Speed Racer has inhabited various incarnations over its lifespan, originally as a Japanese manga, before emerging as one of the first internationally successful anime series of the 1960s. It was updated in the 1990s and then again in the 21st century. Finally it has been realised as a full blown live action Hollywood movie, in the capable hands of Matrix directors Andy and Larry Wachowski.

Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch – Into The Wild) is the middle son in a family infatuated by motor racing. Pops (John Goodman) is the mechanic, and older brother Rex was a world famous driver who tragically died in a high speed crash, amid rumblings he was about to bring the game into disrepute. Now, after years idolising his elder brother and day-dreaming of his glories to come, young Speed has his own shot at the big time and after winning a high profile race, he is approached by the head of Royalton Motors, Mr. Royalton himself, who whisks the whole family off to his company’s skyscraper of wonders in the hope of wooing Speed into a long-term deal with his construction team.

However, Speed shares his father’s view that big business sucks the life out of motor racing, and that glory is its own reward, not heaps of cash and fame. He graciously bows out of the deal and Royalton, embittered by this act of defiance, swears revenge. But there is a more worthy, more enticing proposal awaiting Speed Racer. Soon he finds himself competing alongside hotshot Japanese driver Taejo Togokhan (played by Korean super stud, Rain) and the mysterious, masked Racer X (Lost’s Matthew Fox) in the treacherous, off-road Casa Cristo Classic Rally – the very same race that killed his brother.

Visually, nothing like Speed Racer has ever been seen on the screen before. In much the same way The Wachowskis re-invented pvc-clad cyber-cool in The Matrix Trilogy, here they blend Blade Runner with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory into a world of lurid colour schemes and seizure-inducing neon. The audience is sent spiraling down racetracks and swooping in and out of cross country death races that are part Tron, part Wacky Races, as Speed fends off rival drivers in gadget-laden vehicles that would make James Bond envious.

And somehow, in amongst this dazzling, dizzying symphony of light, the cast still manages to come through relatively unscathed. Admittedly, nobody’s part demands much more of them than cheering, scowling or screaming in as broad-stroked a manner as their surroundings, but yet, by the end you’re genuinely rooting for Speed’s Mach 5 to grab pole position and to see Royalton’s empire crumble. Emile Hirsch makes Speed Racer likeable enough, Christina Ricci sparkles as doting girlfriend Trixie and even Rain hits more of those hard syllables than was expected of him. However the scene stealers are Speed’s little brother Spritle and his pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim who provide consistent (if admittedly pretty low brow) comic relief whenever they are on screen, clowning around and generally getting up to no good. (Watch out for a very smart Paul Frank pyjama gag early on).

All in all, Speed Racer is far more entertaining than expected. Each summer one big blockbuster tanks spectacularly and many felt the smart money was on this, but it has every right to be a bona fide hit. Speed Racer is great family friendly fun, with plenty to keep the young ones entertained (after all, when has monkey poo ever NOT been funny?) and more than enough to delight die-hard fans of the cartoon, without alienating those who are new to the story. The opening half an hour or so is admittedly a pretty relentless visual onslaught, and the whole film could easily have shed 20 minutes or so along the way, but once the story proper kicks in, the film really shifts up a gear and by the final lap you’ll be cheering Speed all the way to the chequered flag.