PopSci’s Guide to Summer Sci-Tech Movies

In Theaters: May 9
Based on the popular Japanese animated series, this campy live-action/animated hybrid from the Wachowski brothers, of Matrix fame, follows a racecar driver through a futuristic sport that’s equal parts Nascar, X Games and American Gladiators. The film’s real stars are the animated cars, particularly the Mach 5, which has wheels that can pivot 180 degrees; jacks that deploy on the go to launch the vehicle into the air; and a robotic pigeon that flies out, films what’s going on farther along the track, and creates a simulation of the course ahead so the driver can plan his way.

Geek Candy: Wild visual effects. The Wachowskis are known for their pioneering digital techniques, and the movie’s live-action stars will be racing and fighting in an unnaturally bright environment. [Read more about how they did it in “How to Make a Digital World.”]

Expected Gibberish Quotient (EGQ): High, and proudly so. The creators flaunt the utterly fake technology in the Mach 5.