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Speed Racer

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Speed Racer (2008)

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Reviews Counted:9

Fresh:2

Rotten:7

Average Rating:4.1/10

Consensus: The Wachowski Brothers have overloaded Speed Racer with headache-inducing special effects, and neglected to develop a coherent storyline.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for sequences of action, some violence and language.

Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:09-05-2008

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... 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 (John Goodman) and Mom Racer (Susan Sarandon), and his devoted doe-eyed girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed racks up victory after victory, but still lives in the shadow of his late older brother, Rex (Scott Porter), who died in a race. When Speed garners the wrath of Royalton Industries, he must team up with the enigmatic Racer X (Matthew Fox) to defeat the ruthless corporation. Written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the masterminds behind the MATRIX films, SPEED RACER replaces the gritty techno patina of that blockbuster series with a polished, brightly hued virtual reality. Though the eye-popping visuals threaten to eclipse the acting, the fine cast gamely makes the most of their green-screen environment, particularly the likable Hirsch, who won acclaimed for his decidedly different INTO THE WILD role, and LOST's always-noble Fox. Adding to the movie's giddy mood are Paulie Litt and his chimp companion, who provide comic relief as Speed's playful younger brother, Spritle, and Chim Chim, respectively. While definitely a case of style over substance, SPEED RACER is a movie meticulously designed to appeal to families and kids, especially the Spritle-like young ones. [More]

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Christina Ricci

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rain, Richard Roundtree, Roger Allam, Benno Furmann, Kick Gurry, Paulie Litt, Nicholas Elia

Director: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski

Director: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski
Screenwriter: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Producer: Joel Silver, Grant Hill, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

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1 - 4 of 13

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Reviews for Speed Racer

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1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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You have to be 12 to like it, and I have to say there is little or nothing here to remind us why we were all quite so excited about The Matrix.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/18/08
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You might admire it as a Warholian blur of pop art, gawp and gasp at its Hot Wheels-for-real dynamism, or get a headache.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
05/05/08
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Twelve-year-old boys should be wowed, but for the rest of us, it will depend on your appetite for eye candy.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
10/18/08
Tom Charity
Tom Charity
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

More than the story of the Racer family, Speed Racer is the visual autobiography of the Wachowskis and their pit crew of computer-nerd Einsteins, using the tools of their trade to transform the movie medium.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
05/09/08
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The fakeness of it all overwhelms, dampening any real excitement. It's hard to care about characters so stiff and one-dimensional they out-cartoon the cartoon originals.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment 3 Comments
05/09/08
Carina Chocano
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Speed Racer is a manufactured widget, a packaged commodity that capitalizes on an anthropomorphized cartoon of Capitalist Evil in order to sell itself and its ancillary products.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 2 Comments
05/09/08
Jim Emerson
Jim Emerson
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Speed Racer sets out to honor and refresh a youthful enthusiasm from the past and winds up smothering the fun in self-conscious grandiosity.

comment 1 Comment
05/08/08
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unlike a Pixar cartoon that embraces as wide an audience as possible, Speed Racer proudly denies entry into its ultra-bright world to all but gamers, fanboys and anime enthusiasts.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment 10 Comments
05/02/08
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Pure cotton candy -- entirely non-nutritious but too sweet and pretty for young people to resist.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 4 Comments
05/01/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Speed Racer

January 21, 2009: Razzies Name 2008's Worst Movie Nominees
No awards season would be complete without the Golden Raspberry Awards (AKA The Razzies), awarded each year to the very worst movies to hit Hollywood. This year's winners will... More...

October 06, 2008: Filme.Acasa: Un blockbuster de arta a sosoit la linia de final. Este sclipitor, accesoriat si auto-erotic. Speed Racer iti face inima sa pulseze de trei ori mai repede. Opens in new window
More...

September 22, 2008: The arty blockbuster has arrived, and it's as flashy, accessorized and auto-erotic as can be. Which creates a strange sensation indeed, that it's not just the cars that are smoking, but those Wachowski brothers as well, and whatever's in their pipes too. Opens in new window
More...

September 15, 2008: RT on DVD: Speed Racer Zooms to Blu-ray!
Get the pop rocks and Coke ready -- Speed Racer is out this week! We'll tell you what new releases to skip over, when Death Proof and Planet Terror are headed to Blu-ray, and... More...

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