Speed Racer

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Speed Racer

PG

Released May 9, 2008

2h 15m

Action

Adventure

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

217 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Born into a family business of race cars, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is one of the track's hot stars. Sitting at the wheel of his Mach 5, he consistently deflates the competition. When Speed turns down an offer from the head of Royalton Industries, he uncovers a secret. Powerful moguls fix the races to boost profits. Hoping to beat the executive, Speed enters the same arduous cross-country race that killed his brother.

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Critics Consensus

Overloaded with headache-inducing special effects, Speed Racer finds the Wachowskis focused on visual thrills at the expense of a coherent storyline.

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William Goss

Film.com

Amid the overly earnest tone, (almost) squeaky-clean humor and familiar messages about teamwork and integrity is the rare film family that's as strong at the start as they are by the end.

May 29, 2013

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

You have to be 12 to like it, and I have to say there is little or nothing here to remind us why we were all quite so excited about The Matrix.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Tom Charity

CNN.com

Twelve-year-old boys should be wowed, but for the rest of us, it will depend on your appetite for eye candy.

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

The Wachowskis’ style is very distinctive, and while The Matrix series is far grittier than Speed Racer, they share the same belief that good people and love are the answer to changing the world for the better.

Jul 25, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

It’s a cinematic sugar rush.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 10, 2023

Full Review

Belen Edwards

Mashable

While I wouldn't go as far as to say Speed Racer is a masterpiece, it is a supremely good time.

Dec 29, 2021

Full Review

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Jadan S

One of the very few Anime to Live-action films made that not only honors the original show, but improves upon it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/04/25

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Z R

Not everyone will like this movie. But for viewers like me who grew up in awe of this cartoon and for whom it was pivotal in our young lives, this movie is a masterpiece. It's an unapologetic love letter to the original cartoon, with countless references from subtle to direct, everything from facial expressions, sound effects, plot developments, car details, and even the campy martial arts. I felt like every aspect of the movie was true to the concept of the cartoon, and the casting choices and the acting were excellent. It's visually alive like an arcade game, which can border on overwhelming, but it worked as a modern interpretation of the cartoon's action sequences. The great use of musical elements from the cartoon added to the nostalgia effect, but the message - especially in one of Pops' quotes about greed - is absolutely relevant 17 years later (2025).

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/25

Full Review

C T

One of the greatest movies ever made. This movie changed my life. Easily the most visually stunning movie ever. There has never been a movie more made for the big screen than this. Now that it's developed such a huge cult following it should be played repeatedly like Rocky Horror Picture Show. Speed Racer is a movie that belongs on the big screen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/25

Full Review

Oaklee D

This has got to be the most ugly film I have ever seen, Visually horrible to look at and the story was just as bad with new characters popping up what seems like every five minutes or so with no warning. I found myself repeating the same four words over and over again and they are "WHAT... IS... GOING... ON". This film also dragged on and was about 45 minutes to long, it just didn't know when to end. overall I can stress enough how bad it is and definitely can't recommend it. Another blemish on the Wachowskis filmography.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/24/25

Full Review

Martín M

La mejor pelicula de todos los tiempos, si la ultima secuencia no te hace sentir un minimo de alguna emoción dejame decirte que no tenes alma

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/25

Full Review

Nick R

Your enjoyment of this movie will mainly depend on how high you are while watching it. But you'll be entertained for sure.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/07/24

Full Review

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Lilly Wachowski

Director

Lana Wachowski

Director

Emile Hirsch

Speed

Christina Ricci

Trixie

Susan Sarandon

Mom Racer

John Goodman

Pops Racer

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Synopsis

Born into a family business of race cars, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is one of the track's hot stars. Sitting at the wheel of his Mach 5, he consistently deflates the competition. When Speed turns down an offer from the head of Royalton Industries, he uncovers a secret. Powerful moguls fix the races to boost profits. Hoping to beat the executive, Speed enters the same arduous cross-country race that killed his brother.

Director: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Producer: Joel Silver, Grant Hill, Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Screenwriter: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Silver Pictures, Village Roadshow Entertainment, Warner Bros.
Rating: PG (Language|Brief Smoking|Sequences of Action|Some Violence)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 9, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $43.9M
Runtime: 2h 15m
Sound Mix: DTS, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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