Speed Racer – Go, Speed, Go!

Speed Racer, based on a popular Japanese Manga and cartoon from the 1960s, is a CGI explosion of high speed hijinks.

Directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski, it embodies much of what made the series so beloved. That works to its benefit and detriment. For those unfamiliar with Speed Racer's inspiration, there is a barrier to entry. Essentially, this is an eccentric film based on an eccentric property.

And the sheer amount of colors and whizzing computer effects don't make Speed Racer any easier to digest. It is a live action cartoon, where almost everything thrown at you looks flat. It comes as no surprise then that this failed to recoup its $120 million budget, earning just $93.9 million.

Critics also largely dismissed it. Speed Racer sits at 42% on Rotten Tomatoes with 218 reviews. All that aside, though, this is a movie fans of the property seem to love, and, undeniably, there is a certain charm to the movie.

Now, sit back, put the pedal to the metal with a Busch Light, and watch out for that Chim Chim cake! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Bling Blake, Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are high-stakes rally racing to take down corporate ne'er-do-wells!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Speed has no limits. In the world's fastest race, nothing can slow you down! (00:00)
• Lingering Questions – Is Speed Racer truly a cult classic? (27:15)
• The "Get that Weak Shit Off My Track" Trivia Challenge – Bling Blake challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (50:11)
• Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We kickoff Adventurous Flops with the world's most handsome treasure seeker in Sahara! (1:02:37)

And, as always, hit us up on Threads, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, Amazon Music, and more!