Unique and funky, but also a bit of a mess. Quite surprisingly there are seriously good, dramatic dialogue moments -- really stellar actually, really deep, relevant and important even. But then again, there are moments where this racing film stalls. In fact, most of the going is stop and go, stop and go.

Strikingly bold and different in its cinematic appearance, the picture melds live action and anime/animation. The colors are primary and brilliant, but the mix doesn't always sell.

That said, I absolutely loved the opening of this film. Young Speed Racer sits in school, bored to tears or more to the point -- distracted by daydreams of racing. The filmmakers melt reality into his daydream via a mix of animation and live action that soars with intensity, passion and good humor. I loved it, sadly the filmmakers seldom return to this style. The blend of the bulk is less exhilarating for the most part.

Overall all, it's really one big, fun, boring, creative, brave, mix. Sometimes it seems great for kids; sometimes it doesn't seem so appropriate. Simply, a funky mess. But I truly respect the effort. Grading? My head says it's clearly a B, but my heart wants to give it a B+ for being so bold. A strong climax is betrayed by a resolution that drops like a brick because of the poor handling of the awesome Racer X. Oh heck, I'll round up to a B+, but with serious reservations.

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