If you have read the reviews for “Speed Racer,” you’d think this kids movie was the second coming of “Ishtar.” Let me tell you, it’s not that bad. I actually enjoyed it. Granted, I thought parts of “Ishtar” were funny, too, but hey, to each his own. I do think that numerous reviews have been way too harsh on “Speed Racer,” though, and I urge you to check it out for yourself.

Based on the Japanese import cartoon from the 1960s, “Speed Racer” follows the adventures of Speed and his family/racing team. Speed races clean and has a love for the sport, but there are nefarious types who are out to defeat him and steal races away. That is pretty much the plot of every “Speed Racer” cartoon. The directors of the film, the Wachowski brothers, add big-time financial backing from large corporations to the bad guys and, judging by the reviews, many critics saw this on par with the new Star Wars prequels and their fascination with the Galactic senate and trade sanctions with other planets.

Trust me, nothing in “Speed Racer” is ever that boring.

Yes, that is due, in large part, to the hyper-kinetic, day-glo, whiz-bang, mega-awesome, super happy fun-fun visuals that the Wachowskis pack in to every scene, but I think they are part of what make this movie such a pleasure to watch. The visuals are incredible and they aren’t going to hurt you. You won’t get ADD from watching this movie, nor will your brain explode from all the stimulation. My three-year-old fell asleep just fine after seeing the movie and he hasn’t turned into a zombie yet. (He says the movie is awesome, by the way.)

Some critics gave the film credit for creating such a magical world with its visual effects but say that there isn’t much there after that. I think they are wrong again. “Speed Racer” focuses on the importance of family, fair play and loyalty. Scenes between Speed and his father and mother, played by John Goodman and Susan Sarandon, are very sweet and heartfelt and Emile Hirsch does a great job as Speed, forever the straight man, but always more comfortable behind the wheel.

I also thought that Matthew Fox’s performance as Racer X, a mysterious driver with a connection to Speed, was super and the storyline itself was handled very well.

Lastly, the racing scenes are out of this world and worth the price of a matinee admission on their own. By creating their own cartoon world, the Wachowskis also created their own laws of racing. In their world, cars can race upside down, flip, fight, jump, re-inflate tires, release snakes, grapple – you name it. Each race sequence is more impressive than the last and the Grand Prix finale had me laughing out loud at the pure joy of it all.

I think critics need to remember that this is a kids movie, which is exactly what the Wachowskis set out to make. It should be judged alongside other kids movies with a similar scope. If you place it along other films based on cartoons, “Speed Racer” is easily at the top of the list. It isn’t perfect, but it is fun and people should enter this movie looking for a good time.

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