Race the Sun

Buy This Item Race the Sun by Sony Pictures  Available from Amazon  $9.98  on 11-29-2008     This movie was "okay" but if I hadn't been from Hawaii, I doubt if it would have held my interest. If you are from Hawaii, don't expect all the characters to be authentic - seems like they had mainland actors trying to act like locals. The acting and the script were sub-par. Fortunately, I watched on TV so I could turn away whenever the racing part was not on. Who wants to watch typical adolescent conversations if they can avoid it? This is one of those stupid PG movies that will not hold an adult's interest but they throw in some bad words and a middle finger so you wouldn't want your kids to watch it. Reader Reviews For curious movie buffs, "Race the Sun" is a blend of "Breaking Away", "Walkabout", and "Summer School"; making it quite unique and considerably better than its rating. It's neither ambitious nor technically brilliant; in fact the cinematography somehow manages to NOT capture the inherent scenic beauty of a series of Hawaiian and Australian locations. But the casting and directing are solid and the story has so much charm that you don't mind it being corny and predictable. Halle Berry and James Belushi play teachers at a Hawaiian technical high school who reluctantly sponsor a team of students building a solar-powered car. "Race the Sun" was inspired by a group of Hawaiian students who actually entered the World Solar Challenge in 1980. The film would have been better if the cartoonish corporate villain had been replaced by some actual scientific explanations and a bit of background on the race itself. Speaking of cartoons, the solar cars look like something out of "Wacky Races" but there is no sign of Penelope Pitstop in this entertaining race. The school is in Hawaii, which makes for some interesting cultural details (as does the race's Austrialian setting), but for viewer identification purposes the settings could be anywhere. Thankfully the film avoids a couple of obvious traps. Berry and Belushi end up liking and respecting each other but there are no obligatory romantic sparks between them. Likewise for Casey Affleck and Elisha Dushku (who plays his step-sister). Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Race the Sun Available from Amazon Price: $9.98 Updated on 11-29-2008.

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