Speed Racer is family entertainment at it's best! There has been much talk as to rather this is a good movie or a bad movie. Well as a Speed Racer fan from Way Back, I am definitely in the target demographic for this movie. Upfront I will say that I did not want to see this movie. The commercials just did not make this movie seem like it was true to the spirit of the cartoons and I was not really looking forward to it, but I knew I had to see this movie.

My Own Private Theater

Sometimes when you go to a 12:30pm showing that tells you if you are seeing a good movie or a movie that is not that good. Well when I arrived at the theater I had it all to myself, I was the only person in the theater, I was in heaven. For the entire movie I had the theater to myself it was great. For the record I've gone to other movies at this same time and there are always a few people there and most of them sit way too close to me in a mostly empty theater.

Who Or What Is Speed Racer

It's the Racer Family and the driving prodigy of the family is named Speed, get it, Speed Racer is that kid driving the car. Then there is Spritle, Speed's little brother and his pet Chimpanzee, Chim Chim. Mom and Pop Racer, well that appears to be what there names are not only from the movie, but also from the cartoon series of the 60's. Trixie is the love interest, mostly, because we are told they are boyfriend and girlfriend. On the outside of the family we have Rex Racer who by his own choice has left the family and is believed dead.

About The Movie

Speed Racer the movie is based on the Cartoon series of the 60's Speed Racer, a product of Japanese Animators and a precursor to the Anime that comes from Japan these days. Speed Racer was full of all that production values were in the 1960's and for me as a kid it was fun to watch.

Fast forward to Speed Racer 2008, this movie has all of the elements of the cartoon Speed Racer with all the parts moved around so that there are traces of what made the original cartoon series work, but it has become a world all it's own as you would expect the Wachowski Brothers to produce. Best known for the groundbreaking Matrix series it makes sense that they could create the live action and digital mix of Speed Racer, but they are not known for their Family Friendly material, but with Speed Racer they have produced a movie that is not only Family Friendly it's all about the Family.

Speed Racer, The Movie is all about Speed and his obsession with cars and racing. It's also about being in a family making mistakes, but learning from them and keeping the family unit strong. It's also about greed, mostly corporate greed the big companies who run racing profiting from it and holding the little guys and the independents to their own little piece of the racing pie. We have our Heroes, The Racer Family, including Racer X, Trixie and Inspector Detector and then we have the bad guys. Transplants from the cartoon Series Cruncher Block and Snake Oiler are there in all their evil Glory and then there are other villains created for this movie.

Speed is offered the deal of a lifetime to race for a corporate team and Speed turns it down, so now he is the enemy of the corporation and they will bring Speed down and ruin him no matter the cost. Speed is not only in the races of his young life he is also in fact fighting to defend not only his life, but the life of his family all leading up to a finale that of course is a race, but by this point you'll be cheering Speed on to the thrilling conclusion of the film.

The Acting

Nothing is sedate or held back by any of the cast. Then again there are no stand outs either. Just as it should be with a live action cartoon, which is all Speed Racer is, a live action cartoon. It is amazing that the performances by all of the cast are Spot-ON cartoon performances, without overacting. I have to give the Wachowski Brothers credit for that, the performances all work.

The Special Effects

Close your eyes, before this movie begins, open them as it begins and immerse yourself in this movie and you will not be sorry. The special effects are all well done and seamless and the tracks that those cars race on are out of this world. Granted if I were looking at this through my adult eyes I would pretty much yawn, if it were not for the fast moving action on the tracks that never failed to deliver and at the heart of this movie, the special effects, save this movie from being too sappy.

The Story

I think that the way the Wachowski Brothers constructed this world and filled it, this is the perfect launching pad for a story arc that could be as good and in fact could be better than the story arc of The Matrix. In any Speed Racer story line, the villains have to be larger than life and have endless resources to threaten the life of Speed and his family. None of the rules of civility apply and racing is a contact sport and off the track you have to fight for your right to race. There are always converging stories that all blend together into a tangled web always with Speed at the center to set it all right, Speed and let's not forget his car, The Mach 5.

It's All About The Car

Cars are cool. In this movie the cars are alive, not in a silly the car talks to me kind of way. Driver is connected to car and car is connected with driver you have to be in touch with your car and it will tell you what it needs. For me personally, seeing a real Mach 5 as if it popped out of the cartoon was worth the price of admission. I want that car!

My Final Words

Even if you don't think you will like or even enjoy this movie go and see it and take the whole family. This movie is not geared toward adults, but there are enough elements here where any adult could sit through it with their kids.

When I first heard that they were going to do a Speed Racer movie I was excited and looking forward to it. I saw the commercials and trailer and was sure this was going to be the worst film ever. As I sat in the theater and watched this movie I became a believer and I can't wait till they do the next one, which will be even better.

Recommended: Yes

Movie Mood: Action Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing