Speed Racer

May 9 2008 by The Journal

(2hr 15mins) Starring: Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Mattew Fox. Directors: Andy & Larry Wachowski

BASED on the Japanese animated series, this signals the return of Andy and Larry Wachowski, the brothers who pioneered "bullet time" in The Matrix trilogy.

There are thrills here too, set in a retro-futuristic world of high- speed motor sport. The Wachowskis conjure a comic book universe of retina-searing colour and neon that melds live action with digital environs, in a non-stop assault on the senses.

Fights are imagined as frames of hand-drawn cartoons.

Technically at least, the film is a triumph, but under the bonnet the screenplay needs fine-tuning to let performances stand out.

Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is such a demon behind the wheel, he’s offered lucrative sponsorship.

He declines, determined to stay independent and restore the sport’s reputation in this turbo-charged blast for kids. Sadly, for experienced drivers, the brothers forget to put sufficient emotion in the tank and their film is several laps too long.