STUDIO: Lionsgate
RELEASE DATE: May 6, 2008
STARRING: Peter Fernandez, Michael Sinterniklaas, Kurt Csolak, Robbie Sublett, Carter Jackson, Sahra Mellesse, David Zen Mansley, and Michal Friedman
WRITTEN BY: Ben Gruber, Susan Kim, and Allan Neuwirth
DIRECTED BY: John M. Holt, Stephen Moverley, Frank Rivera, and Matt Rodriguez
FEATURES: The Making of Speed Racer: The Next Generation
The Virtual Track Racing Game
Meet the Folks at the Racing Academy

As one of the first examples of Japanese anime to reach American shores, Speed Racer went on to influence an entire generation of cartoon geeks. After several years toiling away in TV hell, Speed Racer has been resurrected for the big screen by directors Larry and Andy Wachowski of The Matrix fame. To coincide with the release of the live action film and the launch of its own new series that will air Fridays on the Nicktoons Network, Speed Racer makes an animated comeback with Speed Racer The Next Generation – The Beginning. For those old enough to remember the automotively cool adventure cartoon from the 1960s, the new incarnation featuring Speed, Racer X , and the Mach V (now dubbed the Mach VI) combines the retro coolness of the original series with new, improved, and dazzling CGI similar to what fans will find in the theatrical version of Speed Racer.

It’s been forty years since Speed Racer dominated the small screen airwaves, but The Next Generation serves up a new set of characters directly related to the original gang. Now released on DVD (May 6), the new animated movie serves as the launching pad for the new Nicktoons series, which gives both new and old fans alike an introduction into the next generation of Speed Racer. The story is set 35 years into the future with an orphan named Speed, who hasn’t a clue that he’s actually the son of the legendary Speed Racer. After the new Speed enters the elite Racers Academy, the mysterious elements of his past begin to fit together like a puzzle, including the fact that his biggest competition, Racer-X, is also his brother.

In terms of the visual appeal of The Next Generation: The Beginning, this isn’t your father’s Speed Racer. It’s definitely not your grandfather’s Speed Racer either. Although it might take older fans a bit of getting used to, the movie skillfully blends new CGI with old school animation to give it a completely unique vibe. In fact, races can take place anywhere at anytime within a dazzling virtual world. Much like the original Speed Racer, the new movie and series is aimed squarely at a young demographic. It clearly is the next generation’s Speed Racer. As an added bonus that will definitely appeal to older fans, the voice of the original Speed, Peter Fernandez, is back, this time in the role of a forty-something and grown up Spritle who’s now the Headmaster of the Academy.

As for the special features on the newly released DVD of the movie, the best bang for the racing buck is a ten minute “Making of” featurette, which features writer Ben Gruber, director Stephen Moverley, and voice actors Peter Fernandez and Kurt Csolak as they wax on the history of the original and the evolution of the franchise to where they are today. As the creative team reveals, it was an extreme challenge to create a new Speed Racer series with suitable stories for a new generation, while also giving a shout out to the fans of the original. Although there aren’t an over abundance of bonuses on the disc, the two remaining extras come in the form of a Virtual Track racing game, which will keep your younger brother entertained for a couple of hours at least, and a text based bio section on the main characters called “Meet the Folks at the Racing Academy” that will bring fans up to “speed” on the new cast of characters.

While Speed Racer The Next Generation – The Beginning might not catch on with every fan of animation, neither did the original. For younger fans just getting into the series along with the live action feature film, The Next Generation is a dazzling animated introduction into a modern Speed Racer that will hopefully continue the tradition set by the original and keep the franchise alive for many years to come.