Speed Racer

Could any family be more devoted to auto racing than the Speeds? Older son Rex Racer ( may have left a bit of a question mark on the family name, but young Speed (Emile Hirsch) is devoted to making his dad, Pops Racer, designer of the Mach 5 (John Goodman), proud of him, on and off of he track. Meanwhile Mom (Susan Sarandon), Spritle, Trixie (Christina Ricci) and pet monkey, Chim-Chim, all pitch-in and support Speed in his efforts to win every race.

Even though the Mach 5 is doing very well on the racing circuit, it looks like a dark cloud is rapidly drifting over the sport. Royalton Industries, the bad-guys, are busily going about fixing the big races for profit’s sake. The only thing left for speed to do is win the big race fair and square and beat the crooks out of the championship. Luckily with help from Trixie, Spritle and Chim-Chim at his side, the young driver of Mach 5 might have a chance at winning the big one, The Crucible.

Directed by the Wachowski Brothers, Andy and Larry, this film will draw its audience from two distinct demographics, the forty-something males who grew up on the television cartoon “Speed Racer” and the young movie goers in the elementary school set. Neither will be impressed by the script or the plot, but both will marvel at the eye-candy racing scene visuals produced using state-of-the-art techniques. For the most part, the actors could have stayed home and we could have enjoyed just going to the speed-blurred, color-infused races without those annoying pauses in between. 

Mary K. Morgan is a member of the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association.