Speed eventually takes his brother's place at the wheel of the Mach 5, a masterpiece of automotive technology built by his father, Pops Racer (Goodman). With the help of his girlfriend, Trixie (Ricci), who spots for him during races from her pink helicopter, Speed quickly becomes noticed in the racing world. His big wins attract the attention of a multinational conglomerate, Royalton Industries. Royalton himself (Roger Allam) pays a visit to the Racer home and invites the family to tour his corporate headquarters. There he makes an offer to hire Speed as a driver and incorporate the independent Racer family business into his massive operation.

When Speed refuses to sell out, Royalton becomes furious and vows to destroy him and the rest of the Racer family. He reveals to Speed that the major races are all routinely fixed by the big corporations, and promises that he will never win another race. Undeterred, Speed becomes David to Royalton's Goliath, setting out to prove that he cannot be intimidated into quitting. With the help of the mysterious Racer X, an agent of an organization dedicated to rooting out corruption in the world of racing, Speed fights back the only way he knows how, by using his racing skills. The only obstacle in his way is The Crucible, the very race that took his brother's life. Or did it?

A candy-coated sugar rush

The Wachowski brothers don't seem to be able to make an ordinary film. With the Matrix trilogy, they created a new template for action thrillers that's been imitated countless times since. Now they've set out to change the game once again with Speed Racer, a hyperkinetic, kaleidoscopic assault on the senses of sight and sound.

The universe of Speed Racer—seemingly centered entirely around auto racing—is essentially a virtual world where the rules of gravity and logic are suspended in favor of extraordinary visual spectacle. The film was shot using green-screen backgrounds and multiple effects techniques with a distinct video-game style. Gamers may not be bothered by the excessive stylistic qualities of the film, but those not used to vivid colors (particularly acid green, bright orange, royal blue and violet), eye-popping graphics and rapid-fire editing may find it all a bit overwhelming.

The characters of Spritle (Paulie Litt), Speed's younger brother, and Chim Chim, his pet chimpanzee, serve the purpose of comic relief, just as they did on the original show. Younger children may find their antics amusing, but for more mature viewers, the characters wear thin awfully quickly. And when their scenes are intercut with actual plot developments, they tend to slow down the film rather than lighten it up.

At the other end of the spectrum, the performances of Sarandon and Goodman help elevate the material in every scene they're in. In a world as fantastical as this, it's essential that the actors provide some sense of humanity to ground the film in an emotional reality. Sarandon and Goodman both serve the film well in that capacity. Hirsch holds his own in his scenes with them, too. As the lead character, he must serve as the surrogate for the audience, and he succeeds. He even manages to make the original costume look cool, not an easy task when that includes a jaunty neckerchief.

This is a film that centers on the visual performance of style. Plot is a less important consideration, although there is a commendable anti-corporate message underlying the story (only the Wachowski brothers could get away with such a blatant dig at the Hollywood system within a Hollywood film). It takes a while to get to the real crux of the film, but at least there's lots of scenery along the way to keep the journey from getting boring.