Speed Racer: Can Capitalism Crush Sincerity?

[@mechtech220]

I'm sorry but that scene with the Mach 6 blasting through the Mach 4 is STILL hands down one of the BEST scenes ever committed in the realm of film... INCREDIBLE

[@danielocegueda5513]

Rewatching at 22 and being able to understand the scene, Speed wanting to preserve his brother's record and be able to hold on to another piece of him got me teary eyed

[@mechtech220]

@@danielocegueda5513 EXACTLY!!!! it's a beautiful thing!

[@SirRebrl]

I really like that interpretation, of "It doesn't matter if the world changes for you or not, only whether you let the world change you, or stay true to the meaning you find for yourself. But maybe, if you do stay true, the world can change anyway." That idea that the corrupt systems being less important than personal sincerity doesn't mean they can't be torn down, doesn't mean that the hero has to just hold true in spite of them. It says that maybe the steadfast sincerity of the hero can inspire others to greater change. The combination of those two ideas presents the destruction of corrupt systems as something hopeful, while keeping sincerity itself the essential, intrinsic motivation.

[@TheAdamSplitter]

precisely!

[@TheSleepiestPlurals]

seeing how the wachowskies have been known to write incredibly autobiographical work, one could interpret this as their struggle against Hollywood which somehow, against all odds, won out as their film became one of the most well known and influential movies in the history of cinema

[@813hyro]

“How were you radicalized?” “Have you ever heard of speed racer”

[@rexlumontad5644]

Speed Racer live action movie was such a classic nostalgia and it brings a smile on my face.

[@pathevermore3683]

Unironically one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@dreamlandnightmare]

Ditto.

[@williamherrington4716]

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” The simplicity by which the dragons are defeated is never the point.

[@lmitz]

For a movie made fun of for its insane camera work and visuals it's surprising how many perfect shots this movie has. Including, in my opinion, the best drift shot ever produced (when his car starts up in the gran prix)

[@christopherjr.7872]

Npc

[@nootyt521]

@@christopherjr.7872 are you 12

[@captainprivate3768]

@@christopherjr.7872 The guy had a thought and you answered with something stock that was programmed into you by a dumbass meme culture you consume. If a person can be an NPC...

[@pandagamer-hg5be]

​@@christopherjr.7872says the guy with an username that looks autogenerated

[@grapeshot]

I remember when his movie first came out. And I also remember it not doing so well at the box office.

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

idk, I'm not certain it's mostly live action. I'd call it a peak example of live/CG hybrid. I really love how this film is gaining traction over time. I adore it.

[@KreAtorGames]

Live Action is to determine the difference between animated and something where people are actually filmed. Which this is. Study up.

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

@@KreAtorGames I learned animation from a Pixar artist and another who's worked on everything from Captain America: Civil War to Harry Potter and beyond. You're embarrassing yourself.

[@KreAtorGames]

@@cassiedevereaux-smith3890 it is animation yes, but you’re too dumb to understand that it’s live action. Do your research and stop believing everything from a youtube video is fact, cause it’s not.

[@moodluxx]

I will say this forever & always, until I die & even after I die. Speed Racer will always be criminally over-hated, underrated & ahead of its time. I will always defend this movie no matter what! Great video as well, it's interesting to see such a different side of a 'kids movie'. Very mind opening.

[@leeroyjenkins4456]

Agree this movie has one of the best final acts I've seen in any movie

[@SalutExpla]

I've been loving the recent video essays on Speed Racer that have been recomended to me as of late and you can't go wrong with more!

[@lilithmotherofmonsters6055]

As a kid, I never could understand why adults hated this. And to anyone who wants more content about this movie, i reccomend the episode that the Moviestruck podcast did. It's a father and daughter discussing what they both consider their favourite movie

[@PillarofGarbage]

Interesting! I’ll check it out!

[@lilithmotherofmonsters6055]

@@PillarofGarbage thanks for the heart!

[@PillarofGarbage]

@@lilithmotherofmonsters6055 thanks for the watch + comment!

