Rally Road Racers

Little know outside South East Asia – it is pointed out here that they’re not as charismatic as giant pandas – slow lorises are a unique group of mammals whose several species all face the threat of extinction. This is partly because they are traded as exotic pets, despite being very hard to care for outside their natural environment, and also because they are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. Designed to appeal to the Chinese market, Ross Venokur’s fast paced kids’ animation might just help to change perceptions, with a slow loris hero who will charm everybody who sees it.

It’s a curious hybrid of a film, made in the UK, US and UAE, set mostly in China, and framed by race track commentary which is brusquely Australian. Then again, young Zhi (voiced by Jimmy O Yang) is a curious loris. Whilst the others in his village live up to their name, moving around at a glacial pace, he feels the need for speed from an early age, careering down hills on his pushbike, dreaming of becoming a rally racer. His granny (Lisa Lu) disapproves, and her frequent glances at the shrine to his dead mother hint at a possible reason why. She likes to cultivate bonsai trees and practice tai chi, and she urges Zhi to calm down and find his tau. When the family home comes under threat from developers, however, Zhi’s passion for race cars may be the only thing which can save it.

The shady individual behind the proposed development is, as it turns out, none other than Zhi’s longtime idol, English cane toad Archie Vainglorious (John Cleese), who dominates the rally racing scene. The egotism which all that success has bred, however, means that the batrachian bully can’t resist a bet, thinking it laughable that a slow loris could defeat him in the biggest event of the year, the Silk Road Rally. What he doesn’t know is that that loris has a secret weapon – the Amazing Gnash (JK Simmons), who, for reasons buried deep in his past, is willing to come out of retirement to equip and train the kid and give him a fighting chance.

Racing themed films often struggle to strike the right balance between character-driven drama and action, but this one handles it very well, with intense emotional scenes balanced by real thrills on the road. Key to the success of the latter is Richard Lewis and Steven Parker’s excellent sound design, which really brings the races to life and cinema viewers will feel the thrum of the engines in their bodies as they watch cartoon cars sprint across the screen. Some of the stunts are a little beyond what would be viable in a live action film (without CGI basically turning it into a cartoon anyway), but the naturally movements of the different vehicles are so well worked out that for most of the running time it remains believable. By the end, when the really outrageous stunts take place, you’ll be sufficiently invested in the characters not to care.

The Silk Road Rally is broken into four stages, which means that even after it starts, we get plenty of time outs for character moments. Vainglorious aside, the racers, a medley of different animals including heavily pregnant male seahorse Pepe and social media influencer ostriches the Bling sisters, are all amicable, pleased to meet a newcomer who might shake things up a bit. Strong bonds form between them as Zhi finds himself engaging in acts of unexpected heroism. There is also a romantic subplot involving blue haired, leather jacketed young female loris Shelby (Chloe Bennet), who effortlessly steals Zhi’s heart, but who has a connection to Vainglorious which might ruin everything.

Venokur makes some odd choices along the way. There’s a sequence based on a-ha’s Take On Me video from 1985 which will make no sense to most young viewers or their parents, though older audience members will be in stitches. The film’s overall quirkiness, however, means that he just about get away with it. Some of the other drivers are seriously underdeveloped, but we get enough shots of them to have a good general sense of who they are, and focusing on just a few pays off, allowing us to spend more time with the hero. He’s an emotionally complex character who comes across as a distinct individual despite having a familiar story arc. Sentiment is kept under tight control, reined in by dry humour, and Zhi’s appeal lies as much in his sulks and his rants as in his sweetness or moments of genius.

All in all, this is a well balanced film which will thrill kids who like fast-paced adventure whilst packing in plenty of entertainment for their adult companions. It’s the best film of its kind for some time, so catch it if you can.