Deekompressors. The film version has sections in English, Japanese, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

== ==
''Speed Racer'' has received generally negative reviews from film critics. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten_Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes] ranked the film as "rotten", with only 36% of its selected critics giving the film positive reviews, based on 194 reviews (70 "fresh", 124 "rotten") with an average rating of 5.0/10, and it has an even worse rating of 30% from its top critics based on 37 reviews (11 "fresh", 26 "rotten") with an average rating of 4.6/10. At [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacritic Metacritic], which assigns a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalization normalized] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighted_mean average] score of 37 out of 100, which indicates "generally negative reviews", based on 37 reviews.

Todd McCarthy of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_(magazine) Variety]'' called the film "pure cotton candy too sweet and pretty for young people to resist". He said that the target audience of families and children should be amused, but that others might think the film "a cinematic pile-up", citing its implausibility and the lack of identifiable peril in the driving sequences. McCarthy noted that no expense had been spared on the effects, saying that viewers with an interest in CGI innovations would be "in a corner of heaven", but that the frame sometimes resembled "nothing so much as a kindergartner's art class collage". He had praise for the cinematography and the "playful and busy" musical score. He also said that even if not much was asked of them "other than to look alert and driven", the cast was "very good for this sort of thing", and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Allam Roger Allam] made "a delicious love-to-hate-him villain".

Kirk Honeycutt of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollywood_Reporter The Hollywood Reporter]'' said that the visual effects were "stellar", but that unlike [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar Pixar] films which are aimed at as broad an audience as possible, ''Speed Racer'' "plays very young" and "proudly denies entry into its ultra-bright world to all but gamers, fanboys and anime enthusiasts." He said that story and character were "tossed aside" to "focus obsessively" on the action sequences. He called the number of races "wearying", saying they "all look alike no matter what the backgrounds," though indicating that "each race happens in a completely different environment." He also notes the ineffectiveness of "chimpanzee tricks, kid-brother high jinks, Ninja martial arts by the whole family and a raft of vicious yet harmless villains" to make the long story sequences more bearable.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phillips_(critic) Michael Phillips] of the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tribune Chicago Tribune]'' described Speed Racer as "buoyant pop entertainment focused on three things: speed, racing and retina-splitting oceans of digitally captured color" that takes place in "a freshly conceived visual universe." He says that "the Wachowskis respect the dynamism of the original drawings, while carving out their own middle ground between computer animation and live action. They respect also the themes of honor, dishonor, family loyalty and Visigoth-inspired barbarism behind the wheel." The cast is praised as being "earnest" and "gently playful." However, he notes that "the film runs an overgenerous two hours and 15 minutes, and it sags in its midsection" with unnecessary dialogue.

Anthony Lane of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Yorker The New Yorker]'' said the film was "of no conceivable interest to anyone over the age of ten" and that the convoluted plot was "barely worth unpicking". Noting the "lollipop hues", Lane questioned how the film could still end up "bleached of fun", and concluded that the answer was with the theme first mooted by Wachowskis' in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix The Matrix]'' that "all of us, whether we know it or not, are squirming under the thumb of dark controlling forces." In ''Speed Racer'', Lane argues, this comes in the form of villain Royalton, who "vows to crush [Speed] with 'the unassailable might of money.'" Citing the Wachowskis' involvement in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta_(film) V for Vendetta]'' (2005), Lane said ''Speed Racer'' was not as "criminally poor" as that film, but that it was "more insidious". He concluded: "There's something about the ululating crowds who line the action in color-coordinated rows; the desperate skirting of ordinary feelings in favor of the trumped-up variety; the confidence in technology as a spectacle in itself; and, above all, the sense of master manipulators posing as champions of the little people. What does that remind you of? You could call it entertainment, and use it to wow your children for a couple of hours. To me, it felt like Pop fascism, and I would keep them well away."

