Speed Racer (2008)

5/14/18. An enjoyable anime-based movie about a driver who succeeds with his family's help. Great special effects. Kids will love it.

Speed Racer is filmed in a unique and imaginative way that at times is electrifying. Colors are vivid, action is wild, and information is dense but *usually* clear, notably in scenes where present action is seamlessly and simultaneously juxtaposed with flashbacks.It's impressive but often utterly exhausting. The movie starts in a mad adrenaline rush and just keeps pushing it. And a certain point I thought the action would never offer respite, and it would be two hours of flashy camera-work, elaborate green-screen setups, and explosions. But the time of the film's first quiet scene I was already mentally exhausted.All this tremendous bravura filmmaking exists more for itself than the story, which is trite and predictable. It is as though Martin Scorcese decided to use his considerable talents to make a My Little Pony movie.As a kid's movie, it's not bad. It's got annoying kids and monkeys and cartoonish bad guys and other things kids like. But it is pure sensory overload.

I understand the desire to bring something to the screen for family enjoyment, but the Wachowski's missed the mark with this confusing, cringe worthy light show. If viewed with your family, I could see how some entertainment could be had, but this film is in no way worth repeating. Apart from the non stop migraine inducing effects, a plot is bordering on non existent, paired with one of the most uncreative ending twists I've seen in a film in a long time. Mindless fun is clearly what they were going for, but the confusion outlasts the aggravating imagery by a long shot. While The Matrix was innovative in the effects department, Speed Racer is overly bright and flashy. In conclusion, this once dynamic set of siblings should make their thought process a part in the making of their next film.

As an adult, i want to describe the movie as a non stop trip on drugs. It is fast, it is a blur of colours, it has a simplistic story (well, in a good way).For a kid, it might all be a little too much - too much hyper, but it is a roller-coaster ride with its very own style from what i can tell.Artistically, it is one of the best or most unique and successful adaptations from comic/animation to - well... lets call it live action for what its worth.This is a mindless movie - but for me it was some 2 hours that were anything but boring - and that considering that i do not like cars, racing, kids in movies - and i especially hate monkeys (in movies and RL)