Trailer Tuesday: Speed Racer

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So you thought The Matrix's creators, the Wachowski brothers were one-trick ponies who would vanish after the 2 incomprehensible sequels? Well, no they haven't. The Wachowskis are back, applying their FX-heavy brand of film-making to a big screen adaptation of Speed Racer, the hit anime series from the 1960s.

Watching this trailer, well, I really don't know what to say... It seems that the Wachowkis - working completely with green screen in Speed Racer - have beaten the Dragon Ball Z creative team to making the first "authentic" live action anime film. Speed Racer looks 100% trippy - it's hyper-stylised, love-it-or-hate-it movie making that is either going to send audiences wild, or leave them completely alienated.

Big name critics I'm sure will be repulsed by the bright colours, stilted (typically anime) dialogue and impossible action.

Personally, I'm not a big anime fan. I grew up watching Robotech, and I followed the Dragon Ball Z story arc where Goku took on supervillain Freeza, but that's about it. I'm completely unfamiliar with the cartoon Speed Racer, but given the all-star cast involved in the project - and Lost's Matthew Fox popping up in a gimp suit - I'm prepared to give Speed Racer some benefit of the doubt. For now... Closer to release I'll decide whether I actually want to watch the film.


Speed Racer is released in May next year.

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