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

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

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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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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

Michael M.

Admittedly, not the best movie ever made. But! The storyline, graphics, and overall feel good nature of movie, coupled with a triumphant victory over the bad guy, makes up for some of the obvious potholes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

Full Review

Daniel V

Perfeito! Não consigo pensar em outra palavra para descrever Speed Racer, esse filme marcou minha infância e ressoa ainda hoje na minha vida adulta. É triste lembrar que em seu lançamento foi incompreendido. A trama pode parecer simples à primeira vista, mas esconde uma profundidade emocional e temática surpreendente. Com um estilo artístico ousado e único, a direção entrega cenas de ação verdadeiramente de tirar o fôlego! Tudo é extremamente estilizado, mas nunca vazio, cada cor, corte e movimento tem um propósito. Me faltam palavras para expressar o quanto eu gosto deste filme, nunca teremos outro igual a ele. Sinceramente, considero Speed Racer o melhor filme de corrida já feito. Uma verdadeira masterpiece injustamente e esquecida pelo tempo.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

Full Review

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Lilly Wachowski

Director

Lana Wachowski

Director

Emile Hirsch

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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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