Speed Racer (TV Series) Race for Revenge: Part 1 (1967) User Reviews

Here Comes The Melange-Look Out Speed!

[thevinylking · 1 July 2012]

The premise of Race For Revenge is a good one, Flash Marker Jr, getting back at the men that killed his father in a race, but the episode is done in by bad visual effects and dialog, which seems to be a trademark of many Speed Racer episodes. The shows starts out with a mysterious racer (later revealed to be a robot) threatening Speed at the racetrack and attacking 2 racing officials and announcing "Melange still races" before smashing their cars. (The racing officials are curiously named Black and Green, with a third official named Red Herring-a nice touch)Anyway, Speed chases down the mysterious car and finds the robot driver whose last words are a slowed down "Melange still races" Back at police headquarters with the robot, Speed mentions that he heard the robot say something, but couldn't make it out due to the train passing by which made so much noise. Then Spritle, who was hiding in the Mach 5 with a tape recorder, announces he's made a tape of the robot talking, and when we hear it, it's crystal clear! How could Speed have not heard that? Maybe he needs a hearing aid! Then , Pops comes in and explains the story of Melange and Flash Marker Sr, who was knocked out of a race by the Three Roses Club, the same club that was coached by the attacked racing officials. So, Speed and Inspector Detectore put 2 and 2 together and pay a visit to Flash Jr, who denies knowledge of the plot but is actually behind it and forces his sister to race in the upcoming Danger Pass Race in his place-the same race where his father got killed years before, in the rebuilt Melange. Come the day of the race we see the Three Rose Club members in cars 7, 8 and 9. The problem is that there are 2 other cars in the race marked "7" with one of them a backwards "7". Then, when the race starts, one of the Three Rose Club cars is now "6". We also get treated to a nice attack sequence between the remote controlled Melange going after Speed. All in all, not a bad episode with a nice cliffhanger, just a bit sloppy. My favorite Speed Racer episode as a kid that even today I still enjoy watching!