Speed Racer

In a time when technology has reached new heights, audiences have a new hero to root for. Fans will have a chance to cheer on Speed Racer as he competes against the world’s best drivers in tundra so beautifully treacherous, only those prepared to pay the ultimate price can afford to participate.

The racers compete in arenas so eccentric that neither game boards nor videogames can compare. You might begin to question whether this could actually be a reality in a world where everything is already so off the wall.

Welcoming back the Wachowski brothers in an almost unfamiliar fashion and genre, Speed Racer is an experience worth watching if that happens to be what you’re looking for. While definitely not suited for all audiences and purposes, Speed Racer will find no problem striking a chord with those niche audiences curious enough to test their imaginations.

Speed Racer is the live-action adaptation of the popular cartoon TV series introduced in the late ‘60s about a family obsessed with automobile racing and their prodigy of a son, Speed Racer. In a life that means enjoying racing for its art, Speed must face the dark realities of a system that will go to immoral lengths to award a victor, at the highest payer’s choosing.

At the worst, this movie could induce a seizure, and at best, it could do so consistently. The cuts are quick, with melodramatic dialogue to follow. The transitions are a throwback to the early stylings of ‘70s Japanese animation, appropriately creating some tense encounters with evil corporate goons, and witty one-liners exchanged.

One thing you’ll find is that this story telling isn’t relying on the continuity of a scene or any realism-based editing. Instead, it delivers because it’s still something heartfelt, fun and full of nostalgia.

For the kid inside you, this character is one you’ll find yourself happy to root for, and for the movie connoisseur, one that you’ll be glad you got to see in theaters.