Glenn Kenny of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premiere_(magazine) Premiere]'' describes Speed Racer as "one of the most genuinely confounding films to come along in years." Depending upon the viewpoint, he said, it was either "the most headache-inducing" children's film of all, or the most expensive [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avant-garde avant-garde] film ever made. He cited the film's time-shifting narrative and multiple storylines in the early stages as evidence of its "radicalization of film language" and said the movie was "likely to inspire even more heavy thinking on the part of cultural theorists than ''The Matrix'' did" because of its "blatantly anti-capitalist storylines" and being "a picture that changes the rules of its universe strictly according to its creators' whims." The radical techniques used to tie multiple storylines together, while "impressive to behold," Kenny said, "yields heretofore undreamed of levels of narrative incoherence, but hey, not every experiment succeeds." Kenny praised the film's look, saying the "cheez-whizziness" that others had criticised was "precisely the point". He also said the supporting characters in the race scenes were "brought to life by the Wachowskis with a cheeky relish."

Jim Emerson, editor at the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Sun_Times Chicago Sun Times]'', gave the film 1 1/2 stars out of four and wrote that ''Speed Racer'' "is a manufactured widget, a packaged commodity that capitalizes on an anthropomorphized cartoon of Capitalist Evil in order to sell itself and its ancillary products."

== ==
The film grossed $18,561,337 in its opening weekend from around 6,700 screens at 3,606 theaters in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States United States] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada Canada] and ranking third at the box office behind ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_(film) Iron Man]'' and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Happens_in_Vegas... What Happens in Vegas...]''. In its second weekend it grossed $8,117,459 and ranked fourth at the box office. The results were well below studio expectations, given that the production costs of ''Speed Racer'' were estimated to be over $100 million. Despite the low box office numbers, Warner Brothers remained optimistic about sales of associated products ranging from toys to tennis shoes. Brad Globe, president of Warner Brothers Consumer Products, expressed hope that "We're still going to do very well with ''Speed Racer''", acknowledging that "a giant movie would have made it all a lot bigger.".

== ==

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Warner Home Video released the Wachowski brothers film 'Speed Racer' to Blu-ray and DVD on September 16. The three-disc set features the main feature and supplemental features on the first disc, the DVD game "Speed Racer Crucible Challenge" on the second disc, and a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Copy digital copy] of the film on the third disc - the last two being exclusive to the Blu-ray release.

As of September 2009, DVD sales were $14 million.

Speed Racer Wiki

2009-12-06T07:18:54Z

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Speed Racer (1967) DVDs

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← Older revision		Revision as of 07:12, December 6, 2009
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-	Beginning in 2003, Lions Gate released episodes of ''[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Speed Racer]]'' on five DVDs. The later sets each came with a collectible item.	+	Beginning in 2003, Lions Gate released episodes of ''[[Speed Racer (1967)\|Speed Racer]]'' on five DVDs. The later sets each came with a collectible item.


