Speed Racer
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: May 9, 2008
7.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 485 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
385
Mixed:
38
Negative:
62
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
1
LyellMay 9, 2008
Sneek preview was awful. Can they fix it before wide release. Almost comically bad. Lots to make fun of. You might want to go high.
2 of 2 users found this helpful
0
PBJun 20, 2008
A dizzying mess of colours. A film with nothing in it - no heart, no soul, no cinema. A film which really should not appeal to true anime fans as it fundamentally and obnoxiously misunderstands the genre. Hard to follow. Basic rules of what A dizzying mess of colours. A film with nothing in it - no heart, no soul, no cinema. A film which really should not appeal to true anime fans as it fundamentally and obnoxiously misunderstands the genre. Hard to follow. Basic rules of what the eye can follow on screen are forgotten. Headache inducing and pointless. Incompetent. Will infuriate adults, and the patience of children will be tested through the pointless and overcomplicated lectures about stock-prices and economic forces. A talented cast are wasted, and are evidently as bemused by this film as most of the audience will be. In short, why?… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful
0
RyanPMay 12, 2008
Another Hollywood CGI-filled piece of CRAP.
1 of 1 users found this helpful
0
JavierF.May 16, 2008
Bad film. Bored. Bad history. Xtremely confused action. too much colors to enjoy the action. is a pity that the original comic was destroyed for Wach brothers..... I spect some better from they. I hate you, wachosky brothers!
1 of 1 users found this helpful
0
MiguelM.May 10, 2008
Most definitely the worst drivel I have ever seen on the silver-screen.
1 of 1 users found this helpful
3
USGNov 21, 2011
This is a disservice to even fans of the original Speed Racer cartoon and any references (which are too many) to the original are painful. The effects are weird and unfitting and don't suit the original series.
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
0
AlJ.May 13, 2008
This is absolutely disgusting. A complete waste of time.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
0
sil3nt_nickMar 24, 2013
Poor effects and bad acting.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
3
MartinC.May 8, 2008
Big dissapointment. Great cast, but the Wachowski Bros couldn't decide wether this was a film for grownups or kids. Too cheese for adults, too complicated for children (a stock market plot?)
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
BrandonN.Jun 23, 2008
It sucks its for gay people take my advice and don't watch it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
PhilM.Jul 6, 2008
I can't believe these were the same guys that were behind the masterpiece that was The Matrix.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
PeterK.Sep 18, 2008
Confused and confusing film making. Hard to watch.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
MorganFFeb 7, 2009
The effects were horrible. The plot stupid and confusing. The only times I laughed were at the absurdity of it all. And "cool beans"? WTF.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
DEANDMay 13, 2008
Ok...where do i begin...Races made no sense and were painfully boring, colour scheme was like watching a 3 hour version of Barbie Girl by Aqua. Special effects were actually not groundbreaking or breathtaking, but cheap and nasty - I'm Ok...where do i begin...Races made no sense and were painfully boring, colour scheme was like watching a 3 hour version of Barbie Girl by Aqua. Special effects were actually not groundbreaking or breathtaking, but cheap and nasty - I'm tired of people saying this is the future of film. No. The future of film is good movies, not how much high tech crap you can throw at em to make them sing and dance... and whether or not they're shot on red blue green or taupe screen, they still need a plot and some good ideas. At least the Matrix had a few of those. And the Matrix may have made the Wachowskis famous, but Speed racer will definitely make them infamous. Its not for kids either, its way too boring. Actually this was about as exciting as watching one of those arcade games play by itself while it waits for the next person to insert a coin. No sorry, it was worse.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
J.G.May 24, 2008
This film betrays the cartoon in more ways than one, adding in special effects to try and compensate for a ridiculous story-line, and lifeless characters. The movie as a whole is very disorienting, and though it shows that a lot of effort This film betrays the cartoon in more ways than one, adding in special effects to try and compensate for a ridiculous story-line, and lifeless characters. The movie as a whole is very disorienting, and though it shows that a lot of effort was put into its production, the final product is a painful swirl of anger and torment.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
AlexR.May 29, 2008
he has a button, when he presses it a dildo shoots up the chair into his ass for an ultimate orgasm. racer x is his dad who wants his bung hole. the monkey also jerks him off while the boy double dildos in the trunk.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
JoshR.May 30, 2008
This has to be, the worst film, I have ever watched in my life, the casting was god awful - by which I mean the annoying little fat kid who plays 2 characters and the random Australian man and A MONKEY (??), the special effects made me This has to be, the worst film, I have ever watched in my life, the casting was god awful - by which I mean the annoying little fat kid who plays 2 characters and the random Australian man and A MONKEY (??), the special effects made me dizzy, the story was- well there wasn't one and the whole thing lasted nearly 2 and a half hours. The only good thing I can even think of, is that when the DVD is released, it will make a good replacement for traditional paper shooting targets.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
