REVIEW: Speed Racer is 2.5/5

There was a point when a cartoon series or a comic book could not be made into a successful film. The first Simpsons film made sometime in the late '70s or early '80s was quite a disaster. The first Asterix film also bombed at the box-office. But the Simpsons sequel did brilliant business at the box-office. And if reports are to be believed, the soon to be released Asterix at the Olympics is likely to be a superhit.

For the adults, Speed Racer the cartoon series which used to be telecast on Cartoon Network was just one of the many cartoons being televised. But for a whole generation of kids who were growing up in the '90s, Speed Racer wasn't an animated figure. He was their idol, their hero and almost every boy who was a regular viewer of this series wanted to grow up and become a speed racer.

At PVR Cinemas on Wednesday night, there was an air of excitement in the audience (normally missing at film previews these days). The audience mainly comprised people under 25 who were familiar with all the characters in the film. But for the uninitiated, this film is about the Racer family, which has Pops (John Goodman) and Mom (Susan Sarandon). It has been a decade since Stepmom released but Susan Sarandon looks more or less the same. Hats off to this evergreen actress!

What it's about

The oldest brother is Rex Racer who people believe has died in a racing accident. There is Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) who has only one passion in his life – living life on the racetrack. Speed cares about racing and wanting to clear the mystery behind his brother's death. And he has his lovely girlfriend Trixie standing behind him to help him in his endeavours.

Rex Racer loses his life in the Casa Cristo and then Speed is forced to enter the same race a few years later.