Speed Racer

[frankthedm]

The problem, lack of a big named star and poor marketing. This was to be a summer block buster and yet did not have one big name A-list star attached to it, not even a B-list (Mattew Fox is C-List at best, does well on TV, no break out movies). Then there was marketing, action, live-action anime, special effects, kid movie, from the makers of the Matrix, just what was it?

By waiting until MEGAMOVIE-MAY, the Mach 5 has been sideswiped by a drunk driver in a suit of gold and red titanium powerarmor. By WB releasing this the week after iron man was out, they were hoping Speed racer would rake in some May Movie Money even though it was risking the chance Iron man would still be going strong. Guess what? Iron Man was still going strong. The main demographic they don't share is "kids too young for a PG-13 movie."* And you know what, I have a hunch a lot of parents decided "Screw it, I'd rather see Iron man".

Like trying to take a hill after the power armor has been deployed, Speed had no chance of getting near the top of the box office. Hell, with Iron man's magnetic lock on guy's ticket sales, Speed could not even overtake "the POS movie the girlfiend/wife drags you to" this week named 'What Happens in Vegas'. IMHO April 25 would have been a fine release date for Speed Racer. Much less competition and already poised as the big name movie to take the younger kids to* once Iron Man rolled around.

* Assuming the parent trusts the MPAA

 

[Krug]

Release dates are set way ahead aren't they? I think WB thought parents won't want their kids to go see Iron Man, or rather, Robert Downey Jr. Besides, who thought Iron Man would actually turn out to be good?

I still think it was a case of bad marketing, and a trailer that wasn't cut for the market they wanted.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Besides, who thought Iron Man would actually turn out to be good?

/raises hand

...but, admittedly, I'm a Marvel geek and loves me some Iron Man, so I'm biased.

 

[Darth Shoju]

I'm no insider, but it looks headed for a $20 mil weekend, and finishing behind or close to a Ashton Kutchner comedy probably wasn't in the plans for a Wachowski film.

Yeah it seems pretty clear the movie is a flop. I guess I'm just wondering how the studio thought this picture would make it's money back? Did they just severely over-estimate how big the audience of the original cartoon was/is? Did they underestimate the competition (which would be really silly -- even if you don't think highly of Iron Man as a character, super hero movies have been doing well since X-men I and Spider Man I. Even crap ones like FF and Ghost Rider have managed big takes)? Did they think attaching the Wachowskis would bring in some people? Christina Ricci?

I mean, I just don't understand how this movie didn't get limited to a much smaller budget (say, by half...)

 

[RigaMortus2]

John Goodman was in this movie, wasn't he? With movies such as King Ralph and the Flintstones under his belt, how could this movie possibly bad?

 

[Krug]

John Goodman was in this movie, wasn't he? With movies such as King Ralph and the Flintstones under his belt, how could this movie possibly bad?

Honestly speaking, I don't think it's bad. Folks just don't seem too interested in watching it.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Honestly speaking, I don't think it's bad. Folks just don't seem too interested in watching it.

Yeah, that's me. I was teetering back and forth deciding to see it or not. Now that movies are $10 a ticket (I remember then they were $5 and I'm not that old), I have to save my money to see something I really want to see, like Indiana Jones and Narnia... And I am sure I am going to get "forced" to see Sex and the City...

 

[frankthedm]

Yeah, that's me. I was teetering back and forth deciding to see it or not. Now that movies are $10 a ticket (I remember then they were $5 and I'm not that old),

I remember paying $4.50 for a matinée less than two weeks ago for Iron Man. It all depends where and when you go.

And I am sure I am going to get "forced" to see Sex and the City...

Stand up for yourself and tell whoever is trying to 'force' you to go the era of suck movies is over.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

It's a shame this movie hasn't been doing well at the box office. I just got done seeing it and thought it was absolutely amazing. I may have even liked it better than Iron Man, although it's a very close thing. It certainly was one of the best cartoon movies I've ever seen.

Visually, it's just astounding. From the set design to the cinematography and the editing, it was just incredible. It really was like watching a live-action cartoon. The story suffered a bit in the middle from what I felt was a bit of awkward exposition- the introduction of a bunch of random characters for the cross-country race, the strange introduction of Racer X (I realize both he and Togokahn had already sort of been introduced, but their appearance in Speed's life was somewhat abrupt and strange). It really picked up, though, once the second half of that race was on and stayed solid through the end (which made a nice bookend to the first third of the movie, which took us from Speed's formative years to the present in a really well paced and edited intro to the character and his family).

Royalton's speech to Speed was also an awkward moment, and it wasn't helepd much by the antics of Spritle and Chimp-Chimp (though those were obviously there to break up the long bit of exposition).

I never really cared for the cartoon, and wasn't initially going to see this. I was finally swayed by what I saw of the beautiful cinematography of it, and am very glad I went to see it. It was totally a great family movie, too (and I'm kind of surprised it wasn't released a bit later in the summer, when kids are all out of school; maybe they'll rerelease it in late summer). I'm sure it will do really well overseas, it's just a shame that it's not doing well here in the US.

If you're at all on the fence about seeing it, go. Go, go Speed Racer!

(And like someone else suggested, take in a matinee. I paid $5 to see a matinee here in California. Can't remember the last time I saw a movie for so cheap in the theatre!)

 

[Grymar]

Took my three year old to see it last weekend and we both really enjoyed it. The problem is the marketing...it is a "G" rated kids flick, not a modern comic book action adventure movie. It was wild, fun and a great time, I think. As far as G-rated movies go, I give this a solid 3 out of 4 stars.