First look: 'Speed Racer's' demon on
wheels
Revvin' up the powerful Mach 5: The car from the live-action
version of Speed Racer is based on the one from the original
cartoon, but with a more modern look.
By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY
Emile Hirsch was 6 years old when he saw his first episode of the
cartoon Speed Racer and, more important, caught a glimpse of the
Mach 5.
"It was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen," Hirsch says by
phone from Germany, where filming will begin next week on the movie
adaptation. "That's when I started thinking it would be great to be
on TV. And have one of those."
Sixteen years later, he finally got behind the wheel of the
speedster, which gets its first look here and will be at the heart
of the film, due May 9, 2008.
"My first thought was, 'Yeah, they got the car right,' " he says.
"That's one of the best things about the show, so it was always
going to be one of the most important parts of the movie."
That and the return of Andy and Larry Wachowski, the brothers who
are making their first directorial effort since The Matrix
trilogy.
Like Hirsch, the brothers grew up on the popular 1960s Japanese
cartoon about the adventures of a racing family and its pet
chimpanzee, Chim Chim.
"The TV show was the brothers' introduction to Japanese animation,"
says Joel Silver, a friend of the press-shy Wachowskis and producer
of Racer and the Matrix films. "They fell in love with the genre.
They said they'd been making R-rated movies their whole lives and
wanted to do something their nephews and nieces could watch."
The film, Silver says, will have a "retro future" look and will
center on Speed (Hirsch) trying to make a name for himself in the
racing world despite the efforts of corporate giants to foil his
career. The film also stars Christina Ricci as girlfriend Trixie
and Matthew Fox as Speed's older brother, Racer X.
Like the Matrix films and the Wachowski-produced V for Vendetta,
Racer "has a lot to say about remaining independent and thinking
for yourself," Hirsch says. "The brothers weren't just looking to
do the TV show on film."
Unlike those darker movies, Racer "is going to be very bright, very
family-friendly," Silver says. "And it will have great effects like
TheMatrix, just with the car."
A car that will not see much time on pavement. The Mach 5 will be
placed on a crane and most effects will be
computer-generated.
One real effect, though: Chim Chim.
"They're using a real monkey," Hirsch says. "Just don't call him
that. He's a chimpanzee. He gets upset if you call him a
monkey."
(source:
USAToday)