Speed Racer is more than just an eye-candy roller-coaster ride. This is the future of filmmaking as Hollywood increasingly adopts green-screen technology to create realistic fantasy worlds.

This is Andy and Larry Wachowski’s first film since directing The Matrix Trilogy and producing V for Vendetta and fans who expect the Wachowski brothers to create art won’t be disappointed.

Speed Racer is a family-friendly adventure film, bringing to life Tatsuo Yoshida's 1960s anime classic, Mach Go Go Go. The live-action film adaptation stays true to the original animation in terms of visual treatment and lifestyle themes such as family values, dignity and integrity.

Those unfamiliar with the cartoon will also be swept along as Speed Racer displays originality that renews your honest sense of wonder as though you are watching movies for the first time with enormous anime-like eyes.

In an unnaturally vivid world, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is born to race cars. In fact, the entire Racer family lives and breathes the racing business. Racing is their “religion”. Speed’s father, Pops Racer (John Goodman) engineers racing cars for his small, independent company, Racer Motors, together with his funny, hardworking mechanic, Sparky (Kick Gurry).

Speed discovers his need for speed at an early age. Young Speed (Nicholas Elia) spends most of his school hours immersed in his imaginary racing world, doodling flipbook cartoons of fictional car collisions and getting into trouble with his teachers.

Like all superheroes, Speed is the stereotypical social-reject. The kids in school poke fun at him except the adorable, wide-eyed young Trixie (by Ariel Winter) who sees Speed in a different light.

Fast-forward and Speed is now a rookie driver with a passion that matches his talent. As Speed races in the opening sequence, he is haunted by the memory of his older brother, Rex (Scott Porter) who crashed and disappeared in a deadly rally race against unscrupulous drivers at Casa Cristo 5000.

Speed’s initial shot to fame brings the “Devil” to the Racers’ doorstep.

Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam) of Royalton Industries invites the Racer family to a field trip witness his corporation’s fancy technologies. The “Devil” tempts Speed with the prestigious lifestyle of a star driver if Speed agrees to be part of Royalton’s driving team.

Speed rejects. Royalton threatens to destroy his career in every possible way. This marks the beginning of the war between the independent and the rich, arrogant Royalton Industries.

The showdown includes Racer X (Lost’s Matthew Fox) and Taejo Togokahn (Korean singer, Rain) trying to win the most important race of the World Racing League, the Grand Prix.

The love interest comes in the form of Speed’s faithful twinkle-eyed girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci) who also kicks butt, drives like a man, and pilots a helicopter. She performs everything in style, with matching hairclips, lipstick and sharp outfits intact.

Speed Racer boasts a top-notch, charming cast. What’s even better is that Emile Hirsch doesn’t just resemble the cartoon character, he translates the animation version of Speed to close accuracy.

John Goodman is convincing as lovable patriarchal Pops Racer who only fights for the best for his family while Matthew Fox gives a fierce performance, as the mysterious Racer X.

Kids will love Spritle (Paulie Litt), Speed’s younger brother and his pet chimpanzee, Chim Chim with their cheeky ploys and love for candy. While the dynamic 13-year-old plays his role flawlessly, like Jack the Monkey in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, it’s the chimp sidekick who constantly steals the limelight.

What’s Speed Racer without his mean machine? The beautifully sculptured Mach 5 which proved to be faster than a speeding ticket will deliver some exciting racing action as the hypersonic-speedy cuilt by Pops Racer, knocks out opponents!

Some may find it surprising that the Wachowski brothers have shifted their creative interests to direct a squeaky clean, PG-rated film but then again, their ingenious filmmaking style and techniques bear imprints of their love for Japanese pop culture.

Interestingly, the opening sequence of the cartoon version of Speed Racer may have inspired the duo’s infamous ‘bullet time’ special effect in 1999’s The Matrix. In Speed Racer, they push the boundaries of the art of CGI filmmaking and transform the 60’s retro-feel into the futuristic world of Speed Racer. The result is a visual masterpiece.

However, films that are supposedly for kids should never be longer than two hours.

So Speed Racer's 135-minute runtime may become a drag for kids and even some adults. It is also a pity that the film focuses a little too much on the intricate plot details, failing to address the attention span of a larger target audience.

Hopefully, kids and kids at heart will lap up the candy-coloured visuals and fast-moving action sequences.

- CNA/il