I was worried during the first act as it was full of lengthy exposition. I thought “Shouldn’t there be some racing?” But after that, it was a fun ride.

This is definitely a kid’s film. The humor and wacky action is definitely aimed for 10 or 12 year olds. So there’s that. The style is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s a crazy twisting neon kaleidoscope of races and fight scenes witnessed previously only in anime. Everything about the races is over the top. Cars don’t spend more than two seconds going straight ahead. The rest of the time they are drifting into impossible spaghetti curves or flipping through the air or cartwheeling along mountainsides.

The editing and visual style definitely overwhelm everything else. Susan Sarandon, John Goodman and Christina Ricci hold their own like pros. Emil Hirsch does a fair job competing against the visual effects to be a likable Speed. The kid playing Spritle is the Jar-Jar of the film, though he has some genuinely funny moments. And there’s a monkey. Who doesn’t love monkeys?

My favorite character was Racer X. I kind of wish the movie was called “Racer X’ instead of “Speed Racer”, but that’s me.

The second act is the most fun, with all kinds of crazy racing, Dragonball Z fight sequences and ninjas. You already know how the third act is going to go down about halfway through the film, but it was still fun to watch.

If you can get past the groan-worthy first part of the movie, there’s a lot to enjoy. Whoever cut this film is a true artist. The mind that could think in the same way that this film moves brushes against the alien.

1. There Will Be Blood
2. Batman Begins
3. Ghostbusters
4. Barton Fink
5. Old Boy
6. Iron Man
7. My Left Foot
8. Ratatouille
9. Speed Racer
10. Gone Baby Gone