Release Date:  May 9, 2008

Rating:  PG (for sequences of action, some violence and language)

Genre:  Action

Run Time:  129 min.

Director:  Andy and Larry Wachowski

Actors:  Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Roger Allam, Christina Ricci, Scott Porter, Paulie Litt, Matthew Fox, Rain, Nicholas Elia

In the opening moments of Speed Racer, the title character—a young student prone to daydreams, who inhabits the dull world of elementary school—sits in a class, filling out the bubbles on a multiple-choice test form with a number two pencil.

It’s standardized-test technology straight out of the 1970s, a drab world that contrasts with the bright colors and computerized graphics that will, within minutes of the opening scene, form the hyper-real world of this hypnotic, candy-colored film.

Directed by the Wachowski brothers—the duo behind the Matrix trilogy—Speed Racer is another visual wonder, but it’s doubtful its impact on future films will come anywhere close to that of the Matrix films. Speed Racer is closer in influence and spirit to Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy, which used a striking visual palette to create a comic-book look but did not have much lasting impact on film culture. Like Dick Tracy, Speed Racer is expensive, mostly family-friendly entertainment, although a few words and violent images could have been left on the cutting-room floor.

The young Speed Racer (Nicholas Elia) lives in the shadow of his older brother Rex (Scott Porter), a race-car driver who earlier perished in a road race after having a falling out with his father, Pops (John Goodman). A smooth businessman, Royalton (Roger Allam), sees potential in Speed (played as an older teen by Emile Hirsch) and offers to bring Speed and his father into the Royalton corporate family, but Pops doesn’t want to sell. We learn that “for Pops, racing is … like a religion, and sponsors are the devil.” But Royalton says money is his religion, and Speed’s refusal to get on board with Royalton’s plan means he must be eliminated.

With their family’s racing business tainted by rumors that Rex had been swayed by a cartel that fixes the outcome of the high-profile races, Speed defies Royalton and sets out to restore pride in his family’s independent racing operation. Royalton tries to prevent Speed from qualifying for a major race, but with the help of fellow racer Taejo Togokhan (Rain) and his friend Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed finds a way to take on Royalton and restore his family’s tarnished name.