I’d like to just come right out and say it: I’ve never watched a single episode of Speed Racer, so I don’t know how faithful this adaptation is. That said, something tells me the Wachowski Bros. are going a little overboard here. This looks like it’s going to be another Batman and Robin, or maybe two hours’ worth of the virtual reality sequences in Spy Kids 3.
Don’t get me wrong—it looks like it’ll be fun. I just think films like this (that try to make the real world look cartoony) and films like Beowulf (that try and make cartoons look ultra-realistic) ultimately aren’t able to hold the viewer’s suspension of disbelief. At least, not long enough to deliver an engaging story. If it’s just about being a popcorn flick, then fine… but these days it’s getting harder and harder to justify paying movie theater prices. As of right now, Speed Racer is on my “rent on DVD” list. We’ll see how things progress as the film develops. (A pun! Get it?)
But hey, don’t take my word for it! You can see the teaser trailer for yourself at Yahoo! Movies.
On a mostly unrelated note, LOST fans will he happy to know that even this trailer has a “Jackface” contribution (Matthew Fox is playing Racer X): 
They get props for sticking closely to the source material, unlike some other recent cartoon based movies…
But, yeah, this is the opposite extreme. Some things just don’t translate well to live action.
If nothing else, it’s sure to be unlike anything ever seen on the big screen. I predict a dismal box office, with possible cult status later on. (“It’s so bad, it’s good!”)
EVER* not “even”
D’oh! Where’s that edit function, Seitler? Or are you afraid some folks who have left you nastygrams will try to backpeddle?
Actually, it’s more a matter of author verification. Unless I made you sign up with an account on my blog, there’s no way to verify that it’s really Kneon editing that comment.