Speed Racer

(PG) 134min

FANTASY/ADVENTURE

Having taken a break from directing since completing The Matrix trilogy five years ago, the Wachowski brothers (who wrote and produced but didn’t direct their last film, the abysmal V for Vendetta) are back in the driving seat with this sci-fi sports movie targeted at a younger audience than their cyberpunk opus. It’s a live action though CG-heavy adaptation of a 1960s Japanese television anime about a futuristic family of race car designer-drivers that was dubbed into English and became a popular with American kids, little Andy and Larry Wachowski included.

The Wachowskis version casts Emile Hirsch (last seen in a very different kind of film, Sean Penn’s outdoors drama Into the Wild) as the titular teen hero, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman as mom and pop Racer, and Christina Ricci as Speed’s spunky girlfriend Trixie. The rudimentary story pits this all-American family of auto freaks against a race-rigging British corporate fat cat named Royalton (Roger Allam), and the film’s message is: business bad, family good, winning best of all.

Not that any of it really matters in a film that’s spectacle-driven. With the cast acting within and playing second fiddle to an otherwise fully computer-generated world, one wonders why the Wachowskis bothered at all with the human element. The cartoon styling and retro look are immaculately conceived, and the race sequences are migraine-inducing, stomach-churning thrill-rides that handle like the video games the film is indebted to. That said, Speed Racer nevertheless suffers – as did The Matrix franchise – from far too many longueurs, which are likely to leave the target audience bored.

General release from Fri 9 May.

More: Adventure, Andy Wachowski, Christina Ricci, Emile Hirsch, Fantasy, John Goodman, Larry Wachowski, Roger Allam, Speed Racer, Susan Sarandon, Reviews (Film)

Speed Racer

Date	Location
A live action though CG-heavy adaptation of a 1960s Japanese television anime about a futuristic family of racecar designer-drivers who are pitted against a corporate fat cat. The film's message is: business bad, family good, winning best of all. Not that this matters in a film with migraine-inducing race sequences and stomach-churning thrill-rides.
16 May–22 May Fri & Sat 11.10am, 1.10, 2.10, 4.10, 5.10, 7.10, 8.10, 10.10 & 11.10; 11.10am, 1.10, 2.10, 4.10, 5.10, 7.10, 8.10 & 10.10; Thu 11.10am, 2.10, 5.10 & 8.10	Showcase Cinema, Coatbridge, Glasgow
16 May–22 May Fri & Sat 11.10am, 1.10, 2.10, 4.10, 5.10, 7.10, 8.10, 10.10 & 11.10; 11.10am, 1.10, 2.10, 4.10, 5.10, 7.10, 8.10 & 10.10; Thu 11.10am, 2.10, 5.10 & 8.10	Showcase Cinema, Paisley, Paisley
16 May–21 May 2.15, 5.15 & 8.15; Fri & Sat 11.15am, 2.15, 5.15, 8.15 & 11.10; Sun 11.15am, 2.15, 5.15 & 8.15	Vue Aberdeen, Aberdeen
16 May–22 May Fri–Wed 11.50am, 2.45, 5.50 & 8.45; 5.50 & 8.45	Cineworld Parkhead, Glasgow
16 May–21 May Fri–Wed 12.15 & 3.30	Vue Edinburgh Omni, Edinburgh
16 May–22 May 12.30 & 4.00	Moray Playhouse, Elgin
16 May–22 May 12.30, 3.15 & 6.00	Odeon Dundee, Dundee
16 May–21 May 12.30, 1.50, 3.30, 4.50 & 7.50; Sat & Sun 11.00am, 12.30, 1.50, 3.30, 4.50 & 7.50	Vue Hamilton, Hamilton
16 May–21 May 10.00am, 10.40am, 12.30, 1.20, 3.15, 6.00 & 8.45; Fri 1.20, 3.15, 6.00 & 8.45; Tue 10.00am, 10.40am, 12.30, 1.20, 3.15 & 8.45; Wed 1.20, 3.15, 6.00 & 8.45	Vue Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh
16 May–22 May 1.40, 4.50 & 8.00; Thu 12.15 & 5.35	Perth Playhouse, Perth
16 May–22 May Sat & Sun 12.45; Fri–Wed 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00; Thu 3.20 & 8.45	Empire Clydebank, Clydebank
16 May–22 May 2.00, 5.15 & 8.30; Sat & Sun 11.00am, 2.00, 5.15 & 8.30; Mon 2.00 & 8.30; Tue 2.00; Thu 12.45 & 3.45	Odeon At The Quay, Glasgow
16 May–22 May Fri–Tue 2.00, 2.30, 5.15, 5.50 & 8.20; Wed 2.00, 2.30, 5.15 & 5.50; Thu 2.00, 5.15 & 8.20; Sat & Sun 11.00am, 2.00, 2.30, 5.15, 5.50 & 8.20	Odeon Dunfermline, Dunfermline
16 May–22 May 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00; Sat–Mon 11.00am, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00; Thu 2.30	Vue Livingston, Livingston
16 May–22 May Fri–Sun 2.15, 4.45 & 7.20; Mon–Thu 4.45 & 7.20	IMAX Theatre, Glasgow
16 May–22 May Fri 2.30, 5.40 & 8.40; Sat 11.10am, 2.30, 5.40 & 8.40; Sun 11.10am, 2.10, 5.10 & 8.20; Mon–Wed 2.10, 5.10 & 8.20; Thu 2.20	Odeon Kilmarnock, Kilmarnock
16 May–22 May 2.30, 5.40 & 8.50; Sat & Sun 11.30am, 2.30, 5.40 & 8.50	Odeon East Kilbride, East Kilbride
16 May–22 May 2.30 & 5.30; Tue 2.30 & 5.20; Sat & Sun 11.40am, 2.30 & 5.30; Mon 2.30	Odeon: Braehead, Renfrew
16 May–22 May Fri–Wed 2.45 & 5.30; Thu 2.45	Odeon Ayr, Ayr
16 May–21 May 2.50, 5.30 & 8.10; Sat & Sun 12.00, 2.50, 5.30 & 8.10	Vue Inverness, Inverness
16 May–22 May 2.50 & 5.45; Thu 2.50	Odeon, Edinburgh
16 May–22 May 4.45 & 7.45; Sat & Sun 1.30, 4.45 & 7.45; Thu 1.00	Odeon Wester Hailes, Edinburgh
16 May–22 May 5.20; Sat & Sun 1.50 & 5.20	The Pavilion, Galashiels
16 May–22 May 5.30; Sat & Sun 1.30 & 5.30	Lonsdale Cinema, Annan
16 May–22 May 5.50; Sat & Sun 1.50 & 5.50	New Picture House, St Andrews
16 May–22 May 6.15; Sat & Sun 1.30 & 6.15	Highland Theatre, Oban
16 May–22 May 7.30; Sat & Sun 1.45 & 7.30	The Waterfront, Greenock
17 May–18 May Sat & Sun 3.20	Grosvenor, Glasgow

