A turbo-charged blast for kids
Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a demon behind the wheel of the sleek Mach 5 designed by his father John Goodman.
The family racing business arouses the interest of Royalton Industries boss Arnold Royalton (Roger Allam), who offers Speed a lucrative contract.
The young driver declines the offer, determined to remain an independent and honour the memory of his older brother, who died during the notorious Crucible cross-country rally.
Based on a Japanese animated series, Speed Racer is a turbo-charged blast for kids. Unfortunately, directors Andy and Larry Wachowski (The Matrix) forget to put sufficient genuine emotion in the tank and their film is several laps too long at 129 minutes.
Speed Racer (Cert PG, 129 mins, Family/Action/Comedy/Drama)
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