Kids should gogogo to 'Speed Racer'

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Did you go, Speed Racer, gogogo?If that sounds like bad grammar and not a pun, then you probably don't know enough about "Speed Racer" to have burned rubber to the big-budget Wachowski brothers movie that debuted May 9. But fear not, dear reader, all will be explained."Speed Racer" is yet another big-budget movie based on a comic book, albeit a Japanese one (called manga). It began in the 1960s as "Mach GoGoGo," by Tatsuo Yoshida, and the name isn't quite the singsong nonsense it appears to be. The hero was named Go Mifune (the last name a tribute to Toshiro Mifune of "Seven Samurai"), who drove a car called the Mach 5 (the word "go" is a homophone for "five" in Japanese). So a generous translation -- if that's what you call something that's half English to start with -- might be "Go fast, Mr. Mifune, in your Mach 5.""Mach GoGoGo" was enormously popular in Japan, spinning off into a 52-episode cartoon for the 1967-68 television season. It also aired simultaneously in the United States, with the cartoon and characters renamed -- the obvious example being that of Go Mifune (and the show) being renamed "Speed Racer."It didn't score a win with the critics, at least in retrospect. The Chicago Tribune declared it "superviolent (and) antieducational" in 1974. A 2005 "Comics Buyer's Guide" price guide described it as "beloved as kitchy fun by some and loathed as irritating dreck by others."But it was a hit with kids, with the show racing endlessly in syndication. Cars exploded into fireballs a lot, which probably explains the attraction. And it was pretty familiar territory; "Mach GoGoGo" had been based on two 1964 American movies. The premise and lead character were an homage to Elvis in "Viva Las Vegas," and the various gimmicks built into the Mach 5 were inspired by James Bond's Aston Martin in "Goldfinger."The fast-paced show was nominally about car racing, but usually involved supervillainy off the track. It was also about family; Mom Racer, Pops Racer and Speed's brothers, Rex and Spritle, were pivotal to the premise. Also of importance were Speed's girlfriend and aerial spotter, Trixie, and mechanic, Wilson "Sparky" Sparkolomew. Oh, and a chimpanzee named Chim-Chim. (What's a cartoon without a monkey or a dog?)New generations of Racer fans were recruited by reruns on MTV and Cartoon Network in the '90s, but new material hasn't fared as well. "The New Adventures of Speed Racer" was syndicated only briefly in 1993 (with Speed somehow learning time travel) and "Speed Racer X" (reruns of a 1997 series from Japan) lasted just a few episodes on Nickelodeon in 2002. The Internet cartoon "Speed Racer Lives," created to flog a toy line and starring Speed's son, ran only three webisodes before crashing.The Racer family has had more success in comic books. Now Comics published both manga reprints and various new series from 1987-1994 (which is where Speed received the first name "Greg"). DC/Wildstorm followed the same track in the late '90s. Currently, IDW Publishing is reprinting material from both companies in trade paperbacks, and has published a new miniseries called "Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer" (collected in trade in April). "Chronicles" imagines "Speed Racer" as a title instead of a name, lasting for generations."These stories expand the entire Speed Racer legend," said Chris Ryall, IDW publisher and editor in chief. "We look at the Speed Racers of the past -- incarnations throughout history, from the Roman times to the medieval era, and even the swashbuckling high seas."Which promises to be superior to what's on the screen these days.The movie is getting poor reviews. Slate.com reports "nausea and anxiety," and The Wall Street Journal called it "genuinely painful ... and weirdly benumbing."Ditto the new cartoon on Nicktoons. "Speed Racer: The Next Generation" stars Speed Jr. and the Mach 6, which runs without gasoline. It launched May 2 with a 90-minute episode (which was released on DVD on May 6). The San Francisco Chronicle said it looked "rushed and weakly planned." And after watching the lengthy DVD trailer (www.lionsgate.com/speedracer), I find it hard to disagree.But, you know, the grown-ups didn't like the original "Speed Racer," either. And adults still aren't the target demographic. It's the kids who will decide whether the movie and cartoon take a victory lap or flame out.And to them I say "GoGoGo" -- and have fun.(Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics(at)aol.com or visit www.captaincomics.us.)