Official Synopsis:
Grab the wheel as you steer your way into the future of action with this full-throttle movie... that jump-starts the new TV series, Speed Racer: The Next Generation. When Speed enters the elite Racing Academy, he shifts gears for a series of futuristic adventures that unite the classic fun of the original Speed Racer and the out-of-this-world excitement of virtual racing. Pulse-pounding trouble follows at every turn as Speed uncovers the secrets of his identity. Not only is the legendary Speed Racer his father, but also his top competition, X, is his brother! Speed also finds the top secret plans for his racing car the Mach-6, but the evil billionaire, Zile Zazic, will do everything in his power to stop Speed from discovering the remaining clues for the creation of a gasless engine. With the help of his crew, Lucy, Conor, and Chim Chim the Robot, Speed will have to do more than just outrun Zile - he'll have to master cutting-edge techno-racing in this adrenaline-pumping thrill ride!
  
Our Take:
I love Speed Racer. I grew up watching all the old cartoons and I’ve purchased all the DVD’s since they’ve been released. And just like the upcoming blockbuster directed by the Wachowski Brothers, any fan of Speed should take this turn with caution. That’s just what I did and little by little, this new incarnation grew on me much in the way the original has.

Speed Racer: The Next Generation isn’t just a renewal of the character for a new generation; it’s a futuristic tale involving a driving school that Speed and Spritle build the foundation for, much in the vein of the amazing Disney movie Sky High.

This movie isn’t really so much of a movie as it is a first episode to the show that is apparently running on Nicktoons. It only runs a little over an hour and leaves many plotlines open-ended. Elements such as Speed missing from the world; his hotshot racer son, X; and the new mysterious racer who drives just like (and is named) Speed don’t come to much of a conclusion but rather a setup for the series to follow.

Special features include:

* The Making Of Speed Racer: The Next Generation (10 minutes) – The creators talk about how they wanted to keep the show as tonally close to the original as possible.

* The Virtual Track Racing Game – Another lame DVD game.

* Meet The Folks At The Racing Academy – Bios on Speed, X, Conor, Lucy, Annalise Zazic, Zile Zazic, Jared and Jesse, Chim Chim, Headmaster Spritle, Prof Susan Winn, and Prof Armand Aniskou.

I honestly do think fans of the original Speed Racer could really enjoy Speed Racer: The Next Generation and, if nothing else, they will be able to enjoy watching it with their kids as it’s one of the better family entertainment shows when you know you’ll be rewatching it a million times a week.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A
DVD: B-

- Landen Chase Pelish
Staff Writer