Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- exuberant
- whimsical
- uplifting
- family movie night
- action movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's elaborate visual effects, cinematography, score, and cast while finding its overloaded spectacle difficult to reconcile with an incoherent story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The racing sequences and cityscapes use bright colors, CGI-heavy imagery, and rapid graphic transitions as a defining aesthetic.
Royalton Industries fixes races and pressures Speed after he rejects its offer, threatening both the Racer family business and the sport.
Speed follows the path of his deceased older brother Rex while relying on Pops, Mom, and Trixie to protect the family enterprise.
The film translates the Speed Racer television series into live action through exaggerated physics, flamboyant design, and whimsical action.
Films like Speed Racer, and why
Cars
color-saturated family action, racing spectacle, and playful technological design
The Incredibles
kinetic visual style, comic-book energy, family loyalty, and corporate villainy
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
stylized high-speed action, colorful spectacle, and an underdog resisting powerful institutions
Movie Details
- Directors
- Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
- Release Date
- 2008-05-07
- Runtime
- 135 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1866)
Cast
- Emile Hirsch
- Christina Ricci
- John Goodman
- Susan Sarandon
- Matthew Fox
- Roger Allam
- Paulie Litt
- Benno Fürmann
- Hiroyuki Sanada
- Rain
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Speed Racer about?
- A fiercely stylized young racer defies a corrupt corporate empire to honor his family and save the sport he loves.
- What is Speed Racer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Speed Racer as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Speed Racer violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Speed Racer as mild.
- What did critics think of Speed Racer?
- Critics broadly admired the film's elaborate visual effects, cinematography, score, and cast while finding its overloaded spectacle difficult to reconcile with an incoherent story.
- Which films are like Speed Racer?
- Films with a similar feel include Cars, The Incredibles, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
- How long is Speed Racer?
- Speed Racer runs 135 minutes.
- Where can I watch Speed Racer?
- In United States, Speed Racer streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
