Common Sense Media Review
Based on a 1960s Japanese cartoon of the same name, "Speed Racer" stars Emile Hirsch as Speed, the middle son in a racing family who has, as his name suggests, a gift for speed. But all is not fun and games: Speed's older brother appears to have died in a horrible accident that may have been engineered by an evil conglomerate -- which starts gunning for him after he turns down their offer of a lucrative contract as long as he races for them. Luckily, Speed has tons of support, including his race-car builder dad (John Goodman), encouraging mother (Susan Sarandon), feisty girlfriend (Christina Ricci), cheerleading brother (Paulie Litt), and the family's pet chimp. And then there's Racer X (Matthew Fox), an enigmatic driver who recruits Speed to fight for justice.

It's not entirely clear why the Wachowski brothers -- the CGI geniuses behind the Matrix trilogy -- didn't make Speed Racer into an animated feature. The film certainly feels like it wants to be one. In the best sense, it has that hyperbolic feel of a Road Runner cartoon, all whiz-bang and excitement (though, that said, the first act is pretty slow). The race scenes look like they're taking place inside a flashing pinball machine -- all the more appealing for the young fans who'll surely flock to see it. But parents shouldn't worry: Except for a few salty words and some painful fight scenes, it's squeaky clean. Perhaps a little too squeaky clean, in fact, for Matrix fans looking for an edge. There isn't one (only the Mach 5's turns are sharp).

"Speed Racer" also suffers from some of the pitfalls of many animated adventures -- it's light on storytelling (the underlying theme about sports being too beholden to large corporations barely gets out of the gate) and burdened with earnest, snoozy dialogue. The actors have so little to do -- clearly, emphasis was placed on the special effects -- that the movie almost doesn't need its big-name stars. And the mightily stylized look goes into overdrive, potentially leaving older audiences with a migraine. Some may find themselves longing for a good, old-fashioned race, one that takes place on a real track, to give them some non-computer-generated excitement.

Teens and adults may also enjoy the Wachowskis' Matrix series, as well as the more nuanced blockbuster Iron Man. Younger kids can check out the updated Speed Racer cartoon series.

What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this fast-paced, visually kinetic racing movie -- which is the first family-targeted movie from "Matrix" creators Larry and Andy Wachowski -- seems tailor made for kids under 12 who've been raised on video games and anime adventures. The central family sticks together, which is nice to see, and there's hardly any swearing or sexual content. But some fight scenes are vicious, with tons of bone-crunching noises and other sounds (though there's not much in the way of blood). The basic good-versus-evil story will entertain kids, but it may leave older teens and adults -- especially those who love the original '60s animated series -- indifferent.

Families can talk about whether this movie feels more like a live-action film or a cartoon. Why? What do you think the filmmakers wanted watching it to feel like? If family members have seen the Matrix movies, you can talk about what they have in common with this film, if anything. Families can also discuss how the movie portrays Speed's family. Do his parents seem supportive of his dreams? How has his older brother influenced his choices? How does the family in this movie compare to families in other movies?