I was really surprised by how boring Speed Racer was. Yes, it’s by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame). Yes, it has a ton of CGI. Yes, there’s plenty of racing “action.” And I even saw this in IMAX at the Bridge! But YAWN! I almost took a nap.

Unlike Iron Man, I felt like I was perhaps missing out on a lot of inside jokes or a fuller experience by not being a fan of the cartoon on which the movie was based. I couldn’t connect with what was going on on-screen. By the middle of the movie, I stopped caring.

Anyway, I lust after fast cars, drool over exotics and get goosebumps from the sound of a powerful engine. But here? Speed’s Mach 5 and Racer X’s Shooting Star did nothing to ignite that desire. And thus the races were just as hollow. Maybe because I’m familiar with cars it was hard for me to suspend disbelief. But I’ve heard other people say that they, too, didn’t find the racing scenes exciting in the least. Surely a disappointment considering that’s basically what the whole movie is about.

From ReelViews:

At an exceedingly long 135 minutes, the film needs more than what might result from the explosion of a Crayola factory, and Speed Racer has nothing extra to offer — no heart, no excitement, no moments to cherish.

So, yeah, if you want to see a really good blockbuster this weekend, go see Iron Man. But if you’re stuck babysitting a bunch of 10-year-olds hopped up on gummy bears, take them to see Speed Racer. All the fast action, shiny cars and sweeping video game-esque landscape will mesmerize them. And if there are story elements they have trouble following. Not to worry as the movie had the bad habit of overexplaining things with flashbacks. I hate that.