Photo of Speed Racer's Mach 5 from the forthcoming movie
OK, so Speed Racer was an original anime --not manga-- series and as such isn't based on a comic ... but who cares?? Just look at that sweet Mach 5!!! (Try not to drool too much though, you'll only make a mess of your keyboard that way.)

My younger brethren here at Alliance Central were all aflutter over the recently unveiled Transformers pics, while I pretty much reacted with a disinterested shrug. I expect the generational tables will have turned this week, however, as the USA Today-provided first look at the Mach 5 from the forthcoming live-action Speed Racer movie has certainly got my --ahem-- fanboy engine racing.

But then, my mom has reminded me (often) that as a young lad, I'd regularly shout out to my little brother at the appointed hour, "Speed's on!" Also, while on a family weekend trip to Disneyland once, I recall that I practically begged the rents to take a short break from the park and allow us to return to our hotel because, you guessed it, Speed was coming on. So, yeah, I've got a lot of affection for this show.

Wait, you mean to tell me that you didn't know they were (finally) making a live-action Speed Racer movie? Oh, my friends, the news only gets better from there. Next year's Speed Racer will mark the directorial return of the multi-talented Andy and Larry Wachowski (Bound auteurs, Matrix visionaries and fanboys supreme) who will be trying their hands at family-friendly entertainment for the first time. Set to star in the movie are Emile Hirsch (Speed), Matthew Fox (Racer X) and --perhaps best of all-- Christina Ricci as Trixie. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are on board as Mom and Pops Racer, and they'e even cast a real chimp as Chim Chim!

With shooting on the movie set to start this week, and as I gaze longingly at that photo of the Mach 5, I'm afraid I'm powerless to end this post in any fashion other than, "go Speed Racer, go, indeed." Let's all just pretend that I didn't resort to such a cliché when you tell me what you think of the Mach 5, shall we?

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