Speed Racer is on our big screens and don’t miss this visually colourful movie. Speed is the essence of this movie so to those with motion sickness beware Warning spoilers!

The Wachowski brothers haven’t helmed a film since 2003′s “The Matrix Revolutions.” The siblings seem to be a bit rusty. Their big-screen, big-budget adaptation of the popular “Speed Racer” anime series is like the Willy Wonka of racing movies.

Colorful, vibrant and cartoonish to a fault, “Speed” is a visual feast that nearly warrants a warning for epileptics in the opening credits. But the picture is also incredibly faithful to the source material and should thoroughly impress the show’s diverse fanbase.

Speed Racer (Emile Hirch of “Into the Wild”) has become the wunderkind of the auto-racing world. Studying from his older brother Rex and miles of practice have pushed Speed to the forefront of the sport. But the devastating loss of Rex in a tragic crash still permeates the Racer family. Although Speed’s parents, Mom (Susan Sarandon) and Pops (John Goodman), continue to support his full-throttle fervor, Speed himself always seems to be chasing the ghost of his buried brother.

When revelations surface that most races are fixed and a greedy megalomaniac named Royalton (Roger Allam) essentially controls the sport, Speed teams with the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) to bring a sense of honor back to racing. With the help of his devoted girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci), his younger brother Spritle (Paulie Litt) and Chim Chim, the family’s pet chimpanzee, Speed strives to win a dangerous cross-country rally called The Crucible and prove not all drivers can be bought.

A top-notch cast, exciting action sequences and rib-tickling humor care of Spritle and Chim Chim nearly make “Speed” worth the admission price and bloated 135-minute runtime. Hirsch is tremendously charismatic and embraces the roll, bringing depth to an otherwise one-dimensional character. Fox shines as Racer X in both his performance and physicality. The best non-racing action scenes in the film revolve around Fox, whether he’s duking it out with a ninja or battling a handful of mobsters. Litt is a revelation as the free-spirited Spritle and his dynamic with Chim Chim represents the film’s much-needed humor.

The Wachowskis clearly did their homework – techniques used in the show are re-created ad nauseam. Close-up, transition and visual-effect tricks grow tiresome, especially when foreground and background images cross paths repeatedly. The racing scenes – which take place on wild, winding tracks – range from thrilling to completely disorienting. But kids will be enamored by the flashy set design and entertaining characters. Strong messages about integrity and family ties rise above the roar of engines, and the compelling climax caps the film perfectly.

Fans of the show and families in need of a fun excursion should race to the theater – all others can drop into first gear and wait for “Speed” to pull into Netflix. Worth to watch with the kids

credits: Palo Alto Online

---

Official Movie Poster

Singapore Date: 8th May 2008 Language: English Running Time: 135 mins Rating: PG Genre: Action Tagline: Go Starring: Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Emile Hirsch Directed by: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski Company: Warner Bros. Pictures Singapore Distributor: Golden Village Pictures iZone Rating: 7.5/10 Official Website : Speed Racer

---

Movie Trailer

---

---

previous post: Singapore eBuzz! : Mother’s Day Hi-Tea with Ziana Zain
next post: Movie Review : Made Of Honor

---

Related posts:

• Movie Review : Going The Distance
• Movie Review : The Wolfman
• Movie Review : From Paris With Love
• Movie Review : Dear John
• Movie Review : Away We Go