Speed Racer

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Speed Racer

PG

Released May 9, 2008

2h 15m

Action

Adventure

Comedy

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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.

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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

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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

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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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Kevin T

This was the quintessential cartoon brought to life. The movie paid respectful and spot on homage to the Speed Racer cartoon that my generation both knew and loved. Well done.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/21/25

Full Review

Carter B.

This is my child hood movie I used to watch this every day from ages 5-9. Going back to it as an adult it only brings me joy. This movie was once discribed as an acid trip by one of my roommates where to me who remembers going to bed and dreaming speed racer I welcome that acid trip. I hope the reboot the franchise.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/25

Full Review

Audience Member

hot take, speed racer the movie is the one defining movies of 21st century, primary with camera work. There is no depth of field. It makes live action look like animation. no traditional cuts, it keeps you focused the whole screen time, mostly everything is layed on top of each other like green screens. The way they do the jump cuts through past and presences is outstanding. Sure this movie looks like a million humming birds at a time but it ease you into the pacing that it becomnes. Now i see more movies like it, with odd ball visual energy, mad max fury road, barbie, everything everywhere all at once and the movie is about family trauma and corruption and evil corporate billionaires

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/17/25

Full Review

V

Unfortunately, the movie did not meet basic expectations, and I left early

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/13/25

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

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Lilly Wachowski

Director

Lana Wachowski

Director

Emile Hirsch

Speed

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Trixie

Susan Sarandon

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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: 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)

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