Using a real chimp was another great move in a long list of great moves. He also gets a chimp sidekick in Chim Chim. His energy is contagious and his delivery elicits some of the biggest laughs.
The young Paulie Litt (TV's HOPE & FAITH) nails Speed's younger brother Spritle. Her wily and smart character makes us quickly understand why Speed would want this cutie in his corner. Christina Ricci (PUMPKIN) as Speed's girl Trixie has never been sweeter. Susan Sarandon (DEAD MAN WALKING) as Mom Racer brings her star wattage to benefit the production by lifting the supportive mom character out from the shadows. Goodman brings the right notes to a smalltime veteran of the racing world who doesn't want to believe that his life's passion is rotten to the core. But one of the keys to the film is Speed's family. Allam chews up the scenery as the villain you love to hate. Hirsch plays the cool, sometimes cocky, driver well. While no great acting skills are need, the casting for this film is perfect. Soon enough, Speed learns painful lessons about the way the racing world is really run and is approached by the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox, TV's LOST) to join him and blow the lid off the evil corporate conspiracy to fix races. When Speed grows up, he is courted by all the major sponsors, especially Royalton (Roger Allam, V FOR VENDETTA), a shady corporate tycoon. But something happens to pull apart Rex and his dad Pops (John Goodman, BARTON FINK), spurring Rex to leave home and later parish in a racing accident. He looks up to his older brother Rex (Scott Porter, TV's FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), a champion driver. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch, INTO THE WILD) is from a family of racers, who thinks about nothing but racing. They're interested in bringing the good flavors to the forefront and minimizing the cheesy aftertaste. They are not interested in "improving" the original material with an overdose of extra hip wink winks - the same ingredient that has destroyed so many other animation-to-live-action adaptations. The Wachowskis capture that charm, frosting their entire production with it. Nonetheless it had a charm that was undeniable. No one who has ever seen the original series would confuse it with good animation. I was expecting eye candy going into this film and that's what I was served, but by the time the final course was uncovered I had gobbled up Andy and Larry Wachowski's neon-glowing confection.
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