Speed Racer (Digital Screening)

Date	Location
A live action though CG-heavy adaptation of a 1960s Japanese television anime about a futuristic family of racecar designer-drivers who are pitted against a corporate fat cat. The film's message is: business bad, family good, winning best of all. Not that this matters in a film with migraine-inducing race sequences and stomach-churning thrill-rides.
16 May–22 May 10.30am, 1.30, 4.40 & 8.00; Thu 10.30am, 1.30 & 4.40; Mon 10.30am, 1.30, 5.45 & 8.40	Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow
16 May–22 May 11.05am, 2.05, 5.20 & 8.25; Sun 2.05, 5.20 & 8.25; Mon 11.05am, 2.05 & 8.25; Thu 11.05am	Cineworld Edinburgh, Edinburgh
16 May–22 May 11.25am, 2.20, 5.15 & 8.10; Sun 2.20, 5.15 & 8.10; Mon 11.25am, 2.20 & 5.15; Fri & Sat 11.25am, 2.20, 5.15, 8.10 & 11.00; Thu 1.00 & 6.10	Cineworld Dundee, Dundee
16 May–22 May 11.50am, 2.50, 5.50 & 8.50; Thu 11.50am; Tue 11.50am & 2.50; Sun 2.50, 5.50 & 8.50; Mon 11.50am, 2.50 & 8.50	Cineworld Aberdeen, Aberdeen
16 May–22 May 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00; Sat 11.05am, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00; Thu 11.05am; Sun 11.05am, 5.00 & 8.00; Mon 2.00 & 5.00	Cineworld Falkirk, Falkirk

Speed Racer (Digital Screening) (Subtitled)

Date	Location
A live action though CG-heavy adaptation of a 1960s Japanese television anime about a futuristic family of racecar designer-drivers who are pitted against a corporate fat cat. The film's message is: business bad, family good, winning best of all. Not that this matters in a film with migraine-inducing race sequences and stomach-churning thrill-rides.
18 May–19 May Sun 11.05am; Mon 5.20	Cineworld Edinburgh, Edinburgh
18 May–19 May Sun 11.25am; Mon 8.10	Cineworld Dundee, Dundee
18 May–19 May Sun 11.50am; Mon 5.50	Cineworld Aberdeen, Aberdeen
18 May–19 May Sun 2.00; Mon 8.00	Cineworld Falkirk, Falkirk

Speed Racer (Parent & Baby Screening)

Date	Location
A live action though CG-heavy adaptation of a 1960s Japanese television anime about a futuristic family of racecar designer-drivers who are pitted against a corporate fat cat. The film's message is: business bad, family good, winning best of all. Not that this matters in a film with migraine-inducing race sequences and stomach-churning thrill-rides.
20 May Tue 11.00am	Odeon Kilmarnock, Kilmarnock
21 May Wed 11.30am	Vue Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh

Speed Racer (Subtitled)

Date	Location
A live action though CG-heavy adaptation of a 1960s Japanese television anime about a futuristic family of racecar designer-drivers who are pitted against a corporate fat cat. The film's message is: business bad, family good, winning best of all. Not that this matters in a film with migraine-inducing race sequences and stomach-churning thrill-rides.
19 May Mon 1.30, 4.45 & 7.45	Odeon Wester Hailes, Edinburgh
19 May–20 May Mon & Tue 5.15	Odeon At The Quay, Glasgow
19 May Mon 5.30	Odeon: Braehead, Renfrew

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