Speed Racer

Acting: A
Production Quality: A
Plot: A
Positive Elements: A
Negative Elements: B (Occasional expletives and profanities)

GPA: 3.8

Comments: My boys and I thought this was a wonderful movie. Great action and some really fun humor that my boys would say was the best part of the movie-especially the scene with the poor ninja who tried to attack Speed Racer in the middle of the night but instead found himself facing the entire Racer family. I enjoyed this aspect mostly because my boys enjoyed it. In fact, they consistently cackled and jumped around in their seats with pleasure.

The production quality was unlike anything I have seen before. The Wachowski brothers have once again pushed the cinematic envelope. Since it was based upon a cartoon (that was admittedly before my time), it was appropriate for the directors to produce a movie that was the essence of animation reproduced in live action. The result is fun and mesmerizing. A real treat for the cinematic senses.

However, I was most impressed by two themes that were the centerpiece of the movie. The first was the theme of a family coming together to support each other in spite of and because of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The family's unconditional love was a testimony to an ideal that is built into the consciences of all people. The family is not perfect, but love covers a multitude of sins. Consistent with this was the additional, powerful theme of humble and costly sacrifice that has no need for glory, but instead acts entirely out of love for family and justice. Glory in not a thing to be grasped in order to bring justice and save the lives of many.

I highly recommend this movie to those families with children mature enought to avoid imitating occasional expletives and a few common profanities. We will probably see it again when it comes out on DVD because I think it is worth watching twice.