Speed Racer

 

 

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"Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer
He's a demon on wheels
He's a demon and he's gonna be chasing after someone
He's gaining on you, so you better look alive
He's busy revving up his powerful Mach 5"

(From theme song: US Version, by Peter Fernandez)

Since I'd never heard of Speed Racer before seeing the preview for the movie, and because my child is an avid race car fan, I thought it best to do some homework so that I could at least hold my own during son/mother interrogation sessions.

The questions begin simply enough.

"Which character are you from Speed Racer?"

But then it develops into the type of car, how fast it goes, who are the bad guys, and then he gets to the really hard stuff. It's fortunate therefore that this DVD exists, as we were able to watch it together many times (him)/ad nauseam (me), and I managed to survive the grilling, at least until we go see the movie.

Originally from the Japanese anime Mach GoGoGo, the series was "Americanized" and aired in the USA from 1967. It features the young racing car driver of the title, plus assorted family members, female romantic love interest, the mysterious Racer X, and tons of villains. The star however, is the Mach 5 itself - a secret agent car if there ever was one, complete with gadgets which are activated by pressing the seven buttons on the steering wheel and another on the console.

This DVD has the first eleven episodes of the 1967 television cartoon, plus production notes; words and music of the theme song; a brief glimpse of the Mach 5; a Villain's Gallery of eight featured bad guys (complete with clips), a preview of the sequels and spinoff commercial, and a list of available merchandise.

The episodes are:
1. The Great Plan (Part 1)
2. The Great Plan (Part 2)
3. Challenge of the Masked Racer (Part 1)
4. Challenge of the Masked Racer (Part 2)
5. The Secret Engine (Part 1)
6. The Secret Engine (Part 2)
7. The Race Against the Mammoth Car (Part 1)
8. The Race Against the Mammoth Car (Part 2)
9. The Most Dangerous Race (Part 1)
10. The Most Dangerous Race (Part 2)
11. The Most Dangerous Race (Part 3)

Recommended for those who need to brush up their Speed Racer knowledge prior to watching the movie, people who remember watching the series in the sixties, and people who are too young to have heard about it before now.

Amanda Richards

The eleven episodes of Speed Racer on this DVD are a surefire way to bring nostalgic parents and their wide-eyed children closer together. I just got this and my four-year-old has barely watched anything else since it went in the DVD player. I'm not the world's biggest Chim-Chim and Spritle fan, but my son can't get enough.

All I remember of the show from my childhood is the catchy refrain in the theme song and that I loved watching it. Personally, the problems people have had with the opening and closing titles being different aren't a big issue for me. And I'm not watching with a stopwatch, so time compression isn't a big deal either. The shows themselves are what I got the DVD for and as far as I'm concerned, they're great.

That's not to say the DVD is perfect. I've noticed an occasional audio "chirping" glitch here and there, but not enough to be a problem. My biggest problem is that your viewing choices are limited to "play all" or each episode individually, and that you can't chapter advance while "playing all." So if I want to watch the three-part "The Most Dangerous Race" I can sit through the first 8 episodes or after watching episode 9, I have to push "play" again for ep. 10 and then again for #11. Not the biggest of deals, but along with the fact that the episodes aren't broken into chapters, either (if you stop watching 2/3rds of the way through, be sure to set a bookmark, or be ready to fast-forward forever), it makes it difficult to watch the DVD the way you want to watch it.

The extras are nice, but nothing incredible (although the footage of the mid-90s remake makes you appreciate the original even more). A trivia section, explaining things like why Speed has a "G" on his shirt, or why cars change colors halfway through the big turn in the opening sequence, would have been nice. Granted, most of that is available on the Internet, but having it on the disk would have been better than pictures of a few items of Speed memorabilia with no context attached to them.

I know this review has been mostly drawing attention to the DVD's flaws, but I still stand by my 5-star rating. The individual episodes are wonderful. The stories, while occasionally hokey, are engaging and fun. The artwork and sound are great. And then there's that theme song ... whoa Nellie! Minor gripes aside, this is a great DVD for young and old. Don't miss it.

Speed Racer is 60's futurism at its best, and is as cool 'now' as it was back 'then'! These episodes offer a combination of fast, manic, campy, and 'cute' (hey, Spritle and Chim-chim pulled their own weight; even Sparky added character) - but most of all, they just burn "coolness" on all cylinders. I shouldn't fail to mention that the dubbing crew for this series was top notch (a few of their members also worked on Marine Boy - wish we could see THOSE remastered) and added to the shows appeal, along with excellent music. These episodes are imminently watchable and enjoyable - no matter what one's age. I've enjoyed delving into all manner of nostalgic re-releses over the years, but Speed Racer has been the best and most surprising by far! I can't wait for the next set to be released. Highly Recommended!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Have a 4 and 6 year old at home?????
I remember watching Speed Racer when it first came out. I was 4 years old. My two boys are now Speed Racer junkies. They have worn out this DVD. Read more

Published on Jan 27 2004 by William P. Ashton

5.0 out of 5 stars Speed kills.....
I am so pleased to have Speed Racer back in my life, and especially in the life of my 3 year old son. I don't imagine there are many really young Speed fans anymore. Read more

Published on Dec 31 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars So good to have Speed back !!!!!!!!!
I'm proud to say that I'm one of Speed Racer's FIRST generation American viewers. I distinctly remember seeing this fantastic series for the first time in late '67--when I was a... Read more

Published on Dec 16 2003 by Kevin James McGauley

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!
I've loved Speed Racer since I was a little kid. When Ted Turner's first television station, WTBS, Channel 13, started up in Georgia in the mid-70s, he had all the great old... Read more

Published on Oct 30 2003 by Duane Thomas

4.0 out of 5 stars Blast from the past
OK, so the animation isn't exactly stellar and the plots are kind of silly. But I remember watching these things as a kid and they really bring back the happy memories! Read more

Published on July 28 2003 by E. Sheffield Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars Speed Racer - Episodes 1-11
Wow! amazing, I remembered watching Speed Racer in the mid 60's as a kid and I loved every minute. I's about time, Episodes 1-11 and I can't wait till they come out with the rest... Read more

Published on July 22 2003 by M. Melendez

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Speed Go!
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,... Read more

Published on July 9 2003 by M. A. Casey

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great DVD!
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. Read more

Published on Jun 19 2003 by Kurt A. Johnson

2.0 out of 5 stars OK; Should be Better
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). Read more

Published on Jun 17 2003 by Richard Wagoner

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh the memories....
The DVD I received has the "real rubber tire" and colorful rubber Speed close up portrait on the box. Read more

Published on May 27 2003 by daddydaddy

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