RandyM.Jun 28, 2008
Awful. Simply awful.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
JonnyBoyAug 16, 2008
While the races are fast-paced and somewhat exciting, you'll be disapointed that you can't tell what is even going on. This is Speedracer, a film that concentrates on looks more than anything else. And it shows. The film's While the races are fast-paced and somewhat exciting, you'll be disapointed that you can't tell what is even going on. This is Speedracer, a film that concentrates on looks more than anything else. And it shows. The film's "comic relief" is Spritle and his pet monkey, however, they are more annoying that funny. The family learns that a big company has controlled who wins in each race for the last 50 years. That is about as complicated as the storyline gets. The next hour or so is so boring, you would like to walk out of the theater, however, you stay because you think, jsut maybe, it could turn for the better. Well don't stay. Save yourself the trouble and money on this film and stay as far away from it as you can.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
DQS.Dec 31, 2008
This wasn't a movie. No. Make a list of the things that make up a movie and the only thing that Sped Racer qualifies with is: recorded sequences edited together. I'd rather watch the original sample material included with iMovie - This wasn't a movie. No. Make a list of the things that make up a movie and the only thing that Sped Racer qualifies with is: recorded sequences edited together. I'd rather watch the original sample material included with iMovie - Yeah, I'd rather watch the kids wash the St. Bernard.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
ScottFMay 11, 2008
The beautifully captured racing sequences are far from enough to save the picture. Speed racer is stunningly awful.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
ChadS.May 13, 2008
"Speed Racer" is colorful, all right. And fast. The storyline is a paean to technology and mavericks. The storyline goes like this: Speed(Emilie Hirsch) rebuffs the advances of a racing team(read: major studio), and its head honcho "Speed Racer" is colorful, all right. And fast. The storyline is a paean to technology and mavericks. The storyline goes like this: Speed(Emilie Hirsch) rebuffs the advances of a racing team(read: major studio), and its head honcho Royalton(Roger Allam), because he wants to maintain his independence. This storyline plays like a thinly-veiled reference to George Lucas, who is, technically, an independent filmmaker. "Speed Racer" has a DIY spirit, awash in special effects laden upon special effects, which reflects Lucas' aesthetics, post-"American Graffiti". And then there's Hirsch, fresh off an almost Oscar-nominated performance in Sean Penn's "Into the Wild", looking amateurish, as Hayden Christensen did in the second trilogy of "Star Wars" films. During the end credits, Chim Chim(a chimpanzee named Kenzie) gets behind the wheel, which really drives home the thankless nature of starring in a special effects-driven film like "Speed Racer". You really don't notice if its Hirsch, or Tobey Maguire, or Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo(he wrote a song called "Speed Racer", from 1982's "Oh, No: It's Devo!), occupying the white suit. The moviegoer's attention is diverted to the graffiti(this is a rebuke to Speed's mom's assessment about her son's "art") on the screen. But you notice the monkey.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
TiernanS.May 15, 2008
I must acknowledge a grand kudos to the world for mostly ignoring this clunker in its opening weekend. The trailer generated no excitement from me except a bit of rollercoaster vertigo. Even the seven minute opening of the film currenty I must acknowledge a grand kudos to the world for mostly ignoring this clunker in its opening weekend. The trailer generated no excitement from me except a bit of rollercoaster vertigo. Even the seven minute opening of the film currenty available online to generate excitement and anticipation left me cold and unaffected. "Color, We need more Color." "Light, We need more light." "Make it faster too." These three exclamations were likely the only directorial assistance required in post production. Blah! Sin City made a similar approach to much more potent and engaging effect. I give the film a 1 just because the trailer made me crave Skittles.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
MarkB.May 22, 2008
Since this big-screen adaptation and expansion of the popular 1960s Japanese TV cartoon is a PG, there are obviously no on-screen decapitations, but you can be sure that heads rolled in the Warner Bros. front office when this was edged out Since this big-screen adaptation and expansion of the popular 1960s Japanese TV cartoon is a PG, there are obviously no on-screen decapitations, but you can be sure that heads rolled in the Warner Bros. front office when this was edged out of the #2 slot in its opening week by the dopey Cameron Diaz-Ashton Kutcher romcom What Happens In Vegas. (Both movies were bested by a second week of Iron Man.) Not that either Vegas or Racer are going to be invited to any Mensa meetings anytime soon, but this turn of events proves that God's in his heaven and all's right with the world: simple emptyheadedness is infinitely preferable to mindless stupidity. The Gummi Bears color schemes DO hold