"Speed Racer" is an adaptation of the beloved 1960s Japanese anime classic. The movie visibly pushes the boundaries that separate animation and live action by creating moments of surprising beauty, often to striking effect. "Speed Racer" begins with a fast car race sequence that morphs into a flashback, then back again, in a whirling vortex of exposition and action. We meet the title character as a young boy, daydreaming about his idolized older brother Rex.

As "Speed Racer" toggles to the present day－or its futuristic version－it becomes clear that Speed (Emile Hirsch) has grown into a young adult and is in the process of winning a big race in front of his adoring family: Mom and Pops Racer (Susan Sarandon and John Goodman), little brother Spritle (Paulie Litt) and the family's pet chimpanzee.

The next day, Speed and his family answer the door to a wealthy sponsor named Royalton (Roger Allam), who proceeds to take the Racers on a Willy Wonka-like tour of his fabulous facilities. For the rest of the movie, "Speed Racer" centers on whether the wholesome, down-to-earth Speed will resist Royalton's blandishments and, if he does, whether he can win the sport of car racing back from the crooks and corporate types who have taken it over.