Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Speed Racer is a young and brilliant racing driver. When corruption in the racing leagues costs his brother his life, Speed must team up with the police and the mysterious Racer X to bring an end to the corruption and criminal activities.
Speed Racer is a visually audacious, candy-colored sensory assault that stands as one of the most distinctive-looking films ever committed to celluloid — the Wachowskis created an entirely unique visual grammar blending anime aesthetics with live-action filmmaking in a way never replicated before or since, earning a genuine 4 in both Cinematography and Novelty. The plot is serviceable but formulaic — a fairly rote anti-corporate corruption narrative with predictable beats and overstuffed runtime, landing at a 2. The acting is earnest and fits the heightened tone (Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon all commit fully), earning a solid 3. The ending delivers an emotionally satisfying race sequence that is visually spectacular but narratively telegraphed, settling at a 3.