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		+	Lionsgate has repackaged their previous individual '''Speed Racer''' releases for '''Speed Racer - The Complete Classic Collection''', featuring all 52 episodes of the iconic 1960s Japanese/American anime, housed in a collectible tin shaped like Speed's own beloved Mach 5 racer. With the episodes carried over onto five discs, a sixth disc is included, featuring a few minor bonus extras (which would seem to be the only consideration for double-dipping here). Fans who don't already have the complete series on disc (which seems doubtful) have a nice alternative here in this one-stop, ready-to-go set.
		+
		+	Certainly my connection with the original classic '''Speed Racer''' program is no different than millions of other guys from my generation who have particularly fond memories of this action-packed cartoon. Like everyone else, I caught the series in syndication in the early seventies. Watching '''Speed Racer''' was like watching a mini-James Bond film, made especially for kids, with nothing like plots, dialogue, or complicated character motivations to get in the way of all the car chases and explosions. '''Speed Racer''' ''moved'', man, and it didn't look like anything out there at the time.
		+
		+	Watching it today, I wondered how it was going to hold up; I'm sure I hadn't seen it in twenty years or more. Of course, the first thing that grabbed me was the visual design of the cartoon. Looking like ''nothing'' else animated back in the late 60s, '''Speed Racer''', with its extreme, off-center close-ups, whip-pans, and vertiginous racing effects, resembles a comic book (as kids we had no idea of its ''manga'' origins) version of the Cinerama epic '''Grand Prix''' (which had premiered a year before ''Mach GoGoGo'' was produced, and which had many of same kinds of extreme racing visuals) - if it was directed by say, Sergio Leone, with his massive, weird close-ups. For a cheaply produced, limited animation, full-screen cartoon, there's a true sense of scope and scale to the action here, something that still impresses today, despite the budgetary limitations. The action, as well, is more pronounced than even some big-screen thrillers from that time period (you'll find more explosions and car wrecks in one half-hour episode here, than in all four of Dean Martin's '''Matt Helm''' spy films). What I found particularly gratifying was the dark, determined nature of the violence, as well. Cars go over cliffs in each and every episode...and for the most part, the drivers don't climb back up (like the Coyote every time he's pounded in those '''Roadrunner''' ''Looney Tunes''). They're obviously ''dead'' (show me another cartoon from this period that gleefully shows a guy getting stripped to the bone by ravenous piranha???).
		+
		+	And that finality adds weight to the often-times dark stories that involve greed, revenge, guilt and plain old murderous intent. That hyper-realism, mixed with the stories' frequent use of surreal, outsized, fantastical, supernatural threats and villains, creates a delightfully bizarre world that still packs a semiological punch today. Character motivations, alongside the eye-popping action, are equally important to '''Speed Racer''''s success. What little kid doesn't respond on a deeply submerged level to Speed's constant need to prove himself capable in an adult world? His drive to master the physical world around him (through the Mach 5)? His desire to prove himself worthy of a parent and (absent) brother he idolizes? ''That's'' '''Speed Racer''''s hook
		+
		+	'''The DVD:'''
		+
		+	'''The Video:'''<br />The full-screen, 1.33:1 video transfers for '''Speed Racer - The Complete Classic Collection''' look about the same as I remember them on TV, years ago. Certainly, quite a bit of the screen anomalies that show up originated in the animation process (which was hurried, on the low budget). But it's also apparent that Lionsgate (which doesn't have the best reputation for the quality of its transfers) hasn't done anything to clean these up. Colors are muted, the picture can be soft at times, and interlacing is a factor. Still, these will look fine to a little kid, who won't care if the colors are occasionally fuzzy.
		+
		+	'''The Audio:'''The original mono track has been split into a Dolby Digital mix, with an appropriate, but not outstanding, level of loudness. Hiss is a minor factor, but the dialogue is clear, at least. Close-captions are available.
		+
		+	'''The Extras:'''First, there are no original Japanese audio tracks here - just the original English dubs. The discs are housed in a compact disc holder-sized, stiff-board booklet, with cardboard slip holders for the discs (the episodes are listed on the holders). The booklet fits into the special metal case that's shaped like the Mach 5. It measures 10" long, by 6" wide, by 2" thick. It's split (like a candy tin). I can't say it did much for me; it wouldn't fit on my regular DVD shelves, so I would imagine the cardboard booklet will be taken out, and the tin stored.
		+
		+	Bonuses on the discs are a bit thin. On the first disc, the ''Speed Racer Files'', broken down into sections "Production," "Mach 5," Villain's Gallery," and "Speed Lives On!" contain text info on these various themes, along with accessible clips and audio (The "Mach 5" is probably the best one, where you can select all the car's gizmos for inspection). On disc 2, there are buttons in the menu that lead you to clips and text about various villains and other themes in the show. The sixth disc contains a 10-minute documentary on the production of the original show, featuring interviews with Peter Fernandez, James Rocknowski of Speed Racer Enterprises, and Ben Gruber, Larry Schwartz, and David McGrath, of the remake cartoon. It's a pretty thin documentary, considering the importance of the show in American (and world) pop culture. There's also a 10-minute featurette on the remake cartoon, as well as a sample episode - both dreary beyond words. Considering the fan base of this cartoon, and taking into account that quite a few fans probably already have the individual releases, someone dropped the ball in trying to convince viewers to double-dip on this collector's edition, when the extras are so skimpy.
		+
		+	'''Final Thoughts:'''<br />Watching the classic anime/cartoon '''Speed Racer''', I was initially amused at how Speed made the Mach 5 perform all those physically impossible stunts...and then it occurred to me: that's just how little boys play with their toy cars. Remember? We used to take them, and make them fly in the air, and climb straight up a chair, and do ridiculous flips and turns and smash-ups, all the while making revving and skidding and explosions noises, over and over again. ''That's'' the appeal of '''Speed Racer''', and it's impossible not to get caught up in its bizarre world of hyper-realism and surreal, outsized, supernatural fantasy. It's a combination that's just as potent today as it was forty-plus years ago. Even though this special collector's edition is thin on the extras, it ''does'' give you the entire classic series in one fell swoop, presented in probably the best shape it's ever going to be on DVD. I highly recommend '''Speed Racer - The Complete Classic Collection'''.
	[[Category: Original Series Merchandise\|DVDs]]		[[Category: Original Series Merchandise\|DVDs]]

