Posted Tuesday, September 16, 2008 by
Hap Aziz
The Blu-ray disc is out. While the Speed Racer movie was a box-office disappointment, it represented an amazing step forward in special video effects. So of course I had to run out and pick it up on its date of release (today, September 16) to view it in glorious 1080p resolution. (Okay, that and the fact that my little 7 year old daughter has already seen it six times in the theater and begged that I get it on disc for her.)
I must admit, I'm not one of the movie's detractors. The storyline, simple as it was, certainly was sufficient to hang the action on. The themes of family obligations, parental love, and driven purpose kept me engaged as entertainment, if not grand philosophy. And the digitally-driven cinematic technology was remarkable--one of the disc's bonus features delved deeper into the techniques used by the Wachowski brothers, and that alone was worth the price of admission for me. It was fascinating to see how the majority of the film was shot in a green screen environment, and how the special effects were interwoven with the actors themselves.
If you haven't seen Speed Racer yet (and based on the box office numbers, I know most of you have not seen it), at least pick it up as a rental--definitely in Blu-ray format if you have a player. Don't expect anything beyond feel-good bubble-gum entertainment, and you'll likey not be disappointed.
- Hap Aziz