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Tonight I decided to sit down and compose the Planet's
official review of the limited edition Speed Racer DVD that
will be issued to the public tomorrow, April 22nd. The
collectors edition DVD not only pushes eleven episodes onto
your television, but it has a plethora of special features, ummmmm the special features. They include:
-Full Screen Versions
-Digitally Mastered
-Dolby Monaural Audio
-The Speed Racer Files featuring Production Notes
-Theme Song Sing-Along
-Villains' Gallery
-Interactive Mach-5 Control Demonstrations
-Merchandise and More...
I have yet to explore all regions of the single disc DVD, but
I have been heavily tuned in to the episodes. I for one have
not been formally introduced to the series, therefore, I found
this opportunity prime for getting to know the characters and
the overall 'plot'. I will admit that I have yet to watch all
eleven episodes, but I have been entertained up to this point.
Within the last few minutes I have finished up a session that
has been dedicated to nothing other than Speed Racer.
Due to the fact of knowing so little about this series I can
report literally nothing as far as background knowledge. What
I do know is that Speed Racer is your typical high-octane
animated hero that finds himself stuck in the middle of
various creative scenarios,
scenerios only found in the most outlandish cartoons. For
example:
Episode One - The Great Plan (Part 1) - Speed Racer finds
himself in command of a powerful racing car commonly referred
to as Mach-5. He finds that his 'colleagues' encourage
his
transition into the professional racing circuit, but Speeds
father lobbies against such a move. In the meantime, Speeds
father, Pops Racer, is introducing a plan to build a more
powerful racing car, one that could reach 30,000 RPM.
Unfortunately, the company that he works for is unable to
support the funding for such a build causing Pops Racer to
quit his job on a journey to build the marvellous machine on
his own dime. He packs up his blueprints for home when he and
Speed get ambushed by a set of rebels trying to steal the
plan. Instead of drudging on and on about episode ones
plot, thus spoiling it for all who have yet to see it, I will
end my thoughts here.
Hopefully, by now, you are able to get a feel for what type of
cartoon Speed Racer is about. For those of you who didn't pick
the 'feel' up from the previous paragraph maybe this will
help. Speed Racer isn't your cushy cute Little Pony sort, but
instead a cartoon filled with off-beat
humour, violent car
crashes, unforgettable characters, and cliff-hanger racing
action. In the mix you will find devious plots from the 'bad
guys' in an attempt to fill the 'good guys' lives with pure
and evil havoc. Speed Racer doesn't fit into cartoon
classification, but instead can be labelled a pioneer to the
genre; unique and surprisingly fresh after all of these years.
According to the literature contained on the DVD jacket, Speed
Racer debuted in 1966. The DVD being released tomorrow is a
collection of the first eleven episodes in the classic series.
To the more picky viewers, Speed Racer may not be the most
appealing series on the television, but that is in part to
technological advances. Cartoons that fill our eyes in the
present time are filled with seamless animations that look both beautiful
and flawless. Speed Racer is the exact opposite, raw and
rugged. From the choppy motions to the unusual transitions to
the brisk voice acting, Speed Racer fails to touch the
technical aspect of present-day animations. In Speed
Racers defence, the raw screens are more than enough to captivate
audiences. For those who can find appreciation in the older
grassroots presentations, then look into this particular DVD.
Not only will you enjoy the stories that are found throughout
this 11 episode set, but the "old school" style is something
that is not only rewarding to those who are open to the
approach, but it may even bring back childhood memories.
If you are in the mood to revisit the cartoon era that has
paved the way for modern day animations, then I
would suggest you pick up a copy of the Limited Edition Speed
Racer DVD, relax and prepare some popcorn. If you are the type
who has been spoiled by new-age technologies and find yourself
finding the flaws in the most up-to-date animation series,
then you should probably steer very clear of this item.
For all of those really in-tune cartoon
goers, this series is referred to as Japanimation on the DVD
jacket. I just wanted to note that before the SR fans jump on
my back.
Where
do I stand? Well before I had received this in the mail I had
found I had not watched any cartoons in the past so many
months, but Speed Racer was a pleasant breath of fresh air. I
would have to hand out our common 4 Planet Rating.
Ramz Rating:
4 out of 5 Planets
Episode List:
The Great Plan (Part1)
The Great Plan (Part2)
Challenge of the Masked Racer (Part1)
Challenge of the Masked Racer (Part2)
The Secret Engine (Part1)
The Secret Engine (Part2)
The Race Against the Mammoth Car (Part1)
The Race Against the Mammoth Car (Part2)
The Most Dangerous Race (Part1)
The Most Dangerous Race (Part2)
The Most Dangerous Race (Part3)
Approx. Running Time ~300 Minutes
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