To paraphrase an old apocryphal Mark Twain quote: If you don’t understand a Lana and Lily Wachowski movie, just wait a while. Their generation-defining Matrix trilogy aside, the Chicago-based sister duo has consistently made films — many of them funded by Matrix money — that seem destined to be misunderstood in their time and recognized for their brilliance later on. And Speed Racer, which is currently speedrunning a redemption arc 18 years after it first bombed at the box office, is the perfect example of this phenomenon.
Based on the 1960s anime and made possible by advancements in ‘00s digital effects, Speed Racer draws from an eclectic mix of influences, reimagining the big-budget blockbuster as a postmodern psychedelic odyssey featuring a chimpanzee named Chim-Chim. It’s a singular work of art, and there hasn’t been anything quite like it before or since. If you need any more justification than that — read on!
