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Buy itThe venerable Japanese animated series Speed Racer zooms into the not-so-distant future in this breezy American update. Speed himself is nowhere to be seen in this hourlong feature (he appears in an subsequent episode of the Nicktoons series), but his son, X Racer, is on hand, and showing that he's a chip off the old man's block by holding down the top spot at his family's Racing Academy. But the arrival of an orphan named Speed with even greater racing skills challenges not only X's position at the Academy, but everything he knows about his long-absent father. On the plus side, Speed Racer: The Next Generation honors its history by including elements from the original series like the Mach 5 and Speed's brother Spritle Racer (voiced here by Peter Fernandez, who also played Speed for the American dub of the original series), as well as a mechanized Chim-Chim. But it's also unnecessarily complicated in its plotting, and the dialogue is awfully trite (though the original didn't win any prizes in that department). The animation is also disappointingly mediocre and sterile, which may be the kiss of death for both fans of the original series and younger viewers looking for state-of-the-art craftsmanship. The DVD includes a making-of featurette which looks at the challenges presented in updating the series for a new audience, and a fun Virtual Racing game that emulates the track at the Academy. Text bios for the main characters are also included. --Paul Gaita
| Publisher | Lions Gate |
| Number Of Discs | 1 |
| Creator |
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| MPN | 012236240914 |
| Brand | Lions Gate |
| Format |
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| Directed By | Frank Rivera,John M. Holt,Matt Rodriguez |
| Release Date | 2008-05-06 |
| Label | Lions Gate |
| UPC | 012236240914 |
| Region Code | 1 |
| Title | Speed Racer the Next Generation - The Beginning |
| Studio | Lions Gate |
| EAN | 0012236240914 |
| Starring | Michal Friedman,David Zen Mansley,Michael Sinterniklaas,Kurt Csolak,Carter Jackson |
| Running Time | 66 minutes |
| Theatrical Release Date | 2008 |
| MPAA Rating | NR (Not Rated) |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.33:1 |
| Manufacturer | Lions Gate |
Review by anikole, 2010-07-07
I have been a fan of Speed Racer since I saw it years ago, and when I saw this I had to get it because the story was great to hear that they carried on Speed, and family... and just knowing and seeing the behind the scenes... which I am a fan of most movies/tv... and heard that the orignal voice actor who did Speed/Racer X did the voice of older Spritle... and I LOVED IT... the story was great, and I can't wait to get the rest.
Review by blackaciddevil, 2009-03-03
It's clear from the get-go that this show is geared more towards younger fans than how the original show was. Still, Speed Racer the Next Generation - The Beginning is a fun romp that fans of the original will enjoy as well as those new to the series.
Speed Racer the Next Generation - The Beginning tells the story of Speed, an orphan who gets to join an elite racing academy to learn how to be a great racer. There, he meets Conor and Lucy as well as X whom he later learns is his brother. Spritle from the old tv series is headmaster of the academy in this show. But, the evil Zile Zazic is the series protagonist who is trying to get his hands on the Mach 6. Things get pretty interesting in this barely over an hour animated film.
While it probably won't appeal to original Speed Racer fans, it will appeal to the younger set. Honestly, though, I enjoyed it very much.
Review by Karina M., 2009-01-21
My son loves the DVD, he is 2 1/2yo, I like the next generation dvds better than the original because is not violent, they don't try to stab people or shoot them like the original speed racer. My daugther 5yo likes it too.
Review by JD Sunshine, 2008-07-24
Great movie for young kids. Reminds me of when I was a kid too!
Review by **Mufi, 2008-07-03
Speed Racer the Next Generation - The Beginning is great!
My son LOVES the TV show. That's what it is all about. Entertaining
kids. Good, clean fun with some socially redeeming value. I was a teen
when the original Speed Racer show hit American TV. I go into while
babysitting. It made a lot of sense to do a "next" generation.
We also appreciate how they do the animation style. Speed Racer anime
style. Highly recommend this DVD (and the TV show!)
