We attended the premiere of Spy Racers for editorial purposes.
On December 26th, the Fast and Furious franchise will explode onto Netflix with the rip-roaring action-adventure series Spy Racers. This new spinoff series is full of characters you’ll instantly invest in, the action that will have you on the edge of your seat and surprises that will have you cheering. Its fast-paced style creates for a binge-able experience that kids and adults alike will enjoy.
The new show follows Tony Toretto, Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) cousin, as he and his friends are recruited by a government agency that leads them on a spy mission to infiltrate an elite racing league serving as a front for a crime organization called SH1FT3R that is bent on world domination. Tony Toretto is just as good as Dom behind the wheel of a car and it’s exhilarating to watch him traverse the obstacle course during his race against Layla who is the Queen of the track who works for SH1FT3R.
Spy Races brings viewers to a group of young kids who also heavily contribute to Tony’s success as a racer and spy. Through his tech genius, we are introduced to the inventive Frostee Benson whose gadgets are some of the most creative ways the kids get around and maneuver the story forward. Echo, a wildly talented artist and Cisco Renaldo, the muscle and the sweetheart of the crew fill out the rest of the youthful team and it’s their heart and desire to help the organization run by Ms. Nowhere that truly drives the show.
The first two episodes play as a full premiere as they connect in a really fun way and have you begging for more. The stakes are high as Tony and the gang infiltrate the racing league and get close to the crime organization SH1FT3R. These interactions are very well done, and you feel for the kids along the way. Their instincts are often their key to get out of sticky situations and it’s this dynamic that makes the show and its characters so endearing. The advanced technology used to animate this show led by Tim Hedrick (DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender) and Bret Haaland (DreamWorks All Hail King Julien) is visually captivating as the cars fly off the screen and they move so flawlessly, you would think that they were straight out of one of the films. The character animation is also something rarely seen in a show like this as they are fully rendered and their eyes are strikingly realistic allowing you to feel a sense of familiarity within the show’s look, while at the same time you’re seeing it for the first time.
The sound design and overall impressiveness of the show don’t stop there, because this show is jam-packed with action set pieces involving large 18-wheeler trucks, helicopters, and both desert and city landscapes. This show aims to explore the world the very popular Fast and Furious films have set up and it delivers full force. The characters appear naturally in the backgrounds presented and the dialogue is so natural you’ll forget these characters are animated at times. The show knows how to have fun with its premise as well. Ms. Nowhere takes her job very seriously but also has a wonderful sense of humor. She plays into this with her monologues and comedic interactions with the kids concerning her bag being taken to advance the kids on their adventure.
Just based on these first two episodes, the show is destined to become a staple on Netflix as well as with fans of the Fast and Furious franchise. The first season is set to drop on Thursday, just in time for one last Christmas unwrapping.
Universal and DreamWorks highly-anticipated series, Fast & Furious: Spy Racers premieres on Netflix December 26.
