Redline (2009)

Seen: On blu-ray on our big screen/projector set-up.

Don't you love it when the future involves large-scale races replete with wacky gadgets, degenerates, crooked government, and nudity? I know I sure do! The future laid out in Redline is certainly an intriguing one, if completely ludicrous. Hot shot reckless racer JP makes it to the titular big interstellar race, held on a militaristic planet that hasn't consented to be the host. He cozies up to Sonoshee, a cute green-haired lady who is one of the most serious and intimidating drivers there, and together the two attempt to navigate a strange obstacle course against alien competitors (some with inexplicable magic powers) and large-scale weaponry.

This movie is pretty much all spectacle and adrenaline, with very little comprehensible or meaningful plot holding it together, but it's not like the filmmakers are operating under any pretense of depth. They've created a gorgeously animated, pumped-up sci-fi thriller and there's not much else they need! The characters are slick, and the vehicle designs slicker, with plenty of exaggerated personalities and colorful attachments for an engaging race line-up. Sure, there's a pretty silly romantic/secret-past subplot thrown in there, but it's never taken very seriously.

The strengths of Redline lie almost completely in its visuals and fast pacing. The dark shading and bright color schemes, the over-the-top hair styles and imaginative alien creatures, the quick-cut-editing and crazy landscapes: it's all fantastically sweet eye-candy. It's violent but fun, and there's probably political commentary thrown in there somewhere. The script gets pretty cheesy at points, but I'm pretty sure it knows it. Very cool movie all around, though the set-up is a little confusing at times.

4/5

Pair This Movie With: Obviously this would go perfectly with the best futuristic road race movie ever, Death Race 2000. Or if you're interested in lighter, even more colorful fare, I thought the Wachowski brothers' Speed Racer was fun.