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A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR28010  (2008), PG [Hard 13-PG*] (2hr 03min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1200 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Warner Bros. Pictures, Anarchos Productions, Silver Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures Distribution (US): Warner Brow. Pictures Director(s): Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski Producer(s): Bruce Berman, Grant Hill, Michael Lambert, Roberto Malerba, Henning Molfenter, David Lane Seltzer, Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, Charlie Woebcken Written by: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, Tatsuo Yoshida Cinematography/Camera: David Tattersall Music: Michael Giacchino Film Editing: Roger Barton, Zach Staenberg Casting: Anja Dihrberg, Lora Kennedy, Lucinda Syso Production Design: Owen Paterson Art Direction: Hugh Bateup, Marco Bittner Rosser, Stephan O. Gessler, Sebastian T. Krawinkel, Anja Müller Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6 Speed Racer (PG) is a very good example of how the MPAA rates films by focusing on only the most extreme morally offensive content without one apparent concern for the potential of lesser examples of morally offensive content to be just as morally corruptive. Specifically, a film with many seemingly innocuous examples of morally invasive content can be (and sometimes is) more corruptive than a film of the same length with fewer but more extreme examples of morally invasive content. Consider for example Movie A which presents 100 seemingly innocuous examples of assault on morality/decency each worth only 10 "bads." Now consider same-length Movie B which presents only 10 examples of moral assault but of the extreme nature each worth 100 "bads." Each movie presents 1000 "bads." Thus each of the two above example films has equal potential for morally reshaping the viewer. The image below displays this concept pictorially:  Speed Racer is an example of Movie A which contains the same envelope of ignominy as Movie B but is typically rated less severe. See CAP Rule of 1000 for more information on this technique of loading a film. Constantly day-dreaming about racing cars, young Speed Racer (Nicholas Elia) fidgets and squirms while taking a test at school, biding his time until older brother Rex Racer (Scott Porter) arrives to pick him up in the Mach Five race car built by the Racer family, aka Racer Motors. After Rex picks up Speed, Rex is constantly bombarded with pleas from Speed for Rex to let Speed get his hands on the car. Deceiving their father who has forbid Speed from going to the track without him, Rex takes Speed for a few laps and gives him a few pointers about driving a race car. From that point Speed is hooked. But not long after this, Rex is killed in a race. Speed (now Emile Hirch) still lives with Pops (John Goodman), Mom (Susan Sarandon), young Spritle (Paulie Litt) and older brother Sparky (Kick Gurry). While a young lad, little Trixie (Ariel Winter) befriends Speed as the other kids besmirch the name of Rex as a cheat and coward. The pair become inseparable and as the years go by Trixie (now Christina Ricci) is as much a "member" of the household as any of the Racers. Speed eventually wins a top profile race and people start noticing him. One is business magnate E. P. Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam) who wants Speed to race for him. But Speed is not so sure he wants to race for Royalton Industries. Royalton has no interest in the sport, just the money whether earned legally or not. Speed is in it for the sport. So, even after Royalton spares no expense on wooing and pampering Speed, Speed turns Royalton down and a war begins. Corporate crime, fixing of races and manipulation of family holdings start to crumble the Racer family. From ten years before comes Inspector Detector (Benno Fürmann) but now with Racer X (Matthew Fox) who together represent justice and are trying to shut Royalton down. Through most of the show implications are that Racer X is really Rex. But is he? Racer X appeared just two years after Rex died. If after what we reveal about the content of this film you decide see it, you'll find out whether X is Rex. But pay attention. The plot and story are sometimes complex and sometimes without substance. The story is indeed on occasion fractionated and without connectivity. If you are one of the baby boomer generation you will see a lot of what you left behind: dazzling color splashing in perfect weight of exploding contrast. But note that this PG film contains more than twice the number of uses of foul language than last week's PG-13 Iron Man. But at least no one gets in bed with anyone. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Much of the violence comes in the form of very loud and invasive racing violence. While some might not think of car crashes and drivers intentionally crashing into other cars as violence, they are. The rest of the violence in Speed Racer comes as gunfire to kill repeatedly, beatings, attempted murders, corporate crime and fixing of races through attempts to murder, offer to kill for pay and fighting. Just last night I watched a Star Trek: Voyager(tm) TV episode and in it the story was about the influence of entertainment, that a hologram story the Doctor wrote would give viewers the wrong impression about Starfleet personnel. Little did the writers know that, whether intentional, they corroborated the very thing we fight: that bad behaviors/imagery in and as entertainment influence badly. Someday enough people with enough power will accept that portraying violence to settle conflict or any other negative behavior in and as entertainment will bleed into everyday life. God has been trying to tell us this for a very long time. [1 Cor. 15:33] Now the mental health communities are echoing God whether they know it or not. See Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children Congressional Public Health Summit for more information. [Prov. 16:29] Impudence/Hate (I) - 46 out of 100 Last week's PG-13 film Iron Man presented four uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary. This PG Speed Racer presented nine. [Col. 3:8, Prov. 30:20] A PG presenting more foul language than a PG-13? What is wrong with this picture? And with the adolescent impudence content of Speed Racer it seems the trend is accelerating that child arrogance and rebellion against a parent is becoming more and more present in films for younger and younger audiences. [Mal. 4:1] Two of Pops' sons blare out at him in defiance of his parental authority [Eph. 6:1 - 3, Col. 3:20] as offspring deceit and lies pepper the rebellion arrogance. Sexual Immorality (S) - 59 out of 100 The content found by this investigation area consists largely of a slew of typically dismissed behaviors and images of sexually immoral "tidbits": things such as dressing to maximize skin exposure or human form; innuendo about sexually immoral behaviors; adult in underwear and using women as toys or ornaments. While these "tidbits" are certainly not of the "R" caliber, enough of them are. And, like an immorality narcotic they lead to more by desensitization of the threshold of acceptability. [Eph. 4:19] For so long we have become so drugged by the narcotics of extremes that what once was morally unacceptable has become morally invisible. Now this is reaching deeper into the younger audiences. [Ps. 12:8] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 65 out of 100 The American College of Physicians finds that exposure of youth to drinking in and as entertainment undeniably emboldens the young to abuse alcohol. This PG film presents drinking, booze, smoking and drugging at the rate of 4.9 per hour. Offense to God (O) - 70 out of 100 God's name is used in vain seven times though each use is without the four letter expletive. [Deut. 5:11] That each use is without the four letter expletive does not excuse the sin of abusing His name. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 While there were killings and attempted murders noted, no murders or suicides were noted. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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 Wanton Violence/Crime (W) Impudence/Hate (I) Sexual Immorality (S) Drugs/Alcohol (D) Offense to God (O) Murder/Suicide (M) |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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