[@harry664]

Speed racer goes wee and this video goes VROOM, great analysis

[@RangerNationDubs]

I think the point of the end. Is even though everything's against the sincerity of his art. The sincerity does usually win. This is from the perspective of film makers who have been raked over the coles. But still were able to tell there their story and people love it. Star wars,star trek, and many more films had to deal with a lot within the corporate machine. But were still able to pull itself their the mud and the corporate over lords. Even if it made them money, it was the art and feelings it generated that mattered to others. Speed doesn't change racing. A lot me then royalton are still out there and doing well. They just threw him under the bus and made more money. But speed pulled through and showed that sincerity and passion will still pull through the grime. The feelings generated are real whether racing is or not.

[@stetsoncrobison]

Yoooooooo. I just found your channel through your destruction of Critical Drinker and Glass Onion. And I'm so glad I did! Speed Racer is straight up one of my top 5 movies of all time! Absolutely love it, used to watch the 60s reruns when I was a kid!

[@alexandrefrauches132]

Good to see this film getting more attention. While not masterpice "avengers" level still enjoyable. The visuals may look weird but they actually reflect the character perspective, his obsession with cars and racing. Also like how the movie explore theme about idealism vs corporate hegemony, specially in kids movie. In fact, this sub plot of corporation manipulating people through their idealism was the inspiration for story I'm writting: This story is about kid who gains cosmic powers and becomes a super hero (think of as it mix of Bendis Ultimate Spider Man and Green Lantern) and most of his first stories are about him trying to uncover mystery about the origins of his villains, discovering they are all being created by a corrupt CEO (basically his Lex Luthor/Tombstone). In true super hero fashion, eventually the hero and villan meet up in the villain officer where he throw the big bomb: the villain doesn't care if the hero wins or lose his battle with the super villains. In reality, it's even better for him if the hero keeps winning. Why? Because the corrupt one reveals he is the owner of companies who owns the rights to the hero likeness. He is not mustache villain who wants the hero dead to take over Earth. He is just a business man who takes advantage of heroes existence to make money of their image, creating super villains to keep them in action. No matter what hero does, every single heroic deed will just increase the villain bank account. Much like Speed in the film, the hero's arc would also involve him having to deal with this revelation and deciding in the end to not give up on his ideals, recognizing that his actions may have benefit the villain, but he also did good for innocents he saved and inspired.

[@matthias9093]

This has been one of favorite movies since I was a kid and it's great to see someone talking about it. Now that you're getting popular cause of the Glass Onion stuff I hope this video gets a lot more views.

[@aliminator1310]

These video concepts are becoming EXTREMELY creative!

[@dibsdibs3495]

Fr. Can’t wait for the video on how Snapple is the perfect example of Nihilism.

[@NickFajardo]

Speaking of Capitalism, it's a near-crime that they don't want to take money for a 4k/HDR version of this film. Faces would melt off, esp with that finish

[@liamfitzgerald1400]

I recently watched this flick again on an airplane recently and I loved it. Fantastic in such a unique way, thanks for talking about it

[@Dyvon.dynamo]

In the failure chapter, I argue the fever dream portion of this is what makes this feel like propaganda. Like take the NBA: it was once the ABA and NBA, where NBA had rules and regulations keeping black athletes out of the game with no 3 point line, no dribbling and movement outside of passes, and weird rules that made the game stiff. This feels like a movie they show staff to show why the NBA's version of shameless corporatism is better and acting as an exclamation of , "It could always be worst, jaded and cynical." This feels like some corporate video for why Speed starts his own racing league 30 years later.

[@813hyro]

Could make the same argument for FIFA currently

[@VooshSpokesman]

Love from a Vaush and Shark3ozero Fan!

[@mariannedarrow7227]

This video is a masterpiece!

[@kevinalford]

The anime and manga series is called "Maha GOGOGO" but it's not especially remembered in Japan at this point. I will say the American film is by far the best thing that's ever been done with the property, though.

[@vanderan]

Ironically this sincere movie bombed at the box office.

[@ArcadeJackson-us7mq]

I was straight to the comment section when I thought you were upset with the ending. Lol 😂 Couldn’t have said it better myself! Great video as always!❤❤❤

[@werewolffstudios]

Watched this masterpiece last night. Such a good time!

[@jasoncox4338]

The whole movie is a glorious fever dream, not just act III. I think framing it as the ultimate triumph of meaning over Capitalism is a mistake. For one thing, it is Capitalism that punishes Royalton for letting people see the game was rigged. For another, the fight is not over and the Herculean fight for meaning has to be won over and over again, just like in the original show.

