Speed Racer - Episodes 1-11
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Movie Reviews of Speed Racer - Episodes 1-11
Movie Review: Go Speed Go!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I stumbled upon this DVD in the Amazon Gold Box promotions... I was instantly hooked to buy! I remembered watching Speed Racer in the 70's as a kid and loving every minut, but dreading the cliff hanger endings because you couldn't always be sure to see the second part (without VCR's to record a week in advance we missed a lot!) Now, not only could I watch the first 11 episodes at once if I chose, but I could share Speed Racer with my kids (aged 7 and 4). I had a hunch they would be hooked... and you know, I was right! Speed Racer is like the precursor to Pokemon... without the monsters. In fact a lot of the poses Speed makes are like Ash Ketchum... The action... quick and cut away is similar at times. But that is beside the point, my kids were mesmerized by the story lines and the cliffhangers (perhaps it was cruel, but I forced them to watch only one episode a day...not the whole DVD as they would have gladly done... afterall, that is actually part of the experience.. that delayed gratification of seeing Speed beat the odds.)If you remember watching Speed Racer as a kid.. don't hesitate to buy this for your own and your kid's enjoyment... Speed Racer is awesome!
Movie Review: This is a great DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
Speed Racer is a Japanese "Manga" that was created in 1966. In 1967, the 52 episodes of the show were dubbed into English, and syndicated across the U.S., where they were watched by millions of young people who carried the cartoon in their hearts all the way to today! Speed Racer is the story of a young racecar driver who experiences excitement and danger around the world, both on the racecourse and off. Even though the show is now some 38 years old, the cars are still fantastic to look at and the story has lost none of its fascination!Recently, the first eleven episodes of the show have been released in this DVD. The eleven episodes cover five stories: The Great Plan, Challenge of the Masked Racer, The Secret Engine, The Race Against the Mammoth Car, and The Most Dangerous Race. Not only that, this DVD is crammed with extras, the best of which are and interactive look at the Mach 5 (Speed's car) and a gallery of villains - each with a clip showing the villain in action!
This is a great DVD! My ten-year-old son has been a fan of Speed Racer since he was quite young (a chip off the old block!), and he is very glad to have some of the episodes on DVD. So, now he and I can sit and watch this great cartoon together. If you know a young boy who likes racecars, then get him this DVD, and he will love you for it!
One extra thing: the limited-edition "rubber tire" packaging is a nice touch. It is so well done that it is really a work of art. Get this DVD!
Movie Review: OK; Should be Better
Summary: 2 Stars
The quality of the video and audio is great -- much better than I've seen on video tapes (most of which were recorded at EP speed). But it's pretty [bad] that they changed the graphics for the opening, and even [worse]that some of the episodes are recorded at the wrong speed -- they play a little fast (you can tell because the voices on those episodes are higher pitched, as is the theme song). That's bad.Also bad is the misspelling of Jack Grimes' name as one of the voices. On the videotapes, it is correctly spelled Grimes; on the DVD it is Crimes. That, along with the fast playback on some of the episodes shows that little care was used in putting this DVD together. Family Home Entertainment should be ashamed. I expect more.
Movie Review: Oh the memories....
Summary: 5 Stars
The DVD I received has the "real rubber tire" and colorful rubber Speed close up portrait on the box. It was a real pleasure to hear the sound of the Mach V engine reving up! Don't expect THX sound quality since the series originated in 1966. The 11 episodes play through one at a time and each plays the intro and exit music themes. Watching Speed Racer after school in the 70's with my sister was one of the few things we could enjoy together. I still have the hots for Trixie!Movie Review: "Here comes Speed Racer
Summary: 4 Stars
Speed Racer is the kind of cartoon that can make a deep and lasting impression. Though it had been nearly thirty years since I had last seen it, the memory of the characters and basic storylines, remained very much intact. Watching these episodes, and hearing the music and sound effects again, the memories quickly came flooding back. And while I didn't remember exactly what each button on Speed's steering wheel did, viewing the cartoon again was still a pleasant trip down memory lane. The action adventure cartoon from Japan, follows the exploits of Speed Racer, an ambitious and sometimes headstrong, 18-year old racecar driver. His automobile, the Mach 5, is equipped with numerous high tech features that enable Speed to deal with a variety of hazardous situations. The concept of a super slick racing car, driven by a squeaky clean hero type is a good one. The Mach Five, is probably the coolest, most famous, animated racecar ever. Though the car itself has great appeal, it is the interaction between Speed, and his family and friends, that holds your interest. Sure, the plots don't always make too much sense, and level of realism isn't very high, but this is after all, only a cartoon.
Though done in a light-hearted manner, like many cartoons of the time, Speed Racer is pretty violent, with lots of action, fights, explosions, gunplay, car chases and fatal crashes. And while it may be tame compared to the animated features currently on TV, this still may not suitable for little children. In one episode (The Secret Engine), though in self-defense, Speed even appears to cause a death in a rockslide.
The credits list only three people as providing the voices, and that seems entirely possible, as listening to the cartoon, similar sounding voices frequently reoccur among the various characters. This tends to make the cartoon a little monotonous aurally. The music however, is quite stimulating, and is used effectively to complement the action, especially in the episodes featuring the Mammoth Car, and The Most Dangerous Race.
Visually, the transfer to DVD is excellent. The images are sharp, and the colors are solid and clear. There is minimal evidence of flaws or deterioration in the images. The DVD, is an excellent value, as it contains the first eleven episodes of the show, and clocks in at around 262 minutes. The "Limited Edition" has a sleeve that slides over the DVD case. The sleeve has glued to it an image of Speed set against the background of a tire tread, made of real rubber. The presentation is not without flaws however. For some unfathomable reason, there are no chapter stops, and without them, jumping around the disc is no easy task. Design of the menu is poor as well. The "extras" on the DVD are not very noteworthy either.
So while the DVD comes up short in the "gravy" department, the "meat" is all there. For fans of Speed and the gang, this disc is definitely a must have, and is available at a very reasonable price. Get your copy today. "Adventure's waiting just ahead."