Speed Racer

“You don’t climb into a T-180 to be a driver, you do it because you’re driven.” Often in life we ask people favorites. Favorite food, favorite color, and that extends to films. They’re so engraved in pop culture it would be hard not to ask someone their favorite. Whether this person be a friend, potential partner or even someone you dislike. We ask it because to some people it’s a judge of taste and even sometimes their character. I used to have a confident answer to this question but over time and diving deeper and deeper into this world of cinema that I love so dearly, I have sort of changed my stance. I don’t believe with confidence that I could give someone a true answer. There’s many films I believe to be perfect and for often different reasons. I believe the closest I can ever get to the answer of this question is what would be favorite film right now as supposed to in the history of ever. Speed Racer was released to the world on April 26th, 2008 but here in the United States where I unfortunately reside, it was released on a very special May 9th which just so happens to be my birthday. I remember being in 2nd grade at the time and for reasons I cannot remember, wanting to see this movie. I don’t even fully remember how I came across the trailer. On that Friday I was surprised to be picked up early from school by my Nana who took me to see it. We were the only two in the theater and I left that day with a favorite movie. A title that probably stood until the next time I saw a movie that had big explosions or Batman in it. Revisiting this almost 20 years later in IMAX left me feeling the same magic and wonder that I experienced at the ripe age of 8. I really do believe this to be one of the best ever. Speed is all of us in a society full of capitalist oppressors running us out of our hobbies. The films politics are very much against this corporate greed and shareholder value which is important when it comes to the world of sports specifically. The example we are given is racing but it can be applied anywhere. Royalton represents the Kalshi and Fanduels of the world. You can’t turn on any event now without being riddled with the worst of advertisement. This can be translated even to the film world where we have companies being bought to increase shareholder value even if it means the death of art itself. Paramount I’m looking at you. Speed really means a lot to me when it comes to losing the thing you love most. All that has ever clicked for him was racing and now he’s unsure what the point of it all even is. Losing himself in the same way his older brother Rex did. One of my favorite mirror image moments is when Speed decides he has to leave and we hear his own voice instead of Spritle’s. We get this sense that he wishes it all could go back to being that simple. Just loving racing for because why shouldn’t he? I’ve had this exact feeling happen to me. Maybe not to the extent of the dirty money and stock politics of the world, but there’s nothing worse than losing the love of a hobby. It feels like a part of you has died and you often question whether it can even be revived. Not talked about enough is the balance of love and justice that’s needed for stability of the self. Speed succeeds unlike Rex because the Racer family sticks together. The scene with Susan Sarandon and Emile Hirsch in his bedroom breaks my heart man but its the defining moment for Speed succeeding. The family sticking by Speed and his choices and learning from the mistakes that Pops made with Rex allows for this balance of love and justice. The family’s love for each other and racing is inevitably their victory in the end. I’m not sure if anyone is still reading this or if anyone ever will. I often don’t share or go in depth this much unless the emotions are high. There’s many more reasons to love this. The visuals and editing in this are striking. The humor is actually funny. The last lap is some of the best work ever made for the screen. One of the few films that no matter how many times I watch it, never fails to get the tears flowing. I may not have a definitive favorite film but if you asked me right now, you’re damn right it would be *Speed Racer. * “GET THAT WEAK SHIT OFF MY TRACK”