Speed Racer (1967)

2009-12-06T07:11:42Z

Cast:

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:11, December 6, 2009
(3 intermediate revisions not shown)
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Image:Speedracer1967title.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Speedracer1967title.jpg\|frame]]
	[[Image:Speedracer1967.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Speedracer1967.jpg\|frame]]
-	'''Speed Racer''' was a television series created by Tatsuo Yoshida.	+	'''Speed Racer''' was the americanized version of a television series created by Tatsuo Yoshida.

-	== Cast ==	+	== Cast ==
	* [[Jack Curtis]] - [[Pops Racer]]/[[Inspector Detector]]/Announcer/Additional Voices		* [[Jack Curtis]] - [[Pops Racer]]/[[Inspector Detector]]/Announcer/Additional Voices
	* [[Peter Fernandez]] - [[Speed Racer]]/[[Rex Racer]]/[[Racer X]]/Additional Voices		* [[Peter Fernandez]] - [[Speed Racer]]/[[Rex Racer]]/[[Racer X]]/Additional Voices
Line 9:		Line 9:
	* [[Corinne Orr]] - [[Trixie]]/[[Spritle]]/[[Mom Racer]]/Additional Voices		* [[Corinne Orr]] - [[Trixie]]/[[Spritle]]/[[Mom Racer]]/Additional Voices

		+	Originally conceived as a Japanese ''manga'' in the early 1960s by legendary anime artist, Tatsuo Yoshida, ''Mach GoGoGo'', the story of a young race car driver, Go Mifune, was inspired not only by Yoshida's earlier ''manga'', ''Pilot Ace'', but also, according to interviews with the artist, two big-screen American films: '''Viva Las Vegas''' and '''Goldfinger''' (I call the Bond film "American" because it was largely financed with U.S. funds). Anyone looking at the character who would become known as "Speed Racer" can see the obvious stylistic nod to Elvis Presley (including his black pompadour and even his red sport coat and skinny tie in early episodes), as well as the Bondian tilt in not only the design of the Mach 5 (just like the Aston Martin, with all its technical marvels), but also in the scope and framework of the stories, with their globe-hopping intrigue and emphasis on quick, violent action.

		+	''Mach GoGoGo'' proved popular enough in Japan to be translated into an anime series in 1967 (animated at Yoshida's Tatsunoko Productions studio), with the one-season series then exported to America for syndicated runs by Trans-Lux. Obviously in need of an overhaul for American audiences, the Japanese-language series was handed over to Peter Fernandez, an editor, writer, and sound effects jack-of-all-trades who had previously worked on Japanese imports, '''Astro-Boy''' and '''Gigantor''', two animes that set the stage in America for the massive success of '''Speed Racer'''. Fernandez, in charge of not only editing the episodes for American TV (very small, minor cuts occasionally had to be made, to tone down the original violence of the Japanese episodes), but also in providing an entirely new dub track, rechristened '''Mach GoGoGo''' as '''Speed Racer''', while Fernandez himself voiced Speed and the mysterious Racer X. Along with vocal talents Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes and Jack Curtis, Fernandez had the difficult task of not only completely rewriting the episode scripts into English (while maintaining the basic storylines), but also fitting the new English dialogue to match the mouth movements of the animation - a challenge that resulted in '''Speed Racer''''s distinctive "sound," with elongated sentences and plenty of "ah's!" and "oh's!" to fill the screen time of the characters' mouthings.

