As a rule, I detest remakes of old TV shows, comic books, and cartoons. They’re usually hackneyed, plot-less exercises in special effects prowess, boring at best and seizure-causing at worst—or is that vice versa? I guess it depends on how old you are, which makes it all the more surprising that I like the new Speed Racer flick. I took the opportunity to catch a preview at a local IMAX theater, and must confess that I was into it. Yes, the critics are savaging it as a hyperactive flash fest with a soul-less shell of a story. I say so what! As a guy who nursed more than a few racing dreams while watching the original anime version as a kid in the ‘70s, I thought the movie had the same passion-for-driving spirit, only with mind-blowing, wow-I’m-inside-a-video-game graphics. No, it won’t win any Academy Awards for things like plot or acting—but it’s got loads of manically fast action in it, and a monkey. What’s not to like?