I posted a list of my least favourite films of 2008 back in January. Worst films are easy, they stick with you in a certain way that the decisiveness a list based analysis needs can easily be rustled up. Favourite films change through time however, what really impresses and sticks with you can fade. Films which suffer through time are often slight, the perfectly made but nothing special indie movie you rave about when leaving can suddenly be a pile of nothing in memory. So I decided not to post a list of my favourite films of 2008 until much later in the year. It is much later, so here goes.
But before I briefly mention the film that will possibly turn you off of the list in itself, here’s a few that suffered the six month wait.
Tropic Thunder: More than a belly full of laughs in the cinema, it struck me a few months later as being a little lazy in its use of Jack Black.
Kung-Fu Panda: Easily the best designed non-Pixar animation of the year, it struck me a few months later as being a little lazy in its use of Jack Black.
Man On Wire: Would have had more suspense if it had used Jack Black. Etc Etc…
And so to number ten: SPEED RACER.
Clearly it made this list because it was a flop. Who doesn’t want to be the viewer who sees the overlooked genius in the otherwise gaudy five year old fantasy? Well the genius is impossible to overlook, its there on the screen, it IS the eyeball burning, technicolor spew of a four year old fantasy. For cinema which is constantly derided as being juvenile and pandering to the lowest common denominator here is a film in search of that LCD with a big back of eye crack and being punished for it. Transformers, GI Joe, Batman – all settling for a weird stab at verisimilitude for its outlandish fantasies. Speed Racer is a considerably less outlandish fantasy than giant robot that turn into cars, its just a cartoon where people race loads. To use that as a jumping off point for consistent world building and more than formal effects work is great. To actually make the races involving, and even coherent wis almost unheard of. To make it all such day-glo fun – well it is definitely worth seeing as big and bold as you can. Sure its in the top ten cos lots of people hated it. I always liked it.
John Goodman will be performing in the part of Jack Black for this movie.