		+	The storyline of '''Speed Racer''' is quite simple (and at times, admittedly, repetitive). Young would-be race car driver Speed Racer has something to prove. Possessing the gadget-filled Mach 5, one of the hottest cars on the planet (built by his engineering wizard of a father, Pops Racer), Speed wants to be the greatest racer in the world - if he can convince his father to let him race. Once Pop reluctantly agrees, Speed is constantly pushing himself to improve his racing skills, frequently finding himself coming up short despite his innate, superior driving skills. Always learning, always improving, Speed is often aided in his pursuit of excellence by his large support network. Pops, of course, is always improving and modifying the Mach 5 - which has the ability, among other things, to submerge underwater, to cut down trees in its path courtesy of two large front-end buzz saws, to spring over large obstacles, and to send off a tape-recording robot homing pigeon to call for help. Mechanic Sparky also keeps the Mach 5 running in tip-top shape, while friend Trixie, who's often jealous of the girls that fall for dreamy Speed, flies a mean helicopter when necessary - which is often when Speed and the Mach 5 find themselves stranded on some alpine ridge or volcanic abyss. Speed's younger brother, Spritle, and his pet chimp Chim-Chim, are frequent stowaways in the Mach 5's trunk, and while Spritle can often be a nuisance ("I want some candy!"), he also manages to help Speed on numerous occasions. Most mysteriously, though, a strange figure, Racer X, also seems to keep a watchful eye over Speed, oftentimes showing up at a critical moment in the young racer's life to not only save him, but also to offer a helpful lesson about life and racing. And it's a good thing Speed has all these people, because he's constantly set upon by a vast array of villains who crop up during Speed's races; evil men bent on controlling the world, or stealing vast sums of money, or merely looking to bump Speed off during one of his harrowing races. Can Speed survive his daily challenges, and become the greatest race car driver in the world?

-	Originally conceived as a Japanese ''manga'' in the early 1960s by legendary anime artist, Tatsuo Yoshida, ''Mach GoGoGo'', the story of a young race car driver, Go Mifune, was inspired not only by Yoshida's earlier ''manga'', ''Pilot Ace'', but also, according to interviews with the artist, two big-screen American films: '''Viva Las Vegas''' and '''Goldfinger''' (I call the Bond film "American" because it was largely financed with U.S. funds). Anyone looking at the character who would become known as "Speed Racer" can see the obvious stylistic nod to Elvis Presley (including his black pompadour and even his red sport coat and skinny tie in early episodes), as well as the Bondian tilt in not only the design of the Mach 5 (just like the Aston Martin, with all its technical marvels), but also in the scope and framework of the stories, with their globe-hopping intrigue and emphasis on quick, violent action.	+	Lionsgate has repackaged their previous individual '''Speed Racer''' releases for '''Speed Racer - The Complete Classic Collection''', featuring all 52 episodes of the iconic 1960s Japanese/American anime, housed in a collectible tin shaped like Speed's own beloved Mach 5 racer. With the episodes carried over onto five discs, a sixth disc is included, featuring a few minor bonus extras (which would seem to be the only consideration for double-dipping here). Fans who don't already have the complete series on disc (which seems doubtful) have a nice alternative here in this one-stop, ready-to-go set.

		+	Certainly my connection with the original classic '''Speed Racer''' program is no different than millions of other guys from my generation who have particularly fond memories of this action-packed cartoon. Like everyone else, I caught the series in syndication in the early seventies. Watching '''Speed Racer''' was like watching a mini-James Bond film, made especially for kids, with nothing like plots, dialogue, or complicated character motivations to get in the way of all the car chases and explosions. '''Speed Racer''' ''moved'', man, and it didn't look like anything out there at the time.

		+	Watching it today, I wondered how it was going to hold up; I'm sure I hadn't seen it in twenty years or more. Of course, the first thing that grabbed me was the visual design of the cartoon. Looking like ''nothing'' else animated back in the late 60s, '''Speed Racer''', with its extreme, off-center close-ups, whip-pans, and vertiginous racing effects, resembles a comic book (as kids we had no idea of its ''manga'' origins) version of the Cinerama epic '''Grand Prix''' (which had premiered a year before ''Mach GoGoGo'' was produced, and which had many of same kinds of extreme racing visuals) - if it was directed by say, Sergio Leone, with his massive, weird close-ups. For a cheaply produced, limited animation, full-screen cartoon, there's a true sense of scope and scale to the action here, something that still impresses today, despite the budgetary limitations. The action, as well, is more pronounced than even some big-screen thrillers from that time period (you'll find more explosions and car wrecks in one half-hour episode here, than in all four of Dean Martin's '''Matt Helm''' spy films). What I found particularly gratifying was the dark, determined nature of the violence, as well. Cars go over cliffs in each and every episode...and for the most part, the drivers don't climb back up (like the Coyote every time he's pounded in those '''Roadrunner''' ''Looney Tunes''). They're obviously ''dead'' (show me another cartoon from this period that gleefully shows a guy getting stripped to the bone by ravenous piranha???).

