Speed Racer on Blu-ray was the ultimate display of color on that format. 4K isn’t quite a drastic, but still, the bold primary colors are distinct from other real-world based movies in 4K, recent and classic.
The Wachowskis actually justified filming on green screen by using it to bend the reality of the film, not just place actors in CGI backgrounds. They used it to change the background without cutting, and mixed up the backgrounds too using some hand-drawn animation as well. They rotated the announcers and pit crews over the race, really capturing the feeling of live-action anime.
And yet the races still had stakes and you could track the maneuvers and heightened menaces. The 4K enhances the disembodied feel of actors in the surreal anime world. Here, it’s intentional, not a failure to meld footage with the backdrop.
As colorful as Speed Racer is, there is some deep shadow in the ominous confrontations and Racer X (Matthew Fox)’s plotting. The hotel room ninja fight occurs in effective darkness. There are some mobile shadows too when they drive through the ice cave, or when Racer X meets Speed (Emile Hirsch) on the track at night.
Some distinct lighting effects stand out too. When Speed and Trixie (Christina Ricci) sit in the car in the rain, the light is unique. The sunrise at the Casa Cristo race is beautiful.
All the racing sounds utilize surround sound with zooms, cars passing left and right, crowd applause, flashbulbs and fireworks. When they drive on the mountains, the ice cracks all around you.
A new interview with the Wachowskis is an emotional look back at 18 years ago, especially remembering their parents. The 2009 extras are still included.