Official Synopsis:
Speed, Conor and Lucy are preparing for the next big race, the Redwood Rally. All seems to be going well until strange things begin to happen on the virtual track, including blinding leaves, falling acorns and a menacing Giant Conor. Clearly someone's been tampering with the virtual programming, but Speed and the gang are hot on the trail to solve the mystery. Annalise, the daughter of evil billionaire Zile Zazic, sets out to spy on Speed's investigation. And before you can say "Go, Speed Racer", they both get caught up in a freak accident that leaves them trapped inside the malfunctioning virtual world with a hungry high-tech virus closing in fast! In order to get them out alive, everyone will have to put their differences aside and work together in a fast and furious race against time. But just when it seems like the day is saved, there is one last - and very big - surprise as the real and virtual worlds collide!
  
Our Take:
I enjoyed the heck out of Speed Racer: The Next Generation - The Beginning, which turns out to be a good thing because now I get to enjoy the heck out of Speed Racer: The Next Generation - Fast Track, the newest release of the newest Speed Racer incarnation by Lionsgate.

Much like The Beginning, Fast Track is a great “movie” that adapts Speed’s legacy to a modern day tale for new kids to enjoy. And this time instead of getting a double dose of origin story we get a fast paced tale of the new Speed and his brother’s devious girlfriend being caught inside the digital track they run their races upon. When a virus hits it, the track begins to erase itself leaving the two no way to escape.

Like all cartoon shows aimed at an children, the DVD releases first come out on single discs as a compilation of episodes and labeled “movies”. This is annoying, but it is what it is. The worst part about that here in this situation is that we’re missing three episodes from the show between The Beginning and Fast Track as originally aired.

Special features include:

* The Animation Of Speed Racer: The Next Generation (7 minutes).

* Sneak Peek With Jeff Gordon (3 minutes) – Jeff talks about his admiration for Speed and the impact the original show had on him as a kid.

Hopefully these discs are faring well on DVD so we’ll see a complete season set at some point. With that hope comes that added hope of a second life for the live-action (and highly underappreciated) that is the Wachowski Brothers’ Speed Racer flick as well.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A-
DVD: B-

- Landen Chase Pelish
Staff Writer