Name: Amalia Reyes
Deadline:
Type of Review: Movie
Name of Event/Item to be Reviewed: Speed Racer
Date and Time I Will See this Event/Item: Aventura Mall, Saturday
Place where Review Will Occur: Aventura Mall
Some Facts I Know about the Event /Item to be Reviewed Include:
The original was from Japan in the 60’s
The characters and storylines originated in Japan as the manga and anime series Mach GoGoGo, from the anime studio Tatsunoko Productions.
Mach GoGoGo was first created and designed by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida (1932–1977) as a manga series in the 1960s and made the jump to TV as an anime series in 1967. The central character in the anime and manga was a young race car driver named Gō Mifune (Mifune Gō). Yoshida selected the names and symbolism in his creation very carefully. The large red M on the hood of the Mach 5, which in North America was assumed to stand for “Mach 5,” is actually the emblem of Mifune Motors, the family business. That is also the origin of the “M” on Gō’s helmet. This was an homage to Japanese film star Toshiro Mifune. His given name, Gō, is also a Japanese homophone for the number 5 (the number on his race car). This is also represented by the yellow letter G embroidered on his short-sleeve blue shirt.
The name of the series, Mach GoGoGo is actually a triple entendre: as mentioned, it stands for the number 5, i.e. it is the name of the car, the Mach 5; it is the name of the main character; and it contains the English word “go.” Taken together, the program’s title thus translates as, “Mach 5, Gō Mifune, Go!” The names themselves constitute a multi-lingual wordplay of the kind that had started to become part of the Japanese popular culture of the time.
Speed Racer was one of the first truly successful anime franchises in the United States. The pivotal episode in which Racer X reveals his identity to Speed (“The Trick Race”) was selected by TV Guide as one of the most memorable moments in TV history.
Speed Racer is a 2008 film that is a live action film adaptation of the 1960s Japanese anime series Speed Racer. The film is written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, who also serve as co-producers. The film has been in development since 1992, changing writers and directors until producer Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers collaborated to begin production on Speed Racer as a family film. Actor Emile Hirsch was cast as Speed, the hero of the animated series, and Christina Ricci portrays Speed’s girlfriend, Trixie. Speed Racer was shot between June and November 2007 in Potsdam and Berlin, Germany at an estimated budget of $100,000,000.[2] Speed Racer premiered on May 3, 2008 as the closing film at the Tribeca Film Festival,[3] and was released on May 9, 2008.
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $20,510,200 in 3,606 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking second at the box office between Iron Man (in its second weekend) and What Happens in Vegas…. In its second weekend, the film grossed $7.6 million and ranked #4 at the box office. It may take another beating regarding anticipation for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull .[59] The results were well below studio expectations, given that production costs of Speed Racer are estimated to be well over $100 million USD.[60]. Despite the low box office numbers, Warner Brothers remains optimistic about sales of associated products ranging from toys to tennis shoes. “We’re still going to do very well with Speed Racer,” says Brad Globe, president of Warner Brothers Consumer Products, acknowledging “a giant movie would have made it all a lot bigger.”
Some Expectations, Opinions or ‘Buzz’ I’ve Heard about the Event/Item to be Reviewed Include:
I heard that it was WAY too bright. The last race was unintelligible because of the flashing lights. I also heard that there were too many effects that would have pleased children.
Five Things People Who Will Read My Article Will Want to Know about this Event/Item Include:
Was it good?
Should I see it?
Was it too childish?
What was it about?
Was it like the original? (which SUCKED)
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