		+	And that finality adds weight to the often-times dark stories that involve greed, revenge, guilt and plain old murderous intent. That hyper-realism, mixed with the stories' frequent use of surreal, outsized, fantastical, supernatural threats and villains, creates a delightfully bizarre world that still packs a semiological punch today. Character motivations, alongside the eye-popping action, are equally important to '''Speed Racer''''s success. What little kid doesn't respond on a deeply submerged level to Speed's constant need to prove himself capable in an adult world? His drive to master the physical world around him (through the Mach 5)? His desire to prove himself worthy of a parent and (absent) brother he idolizes? ''That's'' '''Speed Racer''''s hook

-	''Mach GoGoGo'' proved popular enough in Japan to be translated into an anime series in 1967 (animated at Yoshida's Tatsunoko Productions studio), with the one-season series then exported to America for syndicated runs by Trans-Lux. Obviously in need of an overhaul for American audiences, the Japanese-language series was handed over to Peter Fernandez, an editor, writer, and sound effects jack-of-all-trades who had previously worked on Japanese imports, '''Astro-Boy''' and '''Gigantor''', two animes that set the stage in America for the massive success of '''Speed Racer'''. Fernandez, in charge of not only editing the episodes for American TV (very small, minor cuts occasionally had to be made, to tone down the original violence of the Japanese episodes), but also in providing an entirely new dub track, rechristened '''Mach GoGoGo''' as '''Speed Racer''', while Fernandez himself voiced Speed and the mysterious Racer X. Along with vocal talents Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes and Jack Curtis, Fernandez had the difficult task of not only completely rewriting the episode scripts into English (while maintaining the basic storylines), but also fitting the new English dialogue to match the mouth movements of the animation - a challenge that resulted in '''Speed Racer''''s distinctive "sound," with elongated sentences and plenty of "ah's!" and "oh's!" to fill the screen time of the characters' mouthings.	+	'''The DVD:'''

