Shot almost entirely on green screen, Speed Racer is the latest treat for the eyes from the Wachowski brothers. With films like V for Vendetta and the Matrix trilogy, the fraternal pair have elevated filmmaking to a true art form. Their knack for highlighting eye-catching fight scenes and their innovative use of camerawork have ensured that their projects are always visually stunning. And Speed Racer is no exception. Unfortunately, Speed Racer needs more than fantastic cinematography to be an enjoyable movie.

Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is just one member of the Racer clan, a family whose world revolves around racing. Speed has been infatuated with becoming a world-class racer since before he could walk and his love for the sport is only heightened by his older brother Rex’s superstar status. Years after Rex’s untimely death in a renegade race, Speed is a parallel of Rex’s racing paragon.

When Speed refuses a corporate sponsorship in favor of maintaining his soul, big business sets out to remove him from the racing world. It’s up to Speed to keep the wheels of justice turning and take his rightful place as the World Racing League’s champion driver.

The Racers live in a candy-colored cartoon world. Their rainbow metropolis is beautiful to behold and makes it easy to feel like a part of the animated world. The racing sequences are exhilarating as the drivers perform gravity-defying stunts on gravity-defying tracks and viewers get to feel like they are part of the competition. Speed Racer’s racing world is a far cry from Nascar. Equally thrilling are the fight scenes which are reminiscent of the old school Batman television series mixed with Matrixlike moves. They infuse the film with a modern take on a nostalgic favorite.

Although Speed Racer is appealing to the eyes, it is at the same time chaotic. The influx of visual information is often more confusing than illuminating. Half the time, I had no idea what was taking place onscreen. There are too many conspiracies to keep track of, and while the racing scenes are intoxicating, they’re also hard to follow. By the end of the film, the novelty of the frantic cinematography wears off and the rapid-fire editing is simply dizzying.

Hirsch’s performance is endearing and believable with his ingenuous charm and unshakable morals. And as Speed’s girlfriend, Trixie, Christina Ricci is winsome, looking like a real-life anime character and refusing to stay on the sidelines when the Racers are in trouble. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman as Mom and Pops are sweet in their supporting roles and work to keep their family together and their sons safe. But while little brother, Spritle Racer (Paulie Litt) has some chuckle-inducing moments, he’s mostly annoying and cartoonish. And Matthew Fox is stilted as fellow driver, Racer X.

The characters stay true to their cartoon series counterparts, each coming equipped with their obligatory gimmicks. Trixie gives Speed a bird’s eye view of his races from her helicopter. Racer X preserves his secret identity with his ubiquitous mask. And Spritle accomplishes his merry mischief making with the help of his inseparable sidekick, Chim Chim, an impish chimp.

For parents looking to enjoy a movie alongside their kids, Speed Racer is a good choice. But while it has aspects that may turn off both demographics. There’s kaleidoscopic animation and multicolored palette plus nonstop action for the kids, but a subpar story and vertiginous camerawork may turn off adults. And there’s warm and fuzzy family moments and life lessons to be learned that parents will appreciate, but a two-hour-plus running time that may make the little ones fidgety. But since it’s hard to find a movie that will appeal to both the big people and the little people, Speed Racer is a good compromise.

There are a lot of things to recommend about Speed Racer. The acting’s decent, the characters are well-rounded and it’s got considerable aesthetic allure. But the convoluted story, befuddling cinematography and tiresome length detract from the film’s kitschy anime appeal. So while Speed Racer is fun to look at, as far as movies go, it’s merely middle of the road.