[@PillarofGarbage]

I'm curious as to what you mean re: Royalton's downfall - how is it capitalism that punishes him?

[@jasoncox4338]

@@PillarofGarbage at the end of the film he is in a room full of fellow captains of industry when he throws his tantrum. They visibly withdraw from him, Mr. Musha shaking his head in a silent rebuke. The subtext to me of them no longer doing business with him and withdrawing any cover for his activities is pretty clear to me. It reminds me of Pratchett, "Those who guard the rainbow don't like those who get in the way of the sun." But thats the thing about Capitalism. It will never love its adherents back, and will always consume them to perpetuate itself. Royalton goes down, but has racing changed? If so, why do we still need Racer X? Because there is always another Royalton. One of them just bought Twitter.

[@suicidalloafofbread2009]

Speed Racer is easily the best film the Wachowskis have ever made. It's not super artsy or anything, but it's so earnest and genuine that you just can't help but love it.

[@rng8119]

1. Speed was able to compete in the final grand prix because he won the rally for Togokan, the invitation was for Togokan but they decided to give the spot to Speed instead 2.Royalton and all the other company owners could have bended the rules to take him out before the race started but they were so confident about their match fixing they let him compete expecting the same thing that happened to Speed in the past to happen again 4.Speed wins because he is a prodigy, because the money can't buy class, because the rich elites lived in such a comfortable bubble when they faced a true prodigy who didn't bend the knee for them they didn't have the talent to stop him 5.Speed's father invented a motor so good Royalton wanted to buy the ownership of the patents and his family's self owned company as well, that's the whole conflict of the movie, rich elites trying to buy the patents of something that endangers their business, like an oil sheik trying to stop someone inventing and engine that doesn't work with oil by buying his patents

[@moviesaredope]

Well hello there. This is a nice surprise

[@Uraniumsuite]

Sourced this video for my English final presentation, incredible analysis of this incredible movie.

[@CaptPeon]

My favorite line from the original cartoon is when the narrator (in its classic style of rapid exposition), "But what Speed Racer doesn't know is that Racer X is his long lost brother, who ran away from home when he was a young child!"

[@SourRobo8364]

Disney just announced how disappointed they are with MCU Phase 4. Stop gaslighting PoG.

[@Seek1878]

This was a fun movie, as someone who watched the Speed Racer anime as a kid I really enjoyed it!

[@diegodreossi1458]

I watch this in my birthday, it was a amazing time.

[@rocketpunchgo1]

I've been saying it for over a decade now... this movie is just as much about capitalism and industrial espionage as it is about crazy cars and crazier action.

[@mayday2237]

I really wanna see that second video essay

[@ellisongreene3259]

Speed racer is not a kids movie its a movie for adults made to be enjoyable by kids

[@neoluna1172]

the message I got from this movie is that the world is both horrible and wonderful, and yeah it's shown in a very fantastical way, but we can and often will win with time, as long as we dont give up. Idealism and hope dont win by themselves, but you cant win without them, and thats the message I take from this movie.

[@lmitz]

I think the ending is definitely meant to be idealized, wishful thinking. He turns the tide to win the gran prix by just basically driving twice as fast as all the other racers through the sheer power of family and sincerity or something. And even right at the end he passes the last two drivers by using a trick he had imagined as a child, one we see him draw when he is the youngest he is in the film. Idealism. It is not a commentary on how the world is but rather what it is missing, and the idea that it should be. Of course you can't defeat a capitalist system by just playing by the rules and following your passion, but what if you could? What if you really could drive a car and change the world?

[@kharyrobertson3579]

Alright, I am going to watch this movie now. After this video I feel like I have done myself a disservice writing off this movie.

