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Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Matthew Fox ... see more see more... , Nicholas Elia , Roger Allam , Melissa Holroyd , Paulie Litt , Ariel Winter , Benno Fürmann , Hiroyuki Sanada , Gian Ganziano , Rain , Richard Roundtree , Peter Fernandez , Kick Gurry , Harvey Friedman , Sadao Ueda , John Benfield , Nayo Wallace , Valery Tscheplanowa , Christian Oliver , Sami Loris , Moritz Bleibtreu , Olivier Marlo , Sean McDonagh , Ashley Walters , Scott Porter , Vinzenz Kiefer , Mark Zak , Willy , Kenzie Lovelay , Julia Joyce , Clayton Nemrow , Ricky Watson , Brandon Robinson , L. Trey Wilson , Lauren Blake , Cosma Shiva Hagen , Ralph Herforth , Waldemar Kobus , Max Hopp , Julie T. Wallace , Matthias Redhammer , Ecki Hoffman , Stephen Marcus , Art La Fleur , Peter Navy Tuiasosopo , Nan Yu , Paul Sirr , Ramon Tikaram , Melvil Poupaud , Kad "Y" Taylor , Junior Sone Enang , Jana Pallaske , Dari Maximova , Werner Daehn , Komi Togbonou , Leila Rozario , Steven Wilson , Karl Yune , Togo Igawa , Jonathan Kinsler , Anatole Taubman , Ben Miles , Frank Witter , Megan Gay , Corinne Orr , Joe Mazza , Joon Park , Ludmilla Ismailow , Milka Duno , Amira Osman , Jens Neuhaus , Sesede Terziyan , Ill-Young Kim , Yuriri Naka , Oscar Ortega Sánchez , Yu Fang , Narges Rashidi , Andrés Cantor

The Matrix masterminds Andy and Larry Wachowski usher anime icon Tatsuo Yoshida's classic 1960s-era hit into the new millennium with this family-friendly story of a young racecar driver who takes on t... read more read more...he mysterious Racer X in a custom-made, gadget-loaded speed machine named the Mach 5. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is the kind of driver that every wheelman wishes he could be: a born winner whose unbeatable combination of aggression, instinct, and fearlessness always finds him crossing the checkered flag with a comfortable lead. In Speed Racer's mind, the only driver who could present him with any real challenge is his late brother -- the legendary Rex Racer. Rex died in a heated cross-country rally known as The Crucible many years ago, and now his younger sibling is driven to fulfill the legacy that Rex left behind. To this day, Speed Racer is fiercely loyal to family. It was Speed Racer's father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), who designed the unbeatable Mach 5, and even a lucrative offer from racing giants Royalton Industries isn't enough to get the young ace to break his family ties. Upon turning down Royalton's (Roger Allam) astronomical offer, Speed Racer makes the shocking discovery that the outcomes of the biggest races are being predetermined by a handful of powerful moguls who pad their profits by manipulating the drivers. Realizing that his career would be ruined if word of the fix gets out, Royalton vows that the Mach 5 will never make it to another finish line. Now, the only way for Speed Racer to save the family business and beat Royalton at his own game will be to win the very same race that claimed his brother's life so many years ago. In order to accomplish that formidable feat, however, Speed Racer will not only have to rely on his family and the aid of his longtime girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), but form a tenuous alliance with his longtime rival -- the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) -- as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

61% liked it

376,630 ratings

Critics

38% liked it

203 critics

PG, 2 hr. 15 min.

Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski

Release Date: April 28, 2008

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DVD Release Date: September 16, 2008

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Stats: 18,446 reviews

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speed racer Speed Racer Speed Racer Speed Racer Speed Racer Mach 5 Speed Racer RACER X POSTER TRIXIE POSTER SPEED RACER POSTER Emile Hirsch Speed Racer NEW SPEED RACER POSTER speed racer Trixie SPEED RACER POSTER Speed Racer Racer X
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Flixster Reviews (18,446)

  • jmanard52
    October 9, 2008
    jmanard52
    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.
  • aquateen2
    December 21, 2011
    aquateen2
    It's got such a fantastic ensemble cast that goes to waste because of an over dose of special effects and action sequences. The film goes from one scene to another in such a short length of time. My advice? Slow down.
  • phubbs1
    October 25, 2011
    phubbs1
    Jesus christ, let my eyes recover first haha this is really all thats bad with modern films today, imagination wise its very good and im sure the cartoon was very good (for kids), I never saw it, but it should have stayed a cartoon. This really is very poor stuff. Its totally cgi... read more and looks awful. Its very clearly fake looking and like all cgi effects, kinda has a plastic quality about it.
    Its sort of like a combo of a modern day tron with matchbox hotwheels cars on a neon epileptic fit enducing scaletrix set in space, and you probably would benefit better if you were high as well lol!
    Its totally crazy and moves so fast at times you cant really follow the action. There seems to be alot of dueling in mid air using super racing cars with all manner of crap coming out of them, James Bonds auto's move over hahahahahaha.
    Acting is pretty dire, cast shouldnt be doing this, Christina Ricci, for shame. Oh and the name of the film is the name of the main lead which is kinda idiotic, kids may like it, but adults will get a headache.
  • spielberg00
    August 12, 2011
    spielberg00
    Bad
  • ythelastman89
    June 23, 2011
    ythelastman89
    The Wachowski's have presented us with the most intentionally bat-shit crazy movie ever made. This glorious two-hour adaption of the kooky cartoon looks and feels as though it spawned from the mind of a mentally ill ex-Nascar driver. Everything is obviously intentional here, you'... read mored have to be dumber than a bag of rocks to think Speed Racer is at any point trying to be 100% serious. However, the fact that it is so over-stylized and colorful beyond belief is only part of the madness. The performances here are just so over-exaggerated, but done perfectly. If these weren't great actors, the movie might actually come off as corny and dumb rather than extremely self aware and cool. Emile Hirsch is the ultimate representation of Speed; he knows when to pull in the emotional breaks and also be overly serious and intense. Matthew Fox as Racer X is also one of the stand outs; mainly because he's so incredibly intense in every single scene. Most adaptations of kid's TV shows try to make the material more accessible and more normal, but this is totally fine with having every bizarre element present. From humanized chimps, narrative breaks, stereotyped characters and CGI/Green Screen galore, you never quite know where the insanity will end. You're either going to enjoy Speed Racer and understand what is trying to be done or you will be totally lost from the beginning. Anyone who's actually seen a Speed Racer cartoon knows exactly what they're getting into and this is just one extravaganza of craziness. It also has one of the most nutty ending sequences ever created; Chimp driving.
  • fb535316333
    May 29, 2011
    fb535316333
    The Wachowski's were overly ambitious with Speed Racer, stylistically it's either ahead of it's time or completely misses the mark depending on who's watching.

    The approach is reminiscent of Tim Burton's Edward Scizzorhands but has a hard time retaining it's magic and innocence ... read moresimply because its story revolves around adrenaline pumping automobile racing and not whimsical romance.

    It's all rather unfortunate, under all the visual aesthetic makeup there's an actual story with heart, emotion and credible themes. The problem is that we're constantly pulled back by gag humor that's obviously targeted at 12 year olds and visuals that are inspired from a cartoon that's also made for 12 year olds.

    This back and forth game of silly childish qualities and mature storytelling mixed with non-stop special effects just never seems to click coherently together.

    The easy way to go was make the entire film realistic and gritty or completely geared towards children.

    Obviously the Wachowski brothers had bigger plans and fell short for the masses.It's not so much style over substance, just... style that doesn't mix with a particular substance. Yet.

