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Rated: PG [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins
Theatrical Release: May 9, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $43,740,375
Synopsis: Based on the 1960s Japanese-manga-derived animated TV series of the same name, SPEED RACER follows the adventures of the title character (Emile Hirsch), a young race car driver who sits behind the wheel of the lightning-fast Mach 5 vehicle. Aided by his family, which includes Pops Racer... [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Matthew Fox
And here we have a prime example of why studios should not be funding the creations of The Wachowski Brothers. While visually dazzling, the film's paper thin plot and the cheesiness of its actors are a huge disservice.
The appeal of this frenetically-paced fantasy is probably limited to 10-year-olds, gamers and fanboys.
This is fairly simplistic anti-corporate fare, told in a way that occasionally defies comprehension as well as gravity. Impressionistic is the word.
An overlong and downright boring story, with its plodding family scenes interspersed between the action sequences, makes Speed Racer a bit of a flooded engine.
Resembling little more than a two-hour video game, the high-energy movie is positive enough about the strength of family to forgive the challenges of the format and simply go along for the (very loud and noisy) ride offered by the Wachowski brothers.
At the finish line Speed Racer comes across as an indulgent fantasy project for the Wachowskis.
Given that Speed Racer itself is basically an elaborate commercial, the anti-corporate message inevitably rings hollow.
No doubt the Wachowski brothers were aiming for a surreal atmosphere, and they hit their mark, but it too often felt less an edge-of-your-seat movie experience and more a pretty cool new computer game.
Speed Racer is a masterpiece of its kind, and a definitive benchmark for film not only as a special effects extravaganza but as the moment when the Wachowskis went from wunderkind directors to true auteurs.
"It sure does have some pretty colors. True, the film is a mess and a failure in nearly every other department, but you can't deny that those colors look great."
Creating visual styles that break boundaries is what the Wachowskis do best; Speed Racer is a thrilling triumph of multi-layered visual storytelling, combining CGI with live action & involving mind boggling race sequences using virtual real-life locations
I'm not sure exactly who the audience for this is and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but it's a fun and wild ride that is unlike anything in theaters right now.
It's hard to fill two hours when your best ideas only last a few seconds apiece, and the shortfall of ingenuity causes the worst possible result: boredom.
at once hyper-detailed and abstract, simultaneously drawing you in and pushing you out, with the ultimate effect of wearing you out
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Its eye candy may not satisfy anyone other than the most dedicated of fans. This film could have used a heavy dose of Spielberg pacing and Pixar personality.
A very pretty, colorful roller coaster ride, a wonderful construction of visual imagination.
If a simple egg can be compared to your brain, then an egg watching the Wachowski brothers' flashy Speed Racer is your brain on drugs.
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