[@TheAdamSplitter]

I think the ending is probably intentional I think ultimately, this is a film about the rebellious power of sincerity in the face of corruption and cynicism, and that final race is about depicting that power What else would you call a final act where a former ally to the adversaries defects in a genuine offer to help those who are sincere prevail over the corrupt? This film would never end on a bittersweet note, because that would be undermining its own idealism And Speed’s entire arc is about holding onto that idealism, and the power it gives him Maybe the end is a little too clean Maybe it’s too much for one race to seemingly topple decades of corruption But as a whole I believe in that message

[@pendremacherald6758]

I don’t think its entirely anti-capitalist. In fact, I think its pro-capitalist anti-corporatist. This is the realm where the family business can be successful in its little niche, and that’s something beautiful. Why? Because its what they love doing. It captures the spirit of good faith entrepreneurship while showing how absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[@Thermoesq01]

He's not equipped with economic knowledge to understand what capitalism is beyond the breadtuber definition which is basically mental gymnastics they made up to cope with the fact that economic freedom helped people improve their lives while supporting the economic system that was completely compromised and lost the argument before he was even born.

[@Jcewazhere]

Having just watched Nope that chimp hits a little different >.> Good video,

[@11mexico]

Movies definitely don't happen in a vacuum. I remember this year of movies were being manipulated by corporate treasures. A lot of movies in this year felt fake af

[@dry_cereal_4283]

2nd best movie ever made, only second to Kung Fury

[@BlueBeetle1939]

I am truly fine with the movie about a kid named SPEED RACER not having a gritty realistic ending

[@PillarofGarbage]

entirely fair enough hahaha

[@Starwarsdude8221991]

I remember watching this movie, and being amazed that everyone around me seemed un 3:24 impressed I then watched other movies that I liked that others seemed meh about and I was like Um do I have bad taste? Still wonder that but it is nice I wasn’t wrong here.

[@rosallora]

I love speed racer so much. It's just. Wow. I know racer x being his brother is part of the original but I wanted him to just be a stranger so badly. Someone else ken and kin through this passion. A secret family member. The racing ghosts scene always makes me tear up.

[@HS-mn6jc]

Every time I get a new Speed Racer film essay in my feed it puts the biggest smile on my face. This was the first movie I saw as a kid in theaters that I can still vividly remember the experience of seeing. Obviously growing older I realized how absolutely hated this movie was and its box office bomb (altho honestly being pitted against Iron Man and The Dark Knight for action movies was basically a death sentence), but I’ve never cared. I’ve loved this movie from the day I saw it in theaters and I will love it until the day I die. It instilled in me my anti-capitalist principals (as discussed here) and my deep appreciation for art and “doing things just because you love to do them”, and that “perhaps you can change the world by doing these things you love as well.” One criticism I’ll give it is that Speed Racer was originally an anime and that, realistically, Speed, Trixie, the Racer family, and Sparky *should* be Japanese, not white. The whitewashing of Speed Racer is really tragic and I do think the final movie would have been better had it been more authentic to the original anime in terms of the characters and its historical context, but there’s nothing you can change about that now. It’s also not necessarily my place to voice those criticisms as a white guy myself, but it’s something I’ll always be aware of and cautious about. Edit: would be very interested in seeing that video on Taejo, he’s a very unique character in this movie with motivations that are surprisingly complex! (Also, I’d love to see that Jessica Jones video idea that this video beat in the vote! JJ is one of my favorite shows in terms of the messages and themes it tackles 👀)

[@certs743]

I have a bit of a different take on the ending. To me it reads like how after the crash of 2008 it generated alot of leftists but it also created a bizarre idea within American "Libertarian" circles that capitalism is not the problem it is "cronyism" and monopoly as if those are corruptions that exist outside of capitalism and are a bug not a feature. The reason I get that vibe is because like with the Libertarian crowd they seem to think if you just hit the rewind button to before the monopoly that by some magic the system that created the monopoly in the first place will not reproduce exactly the same result based on basically nothing but belief. And The ending feels alot like "if we just get rid of the robber barons capitalism will be fixed and good again."

[@Blingdung]

This movie is fucking awesome

[@maarekstele2998]

Bit off topic but to this day i remember the part of the movie where two lady drivers get stuck standing on end in the sand idk why it was so disturbing to me

[@2rustysporks]

I'd watch another speed racer video for sure.

