I'm not much of an auto-racing fan, but if NASCAR ever starts to look like "Speed Racer," well, count me in.

The Wachowski Brothers, who broke new ground with "The Matrix," have done it again with their wildly inventive remake of the cult-favorite cartoon. "Speed Racer" is a fast and fun amalgam of live action and never-before-seen CGI, an assault on the senses that is exhilarating, even while threatening to send the viewer into a seizure with its splashy colors and wild motion.

Auto racing on this earth of the future features tracks with jumps and loops and obstacles; cars moving at impossible speeds while occasionally riding along walls and frequently flipping into the air. Collisions are nearly constant, but you don't have to feel guilty for watching -- when cars blow up, drivers are ejected in a giant protective bubble.

The story and the characters and the tone are extremely faithful to the beloved original cartoon. I can't imagine a fan of the anime version being disappointed with the adaptation.

Speed Racer is a young race car driver, raised in a racing family, with no other dreams or goals other than to drive his spiffy vehicle, the Mach 5, real fast. Fresh-faced Emile Hirsch ("Into the Wild") stars as the principled prodigy Speed, who discovers that he must battle a corrupt and dangerous system.

Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are the proud parents, Mom and Pops. Scott Porter ("Friday Night Lights") is older brother Rex, whose tragic crash casts a pall over the Racer family. Yes, the family also has a small child and a monkey for comic relief; surprisingly, that's exactly what they provide.

Matthew Fox ("Lost") kicks some butt as Racer X, the extremely cool and dangerous masked driver who has Speed's back when he most needs it. I can't leave out Christina Ricci, who plays loyal girlfriend Trixie with pizzazz, even making "cool beans" sound kinda cool.

"Speed Racer" is not one of those ill-conceived live-action remakes ("The Flintstones," "Dudley Do-Right," "Rocky and Bullwinkle," "Fat Albert" and on and on "¦) that essentially spits on the memory of its beloved predecessor.

It's the most visually dazzling film of this and maybe any summer, a deliberately campy thrill ride that gives the feel of being inside the world's greatest racing video game. And I mean that in the best possible way. Sure, the story and the characters are sort of cartoonish, but "¦ duh. It's encompassing and exhilarating, and there are even a couple of creative and lively fight scenes. It's certainly the best thing the Wachowskis have done since "The Matrix."

I was surprised to see the film defiled by the critics and stall at the box office on opening weekend. Do yourself a favor, and make up your own mind.

Rental Recommendation: It's not quite the same thing, but "Dick Tracy" did make a successful transition from comic strip to film. Grade: B.

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