interest for about 20 minutes, the problem being that this is a 135-minute (!!!) movie that proves once again as do most filmizations of TV sitcoms that what works and even flourishes in small doses can become interminable torture when overextended. (And speaking of meaningless stylistic curlicues, if anyone's tempted to rent this out on DVD in a couple months or so, playing drinking games based on the movie's frequency of psuedo-clever across-the-screen wipes is clearly not advisable; 45 minutes into this and anyone doing anything stronger than O'Doul's is likely to slip into an alcoholic coma.) The Warchowski Brothers, whose best film, 1996's clever kidnap thriller Bound moves farther and farther away from them and whose trademark movie The Matrix was responsible for forming a subadolescent religion whose followers quickly converted to mass nihilism as soon as the sequels came out, have lost the capacity to navigate the most rudimentary demands of simple expository narrative; the one-good-man-seeking-the-truth-in-a-corrupt-system storyline takes forever to unfold, and the two Big Race payoffs don't because the SFX are so artificial and confusingly presented that they kill anything resembling rooting interest. (If you wanted to credit the Wachowskis with more than they deserve, you could chalk this up to an attempt at Brechtian distancing, but then these guys are so post-literate that they'd probably define Brecht as a brand of shampoo once sold at Kroger's.) Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) is fairly dull in the title role, but Susan Sarandon's warmth, Christina Ricci's (uncharacteristic) cuteness and Roger Allam, amusingly channeling Tim Curry's patented plumminess as a villainous tycoon qualify as genuinely if briefly redeeming factors. However, John Goodman, who has always hit the mark when portraying such solidly American figures as Babe Ruth, Huey Long and Fred Flintstone, seems out of place, ill at ease and stiffly bombastic interpreting the product of another culture. (He doesn't look too healthy, either. I'm worried!) Speaking of cultural disconnect, some controversy has arisen as to whether Speed Racer's nonstop frenetic gaudiness will, as certain disco-ball Japanese TV shows have done, induce epileptic fits. Probably not, but NARCOLEPTIC fits, well, that's another story!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
MilesC.Jun 26, 2008
This movie was horrible!!! the only reason i saw it was because it was playing after Iron-man at the drive-in. There was no plot basically it was just one big race that went nowhere. The only fun part of the movie was making fun of it the This movie was horrible!!! the only reason i saw it was because it was playing after Iron-man at the drive-in. There was no plot basically it was just one big race that went nowhere. The only fun part of the movie was making fun of it the whole time. The critics were dead on the rating except it might be somewhat high but I don't know why every one else rated this so high. A 2 year old child might like it but thats just because of all the flashing colors, i wouldn't be surprised if this movie has given people seizures because of all the flashing colors. And for those who say this movie is good for children just remember that twice in the movie a child flips of a adult, some mild language. It was almost as if the just hired special effects guys and forgot to write the plot so they hired some five year old to make it up as they go along. And for children especially its way too confusing, i think they need to include the written plot with explanation before the movie, basically speed found out that xracer was not his brother and then at the end of the movie xracer says that he got plastic surgery and he really is his brother, hmm he isn't yet he is- makes a lot of sense. On top of that it's basically hinting that the big racing company is wal-mart and their small company is a small business that wal-mart forces to go out of business9 which of source a lot of children will get this). Hey i will give them credit for one thing- showing me the worst piece of CRAP I've ever seen! you may be thinking I'm just highly critical and don't like many movies but i did somewhat like the last pirates of the Caribbean movie so go figure.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
KostasNov 14, 2008
No natur rules.No folming rules.No common sense rules generally.New "technique of filming" or giving a product to people is NOT always good!And this is the movie to proove it!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
gm101Dec 3, 2010
What a horrible movie! I actually watched the tv show when I was a kid, and after watching the movie, I realized that some shows are best kept in television, and not made into a movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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0
TheQuietGamerFeb 23, 2011
I can literally find no reason to watch this terrible movie, acting is terrible, and the plot is predictable garbage, avoid at all costs, you have been warned.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
GrabacrJan 7, 2014
I honestly don't see why there are so many good reviews of this. The acting was marginal at best, nothing to brag about. There was a lot of eye candy, sure, but that's more for younger kids, and every attempt it makes at a deeper level isI honestly don't see why there are so many good reviews of this. The acting was marginal at best, nothing to brag about. There was a lot of eye candy, sure, but that's more for younger kids, and every attempt it makes at a deeper level is something we have all seen before and we could all see coming.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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