[@donsanchodelapanza]

Andrewism put it very succinctly: "if there is a market for anti-capitalism, capitalists will sell it to you". Anti-capitalist media is great, but people who enjoy those themes and messages, feeling that little bit of 'performative revolution' once the fictional system is torn down or overcome, often don't apply that critical radical thinking to their own real lives. Some accept that the system is fucked, but believe it to be insurmountable and so go on having changed little about themselves. Others take that a step further and go the doomerist route (which I've been digging myself out of). Yet others believe that humans are simply "naturally" hierarchical and motivated by greed, and capitalism's just how things have to be. Humans are so complex that it's silly to draw a general conclusion about "the human condition". I've chosen to believe that humans are capable of living equally and cooperatively, without being motivated by profit, and I do hope for a future where that might be the case. It would require radical systemic and cultural change, sure, but that could happen gradually (hoping climate collapse isn't gonna finish us off) via pushes for self-sustainability, copyleft, and other directly anti-capitalist movements that attack the heart of the corporate profit machine. No single 'hero' is gonna overcome the odds and break the system.

[@lehah4333]

Disagree on your reading for the finale. While it taps into the same message (and uses the same visual methodology) of the original Star Wars’ ending, it also makes a post-modern point by recontextualizing significant earlier moments in the film and forcing an end by sheer force of Will. Where The Matrix is about humanity’s defiance of The Machne, Speed Racer is about the Machine as the tangible embodiment of family/self defeating avatars of capitalism and corruption.

[@malaizze]

What a hero, I can’t believe this man killed the president of a small country

[@YouilAushana]

At, 1:21:00 you literately say, "Capitalism will rape Mario Kart" and then said, "Nintendo please send me a switch". I hope you can see the issue with your logic and understanding of economics and politics.

[@soccerandtrack10]

I definitely saw the anime 1st. It's really old for when I saw it like the weird real life looking batman show=I didn't know about actors names/adam west.both are old.

[@EmmettFlo7]

I should hate this movie but I 100% love it.

[@dominicfuentes4070]

Capitalism can be used for good and bad, however, we got to have some capitalism just a little bit.

[@zacheryeckard3051]

Markets are not capitalism. Markets can do good. Capitalism is inherently exploitative.

[@SourRobo8364]

Capitalism is my president.

[@AngryAnimeFan2]

its a bit to colorful for me, and I am not so certain teh actors themselves feel about it. But speed racer is a media that deserve at least a cartoon or anime reboot, more serious, more action yet still holding corruption vs idelogy and the characters being somewhat fateful to each other. Some racing series are trying but are suffering from something Rimba Racer for example. For me it looked like a good new racer show, then Covid happened and the rest is an unconclusion. So the cynical me thinks we wont get another speed racer media given all teh different rights, but at least one day a remake show, not a movie now as for teh theme though, I am cynic but we live in a cynical world. Should soem stuff of reality be all? maybe. Should we not belive in a fantasy sincerty? of course should belive in it. Because hope needs to be there even if its not real. And I dont mean that in given false hope. I mean symbolic hope that will show tht even when the world laughs as such sincerity, it shows that some have pure hearts

[@mrakimov3458]

By the way, did you know this movie is based on Japanese manga and anime of the same name?

[@PillarofGarbage]

I did! Haven’t seen any of it yet, though.

[@mrakimov3458]

@@PillarofGarbage I wonder if they also handle the subject of capitalism, and if they do, how well do they do that in comparison to the movie.

[@SpeedRacer_IRL]

More anti-corporation. They still make money from their independent business.

[@cdubsb3831]

Obviously you missed the part where Sparky calls the Racer family a bunch of bourgeois pigs and strikes for fairer pay.

[@doggoplex3462]

Capitalism crushes anything fun.

[@twoomad]

is capitalism really that bad because from what I've read on Marxism only sounds good on paper but all of the countries that have tried to implement it have all eventually turned to fascism.

[@SourRobo8364]

People confuse capitalism with greed.

[@twoomad]

@@SourRobo8364 I'm gonna be honest most people who are anti capitalism are the ones who reap the benefits of capatalism. For example I watched a TikTok the other day of a woman saying fuck capatalism while drinking her $12 coffee from Starbucks and recording on her new iphone 14 pro max

[@SourRobo8364]

@@twoomad Ain't that the truth. Then there's people who are environmentalist but are the ones benefiting from the use of harmful resources. Meghan Markle flying across the world in her own private jet. And still whines about society.

[@twoomad]

@@SourRobo8364 true tbh Marxism sounds pretty good on paper but I know I wouldn't be able to live like that

[@sebastienholmes548]

@@SourRobo8364 THANK YOU!!!

[@Blingdung]

This movie is fucking awesome