-	The storyline of '''Speed Racer''' is quite simple (and at times, admittedly, repetitive). Young would-be race car driver Speed Racer has something to prove. Possessing the gadget-filled Mach 5, one of the hottest cars on the planet (built by his engineering wizard of a father, Pops Racer), Speed wants to be the greatest racer in the world - if he can convince his father to let him race. Once Pop reluctantly agrees, Speed is constantly pushing himself to improve his racing skills, frequently finding himself coming up short despite his innate, superior driving skills. Always learning, always improving, Speed is often aided in his pursuit of excellence by his large support network. Pops, of course, is always improving and modifying the Mach 5 - which has the ability, among other things, to submerge underwater, to cut down trees in its path courtesy of two large front-end buzz saws, to spring over large obstacles, and to send off a tape-recording robot homing pigeon to call for help. Mechanic Sparky also keeps the Mach 5 running in tip-top shape, while friend Trixie, who's often jealous of the girls that fall for dreamy Speed, flies a mean helicopter when necessary - which is often when Speed and the Mach 5 find themselves stranded on some alpine ridge or volcanic abyss. Speed's younger brother, Spritle, and his pet chimp Chim-Chim, are frequent stowaways in the Mach 5's trunk, and while Spritle can often be a nuisance ("I want some candy!"), he also manages to help Speed on numerous occasions. Most mysteriously, though, a strange figure, Racer X, also seems to keep a watchful eye over Speed, oftentimes showing up at a critical moment in the young racer's life to not only save him, but also to offer a helpful lesson about life and racing. And it's a good thing Speed has all these people, because he's constantly set upon by a vast array of villains who crop up during Speed's races; evil men bent on controlling the world, or stealing vast sums of money, or merely looking to bump Speed off during one of his harrowing races. Can Speed survive his daily challenges, and become the greatest race car driver in the world?	+	'''The Video:'''<br />The full-screen, 1.33:1 video transfers for '''Speed Racer - The Complete Classic Collection''' look about the same as I remember them on TV, years ago. Certainly, quite a bit of the screen anomalies that show up originated in the animation process (which was hurried, on the low budget). But it's also apparent that Lionsgate (which doesn't have the best reputation for the quality of its transfers) hasn't done anything to clean these up. Colors are muted, the picture can be soft at times, and interlacing is a factor. Still, these will look fine to a little kid, who won't care if the colors are occasionally fuzzy.
		+
		+	'''The Audio:'''The original mono track has been split into a Dolby Digital mix, with an appropriate, but not outstanding, level of loudness. Hiss is a minor factor, but the dialogue is clear, at least. Close-captions are available.
		+
		+	'''The Extras:'''First, there are no original Japanese audio tracks here - just the original English dubs. The discs are housed in a compact disc holder-sized, stiff-board booklet, with cardboard slip holders for the discs (the episodes are listed on the holders). The booklet fits into the special metal case that's shaped like the Mach 5. It measures 10" long, by 6" wide, by 2" thick. It's split (like a candy tin). I can't say it did much for me; it wouldn't fit on my regular DVD shelves, so I would imagine the cardboard booklet will be taken out, and the tin stored.
		+
		+	Bonuses on the discs are a bit thin. On the first disc, the ''Speed Racer Files'', broken down into sections "Production," "Mach 5," Villain's Gallery," and "Speed Lives On!" contain text info on these various themes, along with accessible clips and audio (The "Mach 5" is probably the best one, where you can select all the car's gizmos for inspection). On disc 2, there are buttons in the menu that lead you to clips and text about various villains and other themes in the show. The sixth disc contains a 10-minute documentary on the production of the original show, featuring interviews with Peter Fernandez, James Rocknowski of Speed Racer Enterprises, and Ben Gruber, Larry Schwartz, and David McGrath, of the remake cartoon. It's a pretty thin documentary, considering the importance of the show in American (and world) pop culture. There's also a 10-minute featurette on the remake cartoon, as well as a sample episode - both dreary beyond words. Considering the fan base of this cartoon, and taking into account that quite a few fans probably already have the individual releases, someone dropped the ball in trying to convince viewers to double-dip on this collector's edition, when the extras are so skimpy.
		+
		+	'''Final Thoughts:'''<br />Watching the classic anime/cartoon '''Speed Racer''', I was initially amused at how Speed made the Mach 5 perform all those physically impossible stunts...and then it occurred to me: that's just how little boys play with their toy cars. Remember? We used to take them, and make them fly in the air, and climb straight up a chair, and do ridiculous flips and turns and smash-ups, all the while making revving and skidding and explosions noises, over and over again. ''That's'' the appeal of '''Speed Racer''', and it's impossible not to get caught up in its bizarre world of hyper-realism and surreal, outsized, supernatural fantasy. It's a combination that's just as potent today as it was forty-plus years ago. Even though this special collector's edition is thin on the extras, it ''does'' give you the entire classic series in one fell swoop, presented in probably the best shape it's ever going to be on DVD. I highly recommend '''Speed Racer - The Complete Classic Collection'''.
	[[Category:Speed Racer 1967 TV Series]]		[[Category:Speed Racer 1967 TV Series]]

User talk:PRESIDENT BALTAR

2009-12-06T07:02:09Z

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==Welcome==
Hi, welcome to Speed Racer! Thanks for your edit to the [[:Speed Racer (1967)]] page.

Please leave a message on [[User talk:Sannse|my talk page]] if I can help with anything! -- [[User:Sannse|Sannse]] ([[User_talk:Sannse|Talk]]) 07:02, December 6, 2009

User:PRESIDENT BALTAR

2009-12-06T07:02:08Z

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Speed Racer (1967)

2009-12-06T07:02:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:02, December 6, 2009
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Image:Speedracer1967title.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Speedracer1967title.jpg\|frame]]
	[[Image:Speedracer1967.jpg\|frame]]		[[Image:Speedracer1967.jpg\|frame]]
-	'''Speed Racer''' was a television series created by Tatsuo Yoshida.	+	'''Speed Racer''' was a television series created by Tatsuo Yoshida.

-	== Cast ==	+	== Cast ==
	* [[Jack Curtis]] - [[Pops Racer]]/[[Inspector Detector]]/Announcer/Additional Voices		* [[Jack Curtis]] - [[Pops Racer]]/[[Inspector Detector]]/Announcer/Additional Voices
	* [[Peter Fernandez]] - [[Speed Racer]]/[[Rex Racer]]/[[Racer X]]/Additional Voices		* [[Peter Fernandez]] - [[Speed Racer]]/[[Rex Racer]]/[[Racer X]]/Additional Voices
Line 9:		Line 9:
	* [[Corinne Orr]] - [[Trixie]]/[[Spritle]]/[[Mom Racer]]/Additional Voices		* [[Corinne Orr]] - [[Trixie]]/[[Spritle]]/[[Mom Racer]]/Additional Voices

