Speed Racer (2008) 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review: a stunning remaster of the cult classic

5

A few years after the 2008 theatrical release of Speed Racer, I had an off-chance meeting with Australian film and TV Producer Andrew Mason, a long-time associate of the Wachowskis and producer of The Matrix trilogy. At some point in the discussion, he asked what I thought of Speed Racer, to which I gave some unconvincing support. I remember very clearly that he understood the objection but said that it needed to be viewed in the context of the filmmakers "rebelling against their parents". Whilst that is a throughline in the film's plot, admittedly I'm still not entirely sure what he meant. But he was right about one thing - there's more under the hood of Speed Racer than I initially thought.

In the dazzling, high-octane universe where car racing is ruled by cutthroat corporations, young racing prodigy Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) competes in the Mach 5, a supercharged car designed by his father Pops (John Goodman) after the untimely death of his older brother Rex (Scott Porter). Having turned down a lucrative offer from the powerful and sinister Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam), Speed is soon plunged headlong into a dangerous web of corporate espionage, betrayal, and lethal rivalries, which makes his race in the legendary Grand Prix exponentially more dangerous.

As the directorial follow-up to the Wachowskis' groundbreaking Matrix trilogy, it's fair to say that expectations for the big-budget remake of the 1960's anime series Speed Racer were somewhat high, which made its critical mauling and box office failure ever more pronounced. As often occurs, in the intervening 18 years the film has developed a growing following who've re-evaluated the film as more deeply layered than the showy visuals, manga-infused editing and kid-friendly jokes would have you believe. I am definitely one of these people. Thanks to Warner's spectacular new 4K remaster, I'm quite sure its continued re-appraisal is only set to trend upwards in the years to come.

5

Video

Speed Racer is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 in the Rec. 2020 color space, finished with dynamic Dolby Vision and static HDR-10 high dynamic range formats and encoded with AVC H.265 compression.

Originally lensed on the Sony CineAlta in 1080p and finalized in a 2K Digital Intermediate, you might be somewhat dubious about how much room for improvement this film actually has. Well, we can firmly put those suspicions to bed, since Speed Racer has received a stunning, gorgeous upgrade - made all the more impactful due to the technical inferiority of the original single-layered, overly compressed Blu-ray release.

This is a bright and bold presentation that maximizes the film's qualities for contemporary displays and improves the presentation by every measurable possible. The tasteful application of upscaling tech successfully draws out newly visible texture in the mids, revealing a surprisingly impressive 4K bite which fans of the format have come to expect. Of course, the real star here is the format's Wide Color Gamut and HDR tech, which take this film's hyperkinetic visuals to a whole new level. If there's ever been a film that's tailor-made for the format, this is it. Thankfully, Warner has recognized this and has put the effort in to make it shine anew in this incredibly impressive effort.

Audio

Speed Racer is presented in a new Dolby Atmos mix, alongside the original 5.1 home video mix presented for the first time in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio.

Both tracks presented are a huge upgrade over the lossy Dolby Digital track provided on the Blu-ray release. While Warner should be congratulated for including the original theatrical 5.1 mix for posterity, the Atmos track has a clear edge for those with 7.1 or higher audio systems. If you're lucky enough to have a full Atmos capability, then you're in for a real treat which truly elevates the experience.

The film's cartoonish nature and hot-blooded subject matter begs for a larger-than-life experience, with the sound designers and remixers turning it up to 11 in this extremely impressive mix. Right from the get-go, Michael Giacchino's soundtrack grabs attention as we lead into the film's opening race, which ripples with split surround activity and lashings of bass, carefully balanced to not drown out the heavy exposition.

Overall, the new mix is a rollicking accompaniment to the visuals and receives as much attention as the new video transfer.

5

Extras

Unlike boutique labels like Arrow and Shout, the major studios have significantly reduced production of new material for physical media titles, so it's almost a surprise to receive one new bonus, in addition to preserving legacy features compiled for the 2008 release (including a few that were created that didn't make the cut!). The bonus features can be easily divided into two camps - real world 'making of' and the movie world. Let's look at the former initially.

First up is the sole new feature, the 13 minute Fast/ Future/ Family: Speed Racer Revisited, which serves as an all-too-brief retrospective, including contemporary snippets from the Wachowskis, who reveal how much the project continues to mean to them. Next is Spritle in the Big Leagues!, which takes a behind-the-scenes look at life on the set, hosted by child star Paulie Litt. Speed Racer: Ramping Up! is the obligatory promotional piece that intercuts making-of footage with talking head interviews and scenes from the trailer. However, the highlight of the package is the 20-minute Car Fu Cinema, which looks at some of the technical innovations that the project spearheaded.

5

Lastly, we have the in-universe stuff, which may have more limited appeal - first up is the 15-minute Supercharged!, which looks at the racing league, while Wonderful World of Racing - The Amazing Racer Family is a mock interview with the Racer family.