By the Numbers:
Critics said:
Film Description:
Fast facts:
Source Material:
“. . . two hours and nine minutes, or about two hours too long, give or take. . . A lot of fluorescent, 7-Eleven-tinted images flash by, any of which could easily be removed or re-arranged without significantly disrupting the film's continuity, because it has none...” – Jim Emerson for rogerebert.com
Budget: $120 million
Domestic gross: $43 million
Foreign gross: $50 million
Total gross: $93 million
Total losses: $27 million
“Kids may like it for all the bright colors and relatable young characters, but a year from now it’s unlikely anyone will remember or care about Speed Racer, except as that other movie from the guys who made The Matrix.”
- Josh Tyler for cinemablend.com
Speed Racer
aka Mach Go Go Go
Japan - 1958 book
USA - 1967 animated cartoon
-Speed Racer’s family owns Racer Motors
- Older brother Rex
- Speed is a successful racer
- Racing contract with Royalton Industries owned by E.P. Arnold Royalton
-Willy Wonka-esque tour of Royalton factories
- Speed turns down deal
- E.P. Aronold Royalton sets out to ruin Speed’s career with death threats and lawsuits.
- teams up with Racer X to race in the same race his brother died in
- Casa Cristo 500 & Grand Prix
Starring: Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox
Larry (Lana) & Andy Wachowski (The Matrix)
CGI team: CIS Hollywood (Fantastic Four)
Release date: May 9, 2008
Competing blockbusters: Iron Man & The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
“too long for kids to sit still and too frenetic for their parents.”
– Claudia Puig for USA Today.
Why it failed:
ambiguous target market
Speed Racer
CGI/anime style
release timing
A failed blockbuster analysis
by Katie Denta
failed insurance of all-star cast
CMLT C-392
June, 4 2013
Scene breakdown:
- series of close-up fast cut shots & swipe cuts
- video game-like race sequence shows the juxtaposition of the artificial racers on the CGI track against the live actors cheering and watching from the stands
- flashbacks to earlier sequences that motivate Speed, as evidenced by his audible thoughts
- slow motion stunts
- characters standing, staring with mouths open (show the audience where to look)
Suggestions:
- Narrow the films target audience
(Animated kids film or racing live action film for older audiences)
- If kids, shorten the film
- If teens/adults, soften the ADD colors and cuts and strengthen the plot
- Get rid of the pet monkey
- Focus the marketing campaign on the target audience, don't try to bombard everyone from dozens of platforms. Choose three or four, focus.
- More realistic CGI. The colors were too immature, take note from Iron Man & make things look somewhat realistic and not like "The Wiggles"
- Choose a better release date, know what you can & can't compete with.