		+
		+
		+
		+	Originally conceived as a Japanese ''manga'' in the early 1960s by legendary anime artist, Tatsuo Yoshida, ''Mach GoGoGo'', the story of a young race car driver, Go Mifune, was inspired not only by Yoshida's earlier ''manga'', ''Pilot Ace'', but also, according to interviews with the artist, two big-screen American films: '''Viva Las Vegas''' and '''Goldfinger''' (I call the Bond film "American" because it was largely financed with U.S. funds). Anyone looking at the character who would become known as "Speed Racer" can see the obvious stylistic nod to Elvis Presley (including his black pompadour and even his red sport coat and skinny tie in early episodes), as well as the Bondian tilt in not only the design of the Mach 5 (just like the Aston Martin, with all its technical marvels), but also in the scope and framework of the stories, with their globe-hopping intrigue and emphasis on quick, violent action.
		+
		+
		+
		+
		+	''Mach GoGoGo'' proved popular enough in Japan to be translated into an anime series in 1967 (animated at Yoshida's Tatsunoko Productions studio), with the one-season series then exported to America for syndicated runs by Trans-Lux. Obviously in need of an overhaul for American audiences, the Japanese-language series was handed over to Peter Fernandez, an editor, writer, and sound effects jack-of-all-trades who had previously worked on Japanese imports, '''Astro-Boy''' and '''Gigantor''', two animes that set the stage in America for the massive success of '''Speed Racer'''. Fernandez, in charge of not only editing the episodes for American TV (very small, minor cuts occasionally had to be made, to tone down the original violence of the Japanese episodes), but also in providing an entirely new dub track, rechristened '''Mach GoGoGo''' as '''Speed Racer''', while Fernandez himself voiced Speed and the mysterious Racer X. Along with vocal talents Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes and Jack Curtis, Fernandez had the difficult task of not only completely rewriting the episode scripts into English (while maintaining the basic storylines), but also fitting the new English dialogue to match the mouth movements of the animation - a challenge that resulted in '''Speed Racer''''s distinctive "sound," with elongated sentences and plenty of "ah's!" and "oh's!" to fill the screen time of the characters' mouthings.
		+
		+	The storyline of '''Speed Racer''' is quite simple (and at times, admittedly, repetitive). Young would-be race car driver Speed Racer has something to prove. Possessing the gadget-filled Mach 5, one of the hottest cars on the planet (built by his engineering wizard of a father, Pops Racer), Speed wants to be the greatest racer in the world - if he can convince his father to let him race. Once Pop reluctantly agrees, Speed is constantly pushing himself to improve his racing skills, frequently finding himself coming up short despite his innate, superior driving skills. Always learning, always improving, Speed is often aided in his pursuit of excellence by his large support network. Pops, of course, is always improving and modifying the Mach 5 - which has the ability, among other things, to submerge underwater, to cut down trees in its path courtesy of two large front-end buzz saws, to spring over large obstacles, and to send off a tape-recording robot homing pigeon to call for help. Mechanic Sparky also keeps the Mach 5 running in tip-top shape, while friend Trixie, who's often jealous of the girls that fall for dreamy Speed, flies a mean helicopter when necessary - which is often when Speed and the Mach 5 find themselves stranded on some alpine ridge or volcanic abyss. Speed's younger brother, Spritle, and his pet chimp Chim-Chim, are frequent stowaways in the Mach 5's trunk, and while Spritle can often be a nuisance ("I want some candy!"), he also manages to help Speed on numerous occasions. Most mysteriously, though, a strange figure, Racer X, also seems to keep a watchful eye over Speed, oftentimes showing up at a critical moment in the young racer's life to not only save him, but also to offer a helpful lesson about life and racing. And it's a good thing Speed has all these people, because he's constantly set upon by a vast array of villains who crop up during Speed's races; evil men bent on controlling the world, or stealing vast sums of money, or merely looking to bump Speed off during one of his harrowing races. Can Speed survive his daily challenges, and become the greatest race car driver in the world?
	[[Category:Speed Racer 1967 TV Series]]		[[Category:Speed Racer 1967 TV Series]]

User:PRESIDENT BALTAR

2009-12-06T06:32:39Z

New user account

New page