Went to see Speed Racer
Went to see Speed Racer (Andy & Larry Wachowski, 2008). Wow. Still reeling. A matchless visual treat. I never actually watched the Japanese cartoons so I can't compare, but I'm not sure it matters much. Andy & Larry Wachowski are postmodern geniuses. Of course it's not "intellectual" in the way the Matrix movies are, but who cares? Of course the story is entirely predictable from the first to the last frame, so what? The acting is great (all my favorites: Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox aka Butchness Incarnate, Christina Ricci, etc., even an intriguing cameo by Melvil Poupaud) and the moving pictures make you glad you're living in the age of computers and in an age when people like John Waters or Tim Burton or Andy & Larry Wachowski can recycle 1950s / 1960s imagery to tremendous effect. The colors!