Is there the need… the need for Speed?
Speed Racer is a labour of love for the Wachowski Brothers; the self confessed geeks behind the Matrix Trilogy have gone to great lengths to realise their vision of the cult 60's cartoon. Right off the starting line the movie establishes its highly stylised visual appeal with a kaleidoscope of psychedelic imagery, (an epileptic's nightmare that warrants warning signs around the cinema) before entering a bubblegum Bladerunner world of neon CGI and real life actors.

The plot tracks the aptly named Speed (Emile Hirsch, star of last year's 'Into the Wild') as he strives to fulfil his ambition of winning a futuristic Grand Prix. During a brief prologue it's established that his natural instincts and obsession with high octane racing are instilled from an early age as he rides with his revered elder brother Rex, who we later find has met an unfortunate demise, leaving behind his souped-up 'Mach 5' racing car. As Speed moves up the ranks he must deal with the trappings of his success and face corruption within the sport, as he's pressured into a sponsorship deal by a ruthless corporation who threaten to sully the Racer family name. The story follows a tight racing line, to the point that it feels very much like it's on rails, as the young hero must prove himself against the odds, with the help of his family, friends, and some fantastical driving feats on rollercoaster race tracks.

The Racer family are a colourful bunch, headed up by Super Mario look-a-like Pops (John Goodman, who clearly seems to be drawn to cartoon adaptations with this and the Flintstones movie on his CV), Mom (a free-wheeling Susan Sarandon), girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci, who looks every bit the wide-eyed cartoon character) and for the kids – the daft comic pairing of Speed's younger brother Spritle (newcomer Paulie Litt) and Chim-Chim the monkey. These two are clearly intended to provide some light relief during the too frequent dialogue-heavy points of the film, playing as close to the exaggerated actions of their animated equivalents as possible.

It's unfortunate that in reality this type of visual humour feels ridiculously kitsch and more often than not falls flat. To some extent this criticism can be levelled at all of Speed Racer's characters, the cast are clearly working hard, but raised eyebrows, heartfelt dialogue and heavy-handed moral lessons can only go so far – these are still 2D characters, albeit in a snazzy new 3D world. The brief fight scenes go some way to redeeming this element of the film, being more faithful to the Japanimation origins than they are to the Wachowski's back catalogue, the visuals echoing the dramatic flair of modern day Manga 'toons such as Pokémon and Avatar: the Last Airbender (which, incidentally, is also heading to the big screen in 2010). Speed Racer also bares some similarities to some of Warner Bros' other cartoon franchises, most notably with the dastardly weaponry of Wacky Races and the futuristic family feel of the Jetsons.

Considering Andy and Larry Wachowski found fame through their revolutionary 'bullet-time' special effects in the Matrix films, devoting moments of hyper-real focus to fast-paced action, the lack of clarity in this film is a big disappointment. Whilst the film isn't aiming for realism, the impressive explosions and fender-bending vehicular combat are severely undermined by the floating sensation of the cars and the lack of impact when opponents jostle for position. The races convey an intense impression of speed, but it feels disconnected, the audience left blinded by the assortment of motion blurs, light coronas and trailblazing neon effects, it's akin to watching a video game without the benefit of being in control or having the 'off' button within easy reach.

Speed Racer is fast, polished and has a style of its own, but there's not a lot under the hood, it has no sense of grip and ultimately it's a really unsatisfying ride. Kids may find it fun but there's more mileage to be had from Iron Man which is also showing now and mixes humour and blockbuster action to much better effect.

Verdict: **