Cast: Halle Berry, James Belushi, Casey Affleck, Eliza Dushku, J. Moki Cho, Anthony Ruivivar, Adriane
Napualani Uganiza, Nadja Pionilla, Dion Basco, Sara Tanaka, Steve Zahn
Director: Charles T. Kanganis
Producers: Richard Heus and Barry Morrow
Screenplay: Barry Morrow
Cinematography: David Burr
Music: Graeme Revell
U.S. Distributor: TriStar Pictures
With every new, formulaic "triumph of the underdog" movie, it becomes progressively more difficult not to hate the genre. Race the Sun, a Cool Runnings clone with few of the 1993 release's dubious virtues, is yet another to follow the well-trodden path traveled by losers who become winners. The most impressive aspect of this production is the scenery, and that says all that's necessary about the story.
The film opens in Hawaii at Kona Pali High School, where Sandra Beecher (Halle Berry) has arrived in the middle of the year to take over a science class. Although Ms. Beecher is initially despised by her students, she soon wins them over, and, when a group of her rowdiest pupils decides that they want to build a solar powered car and enter a local race, she offers to help. Soon, the eight-person team has constructed a yellow, decidedly-unattractive vehicle that looks more like a cockroach than a car. But it's fast, and, in the upset of the island, it wins the local race. The prize: a sponsored entry into the World Solar Challenge, a 6-day, 2000 mile race held in Australia. So, with Ms. Beecher and another teacher, Frank Machi (Jim Belushi), as chaperones, the team heads down under.
With so many characters, we're choked with minor dramatic subplots. Everyone has to have his or her storyline, but, since each is afforded almost no screen time, it's impossible to care about anyone. This is just too much for a one-hundred minute movie to handle; twice the length wouldn't have been enough. Worse still, nothing here is original. At least we're spared the token relationship between the two adults -- I guess there wasn't enough time.
Casey Affleck plays Daniel Webster, the car's designer. Because he's white, he's regarded as an outsider by many of his native classmates. His stepsister, Cindy (Eliza Dushku, who was Arnold Schwarzenegger's daughter in True Lies), is struggling with poor grades and an affection for alcohol. The local bully, Eduardo (Anthony Ruivivar), is fighting to control his temper and keep the affection of his girlfriend, Luana (Adriane Napualani Uganiza). Gilbert (J. Moki Cho) and Oni (Sara Tanaka) have self-esteem problems -- he's too fat and she's too smart. Also along for the ride are Marco (Dion Basco), a hyperactive driver, and Uni (Nadja Pionilla), a superficial beauty. Then there's the requisite villain, a stuck-up Euro Team driver named Hans (Steve Zahn).
Surprisingly, the most flat performances are turned in by leads Berry and Belushi, both of whom are apparently on hand just to pick up checks. Belle's Beecher is disgustingly perky and Belushi's Machi is boring. None of the younger actors distinguish themselves, but there aren't any embarrassments, either.
In the end, Race the Sun gives us the expected heaping of inspirational speeches and heartwarming moments. All the problems are resolved, the good guys come out on top, the bad guys are given their comeuppance, and everyone flies home to live happily ever after. It's enough to make anyone sick, but that's Hollywood when it comes to this sort of artificial, unimaginative, feel-good story.
© 1996 James Berardinelli