Directed By:
Andy Wachowski
Larry Wachowski

Starring:
Emile Hirsch, Nicholas Elia, John Goodman, Melissa Holroyd, Susan Sarandon and Benno Fürmann

Rated PG
Genre: Live Action Anime Fantasy
Format Used: My Own DVD
Contains: Mild Language, Mild Violence

THE PLOT:

Speed Racer is the hottest thing on the racing circuit, but his brother's death still haunts him. Speed's dream is to win a big Grand Prix. But when a huge head of a company tells Speed the only way to win is to play ball with him and it's the companies that decides who wins Grand Prix and not driver's skills, it leaves Speed devastated.

That's when Inspector Detector and Racer X approach Speed to help them expose what they call the Fixers. Which results in a dangerous cross country race full of cheaters and lunatics paid by the Fixers to make sure Speed doesn't finish the Race.

ZEDD'S OPINION:

I love this movie, this is a near perfect adaptation. The cast does a great job, mind you Sparky has less hair then he does in the anime and is a tad older. But I guess that would make sense and Racer X's uniform in the anime is white with a black mask. But I'll chalk it up to being the first time and he might change to the outfit we know later. But the colors, the cars, the effects are all great. And the story sticks to the spirit of the original anime and that's what's most important. 9 STARS.

VOLTRON'S OPINION:

I agree with Zedd, Speed Racer was one of my favorite animes when I was a kid and I love this movie. It's a great adaptations, in fact one of the best adaptations like ever. 9 1/2 STARS.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE (+ HITS):

+ GREAT CAST (The cast does a great job.)
+ GREAT STORY (The story works.)
+ LOTS OF ACTION (Rarely slows down.)
+ FATEFUL TO SOURCE (It's fateful to the anime.)
+ CARS (The cars look perfect to the anime.)

ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE (- MISSES):

- SPARKY (Sparky looks older then the anime, but I guess that has to be if he's to be the great mechanic that he is.)
- RACER X'S COSTUME (It was a black mask with a white X and a white outfit with a black X, but we are going to forgive it and hope chalk it up to first encounter.)

...AND FINALLY...

- FAN BASED (If you aren't a big fan of this anime or of racing films in general. Then I doubt this is your movie.)