Speed Racer

Play trailer

Speed Racer

PG

Released May 9, 2008

2h 15m

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

218 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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

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

Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Behold the racing stripes and lipstick so red they’d make Technicolor blush, and live-action performances (by almost everyone but star Emile Hirsch) reaching for the transcendently unrestrained hysteria of action anime.

Apr 3, 2025

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

Read all reviews

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

Full Review

David M.

Looks like nothing that has been made before or since. A completely singular movie. What more do you want?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/01/25

Full Review

Reagan R

While it’s a complete reimagining of the original, this is the best anime to live action film to date. I see it as a creative, fun film with likable characters, thrilling movement and colors that pop

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/21/25

Full Review

Jordan P

Honestly it’s a great movie. Yes it has a lot of effects on the screen but it isn’t that hard to keep a track of the plot. It blends in and makes/helps the movie better. It was a good way of honoring the show while still making the movie it’s own.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

Full Review

William F

This movie is peak, the kid was a little annoying though

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/06/25

Full Review

emman S.

This is one of the most fun racing movies ever. You didn’t have to watch the show to be a fan of the movie. The colors really pop and the action is amazing. It has some campy scenes but overall it’s a must watch. It could of been trimmed down a bit. Suspend your disbelief and hop in with speed racer

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Lilly Wachowski

Director

Lana Wachowski

Director

Emile Hirsch

Speed

Christina Ricci

Trixie

Susan Sarandon

Mom Racer

John Goodman

Pops Racer

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker

35%

53%

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker

Watchlist

The Legend of Zorro

27%

47%

The Legend of Zorro

Watchlist

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

35%

67%

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Watchlist

TRAILER

for National Treasure: Book of Secrets

National Treasure

47%

76%

National Treasure

Watchlist

TRAILER

for National Treasure

Top Gun

59%

83%

Top Gun

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Top Gun

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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: Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Entertainment, Silver Pictures
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)

Most Popular at Home Now