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Critics Consensus: The Wachowski Brothers have overloaded Speed Racer with headache-inducing special effects, and neglected to develop a coherent storyline.
Critic Consensus: The Wachowski Brothers have overloaded Speed Racer with headache-inducing special effects, and neglected to develop a coherent storyline.
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All Critics (210) | Top Critics (48) | Fresh (83) | Rotten (127) | DVD (13)
Amid the overly earnest tone, (almost) squeaky-clean humor and familiar messages about teamwork and integrity is the rare film family that's as strong at the start as they are by the end.
Twelve-year-old boys should be wowed, but for the rest of us, it will depend on your appetite for eye candy.
Even the target audience of 10-year-olds might get jimmy legs sitting for a punishing 135 minutes as the Wachowski brothers projectile-vomit their cotton-candy dreams all over the big screen.
I love the look and the style and the spirit of this film.
Speed Racer creates a timeless, visually seductive world suspended somewhere between the pop '60s and the sci-fi future. Its biggest disappointment, strangely enough, is its raison d'être -- the races themselves.
Speed Racer intends to convey a sense of heedless momentum, but it drags painfully.
An excellent cast, story and visuals combine for an adrenaline-fueled experience. Go, Speed Racer!
It seems less a commercial strategy by the Wachowskis as a philosophical one: to incorporate as many forms of communication and color-blind ethnicity as possible, much as they did with the Matrix pictures.
This is Wacky Races powered by Enzo Ferrari and designed by Andy Warhol - candy-coloured carnage with a turbo-charged engine.
The filmic side effect of eating an entire bowl full of sugar, Speed Racer is designed entirely with one audience in mind, and despite it's best efforts it's not going to appeal to anyone else.
What grounds the spectacle, pushing it beyond a two-hour ejaculation of sensation, is its yearning for innocence
Fellow critics mercilessly denounced this dazzling, visually inventive adaptation; one of the ten best films of 2008
Speed Racer is a film that upon initial release polarized audiences due to its story, performances, dialogue and visual style. However, visually, this film is a real treat. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from this film, but I came out of it surprised. Speed Racer is a film that pure entertainment value from start to finish, if you enjoy films that are visually appealing, then this is a film for you. Sure, I agree that the film is over stylish, but that's a good thing. Although the script does seem a little rocky at times, the payoff comes in the races themselves. Overall this is a fun, entertaining film that is underrated, and it definitely deserves more praise just for the creativity alone. If you enjoy a good, effective and captivating picture, this film is worth seeing. Keep an open mind, it's a film that deserves much more recognition than it deserves. Sure, it's a flawless masterwork of cinema, but it's nonetheless a worthwhile and memorable viewing experience that anyone can enjoy if you're in the right frame of mind. The film's strong points are the visuals, races and overall look at the film, its flaws are in the dialogue and sometime cheesy performances, but really all that goes out the window because of its entertainment value. Speed Racer is a film that works well because its cast are good, and the direction is effective enough to grab your attention. Although it's not perfect, the film is well worth your time if you're looking for a pleasant visually charged time waster to watch. Upon seeing the film, I was surprised that mainstream critics couldn't see the merit in such a movie. Speed Racer deserves far more credit than it deserves, and most importantly, it deserves a second look.
Super Reviewer
The Wachowski Bros trade in the cleverness and storytelling for fast-paced racing and typical nonsense. Speed Racer is a visually a remarkable adaptation of the television series, but could be improved in many many different ways with its flat story and simplistic performances from its ensemble. 2.5/5
I hate saying this, but I find myself liking every bit of this movie! Im still trying to figure out why, but I love the style and the heart that goes itno this very odd Hot Wheels-like motion picture. Taking the classic kids show and making this almost seemed like an unforgettable thing, and that is exactly what happened, but unusually in a good way. I really enjoyed watching "Speed Racer", because it is the most fun I have had with a movie in a long time. It's not a great film in any way, but the story is very good and the action took risks that I have never seen a film take before. This is a very fun film to watch, and I recommend it solely for that.
high speed over the top action with lots of crazy CGI gave this live action film a great feel for the old cartoon. Fun but not great.
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