 Speed Racer was completely eviscerated by critics when it hit theaters in 2008. But is it as bad as everybody says it is? The answer may shock you. It's not. No, it's not as bad as people say. All right, let's start the view. Listen, kids, this isn't your grandma's racing film. In fact, she may die by the time the credits roll on this two hour plus color extravaganza. One thing that may hook her though is Speed Racer's parents, played by John Goodman and Susan Sarandon. Old people love these too, and you may also, as you see them, explore every ounce of acting they have inside of their bodies. If Academy Award winners aren't your cup of penzoil, maybe E-Mile Hersh is. He's the titular character here, and what he lacks in charisma he more than makes up for in likability. If you ask me, we already have a full picture with these three alone, but there's plenty more to talk about, like Christina Ricci. Sure, she may not get some of these so-called critics engines roaring, but she can do a full service job on me any day. I don't even know what that means, but I'm all in on this film, so let's keep going. She plays Speed's love interest Trixie, a saucy little minx who can keep up with the boys on and off the track. And speaking of boys, Matthew Fox was once a boy, and now he's a man. He was also one of the leads in Lost, that show, that was a show. Here he plays Hartthrob Racer X, a man with a mysterious past who's out for revenge, and I can relate to him very much as I too have a past. In fact, we all have a past, so we should all be able to relate. For all the modern family aerial winter stands out there, I'm using that term correctly, right? I don't care. She's in this too, as a young Trixie, who I probably should have mentioned earlier when I was talking about Trixie, but this is YouTube, and I'm basically working for free at this point, so who really cares? After this video's done, you'll be recommended a Ellen clip where someone jumps out of a box and scares the celebrity guest. Enjoy that. Have you ever loved something so much you can't stop thinking about it? I know I do when it comes to masturbation, and so does Speed, when it comes to getting behind the wheel of a T-180, AKA Mach 5. Unfortunately, the only Mach that critics love is that of this film, mocking this film. Once again, I'm making very little on YouTube. Speed Racer wants to win the Grand Prix, but as the film progresses, realizes the road to glory is paved in lies, blood, and greed. The villain of the picture, Arnold Royalton, the billionaire owner of conglomerate Royalton Industries, has Speed in his sights as the next recruit. When Speed turns down this fancy offer, all hell breaks loose. This film has more twists and turns than the Fuji Halexicon. It's a track in the movie, I looked it up. By the halfway mark, this thing's firing on all cylinders when Speed and his team enter the Casa Cristo 5000. Bandits and scoundrels for all corners of the earth come out to attend and do whatever it takes to make sure Speed and Co don't finish the race. By the time the final event rolls around, the kiddie wheels are off. Our lead is smashing cars into walls harder than a fast and furious cast member. This is an all ages affair, so even though there are some violence and larger than life events taking place, it's very much told in a silly or surreal way. The last five minutes of the race are a thing of pure uncut beauty. I've shed multiple tears watching my boy Speed power through the final stretches of pavement while mom and pop get a voiceover and flashback. It all comes together, dare I say perfectly. I do dare, I do dare say that, perfectly. Many people are turned off by the unconventional way this is shot and how it looks. The every color of the rainbow motif certainly makes itself known. The layered flat images on top of 3D elements tip the hat to animate. But the only thing the critics are tipping are their noses downward as they watch this picture. If you like Mario Kart, then this is the movie for you. The races are frantic, kinetic, and an all around blast to watch. Sure, some of the hijinks with the monkey chimchim are a bit too much, but I almost appreciate the Wachowskis more for their willingness to give zero bananas about what the studio execs might think. The music is just as high octane as the visuals, matching the often times psychedelic shots with an equally frantic score. I went on Rotten Tomatoes to see what some of these so-called critics had to say about the film. Here's a couple snippets. Michael Compton says it's a misstep of epic proportions, an overbearing mix of candy coated visuals and an incoherent plot. Original score, F. As an F you Michael, you don't know what you're talking about. Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian says, you have to be 12 to like it. And I have to say there is a little or nothing here to remind us of why we were all quite so excited about The Matrix. Tom Charity from CNN.com says 12 year old boys should be wowed, but for the rest of us, it will depend on your appetite for eye candy. Well Tom Charity from CNN, that's just fake news. I don't know any of these people personally, but I think it's safe to say, and I fair to say that I hate them all. And if you don't like Speed Racer, we might as well just join that pool cause you're in it. Joking aside, there is absolutely no reason to hate someone for not liking a movie. In fact, I can totally see why people are turned off by this film. It is an acquired taste. It has almost all the things I hate about the Star Wars prequels in it. The hammy acting, the crazy visuals that just completely take you out of any sort of reality. The difference that separates these two movies from me is I have a lot of fun with Speed Racer. It's high octane stuff and I can get behind it any day of the week. I pulled my YouTube community, as I often do when it comes to these matters, they seem to know what they're talking about at least 50% of the time, much like me. And here's what they thought. 36% agreed with the critics saying this thing just plain sucks. While 64%, surprisingly enough, agreed with me for once. It doesn't happen often. So don't think there's some bias here. The people that subscribe to Adam Does Movies, they're a smart bunch. They know that I'm often not right or have just terrible taste and they will speak their heart. Anyway, thanks for watching. And remember, this is more than just reviews, this is movie feuds. And make sure to subscribe if you haven't. There's some fun things here once in a while.