    Also, laughing at people who say this movie was intended for kids. The story's hell of a lot more complex and involving than Spy Kids.
  • DreamExtractor
    March 14, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    I dont think they know what they want, is it a kid movie or a teen race movie?
  • skeletonking101
    January 15, 2011
    skeletonking101
    fantastic animation but some of the effects are headache inducing but the racing scenes are great to look at
  • lewiskendell
    December 10, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "It doesn't matter if racing never changes. What matters is if we let racing change us."

    I thought Speed Racer was a pretty good adaptation of the manga and anime. Visually, it was astounding. In HD, the colors are incredibly bright and vivid, and the constant special effects re... read moreally helped to bring the world to life. I imagine people who watched Tron for the first time back in the 80's might have had a similar reaction to what I had watching this. All the various camera techniques used to make it look similar to the comic books worked well, and I just really liked the style of the whole thing. I don't think I've ever used this phrase before, but it really was a feast for the eyes.

    As for the rest of the movie, I also liked the cast. Emilie Hirsch might not have immediately jumped into my mind as the ideal Speed, but he worked. So did the actors playing the rest of his family and acquaintences (both helpful and adversarial), and Christina Ricci as Trixie. It took a while for Matthew Fox to grow on me as Racer X, but by the end I had to admit that he wasn't a bad choice, either.

    The story was a combination of some original material and a bunch of new stuff that the Wachowski's came up with, and it made for a fun, if conventional, plot. The races were suitably thrilling, there were several funny scenes (what could have been an annoying role by Paulie Litt as Speed's younger brother, actually ended up being quite humorous), and I had a smile on my face more often than not. That's the recipe for an enjoyable movie, in my opinion. Try it if the source material interest you, or you'd just like to watch a fun movie full of eye candy.
  • coollala0910
    November 3, 2010
    coollala0910
    I would've enjoyed it more if it weren't for the terrible CGI.

View All Speed Racer Reviews

Critic Reviews

Tom Charity
October 18, 2008
Tom Charity, CNN.com

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

Peter Travers
October 18, 2008
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

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.

Richard Roeper
May 12, 2008
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

I love the look and the style and the spirit of this film.

David Ansen
May 12, 2008
David Ansen, Newsweek

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... Full Review

Christopher Orr
May 9, 2008
Christopher Orr, New Republic

Speed Racer intends to convey a sense of heedless momentum, but it drags painfully. Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
May 9, 2008
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

This toxic admixture of computer-generated frenzy and live-action torpor succeeds in being, almost simultaneously, genuinely painful -- the esthetic equivalent of needles in eyeballs -- and weirdly be... Full Review

Richard Corliss
May 9, 2008
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

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 ... Full Review

Claudia Puig
May 9, 2008
Claudia Puig, USA Today

For a movie about velocity, the excitement factor is low and the races feel like a drag. Full Review

Philip Marchand
May 9, 2008
Philip Marchand, Toronto Star

The movie, unfortunately, doesn't make that leap from sensation to art, but it suggests fascinating possibilities for moviemakers interested in using the latest techniques seriously to explore the wor... Full Review

Dana Stevens
May 9, 2008
Dana Stevens, Slate

Shapes hurtle toward you, then recede abruptly, each bearing some fragment of narrative information that has now passed you by forever. Nausea and anxiety begin to wash over you in overlapping waves. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Trixie: Was that a ninja?
    • Pops: More like a nonja, terrible what passes for a ninja these days.
    • Mom: I don't go to watch you race, I go to watch you make art.
    • Racer X: No, he's going to be the best... if they don't destroy him first.
  • Keanu Reeves turned down the role of Racer X.
  • Director Alfonso Cuarón was once attached to direct with Johnny Depp starring.
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Speed Racer Trivia

  • "Speed Racer" (2008) is from the makers of the Matrix Trilogy.  Answer »
  • What is Speed Racer's oldest brother named?  Answer »
  • Who plays Pops Racer in the 2008 movie Speed Racer?  Answer »
  • (Speed Racer 2008) What is the car called?  Answer »
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