Go Speed Racer

This may be an ocational post for Peek Digital Photography. Once in a while I might put up a movie review that I think might be especially significant. Yes I do see a number of movies and I draw the line at gratuitously foul language, nudity, and horror or slasher flicks. I generally use a service called screenit.com to evaluate wether or not it fits my acceptable viewing criteria.

Some movies are a no brainer on attendance. Speed Racer was one of those until reviews said it bombed. So here I am in Columbus OH working with a training committee and one of the guys wanted to go see it. Whatever... I agreed and we were two of four people in the theater at an 8:00 PM movie. Well, that kind of says it all. The story held fairly close to the cartoon, sappiness and all. If you did not know the story, I will save you the ticket price. Boy has serious ADD in school (thinks about racing all the time), older brother (Rex) gets killed in car race under suspicious circumstances, boy grows up racing cars and has a moderately hot girl friend (Trixy). Boy gets propositioned by megabuck race team owner and manufacturer who is crooked and has seen all the Grand Prix races are fixed. Speed Racer turns him down and proceeds to defend the honor of his brother in various races. Racer X is an ally of Speed and during some of the races. Speed finally wins the big one and gets the girl. Speed suspects that Racer X is actually his supposed to be dead brother but Racer X denies it. The audience later finds out that Racer X is in fact Rex but the family never knows.

Yeah! You guessed it... Very predictable.

At the other end of the spectrum is Iron Man. YES! YES! and triple YES! No need to review it, just go see it. Robert Downey Jr. does a very believable job (for a comic book character). What more can I say, I have seen it twice and it was just as entertaining the second time as the first.

Remember, friends don't let friends see stupid movies.

Doug