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It doesn't help that the movie looks so obviously fake. The intent was obviously to make a live action Japanese anime with a deliberately "hyper-stylized" environment, mixing '60s styled homes reminiscent of The Brady Bunch with futuristic cities and winding racetracks. Fantasies like the Star Wars prequels or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow successfully transported us to other worlds, whereas Speed Racer looks purposefully artificial. To believe that the actors are actually interacting with their environment is to believe that your TV weatherman has gigantic arms that literally sweep the weather across the country.

Nevertheless, the visuals are the best thing going for this movie. Fake as it is, the effects are rarely boring. Even during the talky moments, the directors attempt to enthrall us with nifty transitions and layer effects, all reminiscent of Ang Lee's innovative use of comic panels in his version of the Hulk, Warren Beatty's colorful interpretation of Dick Tracy, and Robert Rodriguez's extremely stylish Sin City.

Aside from the fanatical diehards, Speed Racer really isn't intended for adults. The story's overly simplistic, with dialogue that borders on self-parody; let's just say you could make quite a game out of how many times Speed is described as gifted or amazing. Most of the acting is plain silly, often bordering on camp. Hirsh and Ricci are strictly two-dimensional as the leads, but Fox and Goodman at least recreate their cartoon personas admirably. It's the side characters that are beyond over the top, most notably the rival drivers and an endless parade of irritating announcers that pan across the screen during races.

Does Speed Racer live up to the family-friendly entertainment the Wachowskis were aiming for? I have a hard time believing kids will enjoy sitting through such a long and talky movie that runs its races in fits and starts. Though the story is simple enough for children, it's overly complicated by underdeveloped characters, unnecessary details, and meaningless jargon that makes Star Trek sound sensible. Hey, if I can't keep up with parts of it, will the average kid be able to?

This is an ambitious film with some clever visual ideas, but very little of it works together. It might have worked better as a completely animated film. As it stands, Speed Racer is a flashy mess that proves some things are better left to nostalgia than adaptation.

>Talk About It

1. Speed is seen at early age dreaming big about racing. Is it wrong to daydream? Is it okay to slide in your studies if you're uniquely skilled in something else (like racing, or another sport, or music)? Why or why not?
2. Why does Speed turn down Royalton's offer, keeping in mind that he didn't know Royalton was evil at that time? Is he afraid that money will spoil or corrupt him? Is there something to be said for the pure joy of racing? What does he lose from turning down the deal, and what does he gain?
3. Are all corporations inherently evil? Can small business be greedy? Do some corporations keep society's best interests at heart? In what ways have corporations helped professional sports? In what ways have they spoiled it?
4. What do you think of Spritle's behavior toward his parents? What about Speed and Rex disobeying their parents' wishes? Is there a difference in these acts of disobedience? Is it possible to honor your father and mother yet disagree or disobey them?
5. Racer X tells Speed that, "It doesn't matter if racing changes; it only matters if we let racing change us." How do you interpret that advice in the context of the film? How is that thinking also applicable to the Christian walk? (Hint: Try replacing "racing" with "the world.")

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