This is not a book.

I loved this film. Really, really loved it. It was written by the same guys who did The Matrix trilogy, which is perfect because the films were anime-inspired. Speed Racer didn't do so well in theaters; it didn't get very high reviews either -- which is why I wanted to give it a little love on my blog. The film is intense visually. I'm not sure what it would be like to see it on the big screen; maybe too much to appreciate. But I also think it's really cutting-edge stuff, artistically magical. Under-appreciated genius. I'm not a huge anime fan, but I'll tell you what I appreciated about this film. The layering, the blending, um, the racing! (I've never had such a craving for slick track go-carts; I had to really control myself as I drove home from my friends' house in Fort Worth.), the cars, the choreographed "car-fu," and, the visual image-layering -- oh, did I say that already; well, that just might have been my favorite part.

I've never seen the original cartoon, but I know enough about it to be able to tell when certain scenes and lines were paying tribute. Intuitively, the film seemed honorable; you know, the film had honorable intentions toward the original. The movie makes me want to see the original cartoon. The character development was quite good. The plot was great. I'm gonna buy the movie.