Speed Racer (2008)****
Stunningly beautiful, fantastically successful merger of cartoon sensibilities with film's inherent weight and realism, this doesn't quite reach the heights it aspires to, but comes tantalizingly close. It's a long film but it never drags, and there is always something to wow at in each and every scene. Smoothly, stylishly directed and an example of a singular vision lifting a flimsy premise (the cartoon/comic book genre) into a work of art. Kids (probably boys mainly) will love it and fans of the original cartoon will not be disappointed. If you're a fan of movies you should see it and in a theater with digital projection.