Batman and Speed Racer in "The Mechanics!"

 

Ah, the Whirly-Bat.  It looked so cool but seemed so dangerous.  What if Batman stood up before the propellers were off?  And doesn't his flapping cape aver get caught in the blades?  It was like an accident waiting to happen.  Batman and Speed Racer previously met on the blog way back in 2010, one of my earliest covers...

Superman, Speed Racer and The Impossible Man

 

I have to say, if Superman lost his flight and had to find another way to get around, he could do a lot worse than that sweet ride!  This was a case where I stumbled on to an image and it suggested a whole story to me.

Green Lantern and Speed Racer

 

John Stewart and Hal Jordan have both been cast for the HBO/MAX Lanterns series, filming should be underway soon.  It has been described as a True Detective-type series, but I hope that the more fantastical, space-related elements of the Green Lantern mythos aren't pushed too much into the background.  I also hope that Hal Jordan isn't killed off by the end of it, which I suspect may be the case given the age difference between the actors.

Speed Race Vs. Black Racer

 

The Speed Racer movie is one of those films that seems to have gained a cult following after being considered a failure upon its original release. I remember not being crazy  about it, but enough time had passed that I thought I would give it a re-watch.  Hoo boy, I didn't even make it all the way through this time.  The over use of green screen effects was even more garish than I remembered. I still think there's a great Speed Racer movie to be made, but this wasn't it for me.

Metamorpho and Speed Racer in: "A Double Date in Daytona!"

 

He may have permanent C-Lister status, but Metamorpho has always been at or near the top of my favorite superhero list (It shifts from time to time but usually includes Batman, The Thing, The Spectre, Elongated Man, The Beast, Deadman, Spider-Man and of course, Rex Mason).  His appearance and power set have kept him from ever making a live action appearance, but I have to believe that movie magic both practical and CGI is at a place where it would be possible to convincingly bring him to live action.  If there's concern about his marketability, then just make a Batman and the Outsiders movie!

Metamorpho and Speed Racer first met in STF 1946...

Princess Leia and Speed Racer

 

I always get a kick out of the fact that Princess Leia has a British accent in a few scenes in Star Wars: A New Hope, and then it is discarded.  Maybe because she was in scenes with Peter Cushing, Carrie Fisher just couldn't help herself?  I wonder why they didn't re record those scenes with her American Accent once they decided to go that way.  Her accent wasn't bad - certainly more convincing than Amber Heard's Mera in Zack Snyder's Justice League!

Speed Racer and Ghost Rider

 

Speed Racer is not a great film as far as the script went, but there's no denying that the visuals in the movie are quite impressive.  I think the movie was a victim of bad timing - it came out a year before Avatar hit screens and everyone was eager to try out the new 3D technology.  Maybe if it had released after that brief phenomenon, it would have done better at the box office.

Speed Racer and Metamorpho

Speed Racer the movie was not a huge hit at the box office, and is not without its flaws, but there's no denying that it had some amazing and unique visuals.  Maybe it just came out a few years too early.  Perhaps a Speed Racer film would be more well received today, now that superhero movies and the Fast and Furious franchise are so popular.

Speed Racer and The Incredible Hulk

The Wachowskis' body of film work is hit and miss as far as their plots and scripts go, but one thing that can always be counted on is amazing visuals.  Speed Racer is no exception.  While the plot is a little wonky and some of the humor falls flat, the movie is very cool to look at.  The set and costume design, coupled with the wildly inventive racing sequences make for a film that looks like no other, and on that level it is worth checking out.

Batman and Speed Racer

I only caught the Speed Racer cartoon a couple of times when I was a kid, but the design of the car definitely resonated with me. Also, Racer X looked like a superhero, so that part of course intrigued me. My cousin gave me a few of his Speed Racer comics a couple of years back and I really enjoyed them.

The Speed Racer movie is a very mixed bag. Some of the humor was clearly aimed at a much younger audience than I, and is tough to sit through. The racing sequences, however, are pretty exciting. They are so over the top you just have to go with them and suspend your disbelief. Those scenes look great on a nice big screen. I wonder if the film would have done better at the box office if it had held off for a few years and was released when the big 3D craze hit.