A Review by Phil Calabro
2005, Warner Brothers/Alcon Entertainment, Dir. Frederik Du Chau - Starring Bruce Greenwood, Hayden Panettiere, Caspar Poyck, Gary Bullock, Wendy Malick, M. Emmet Walsh, and the voice talents of Frankie Muniz, Mandy Moore, Dustin Hoffman, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Foxworthy, Joe Pantoliano, Mandy Moore, Steve Harvey, David Spade, Fred Dalton Thompson, Snoop Dogg, Joshua Jackson, Michael Clarke Duncan
I find myself in a very familiar bind writing this review. 'Racing Stripes' is one of those movies that accomplish little more than the message it's promoting, and a couple of fart jokes - stuff kids would love and material that get me frustrated. But there's something about this movie, maybe it's how simple it is, or just the general 'cuteness' factor, that I admire. Granted, it's not a wholly original film, but it has heart and a good selection of voice actors. First off, talking animals don't annoy me, unless they're the kind of supporting character that provide the stupid comic relief. We have that here, in the form of two flies, but they weren't existant, kids would flock away from this like an empty shelf of former Yu-Gi-Oh cards. It's hard to say whether or not 'Stripes' will succeed at the box office, but if it does, I won't be surprised. It has great kids appeal, a breakaway from the recent trend of 'family films' such as 'Shrek 2' and 'The Incredibles'. It doesn't bother to attract older crowds, because even the ordinary adult wouldn't be that interested in a racing zebra. 'Racing Stripes' is a kid's film with a few flaws, but puts a good deal of effort into moralizing the story.
Stripes (Muniz) is a skilled zebra who is left behind after some circus cars break down one night in Kentucky. Nolan Walsh (Greenwood) discovers the animal on the road, bringing it home where his daughter Channing (Panettiere) begins to take care of it for several years. Nolan is a famed horse trainer, and his wife was a prized jockey - until she met her demise after a terrible riding accident. Nolan keeps Channing as far away from horseracing as possible, fearing for her life. But Channing has found a new partner in trade - Stripes, who is a great runner, wants to ride in the races some day. The time comes when Stripes' friends Tucker (Hoffman), Franny (Goldberg), Reggie (Foxworthy), and stallion Sandy (Moore) help him out in training. But the infamous horse Sir Trenton (Thompson) wants his own son (Jackson) in the winner's circle - and he will do anything to stop Stripes from racing.
Although it's not a role that requires much depth, I really enjoyed Bruce Greenwood in the role of Nolan. He's the stereotype of every protective father, but at least he plays a good one. Hayden Panettiere also has the same amount of charisma that every rebel daughter should have, and she's showing herself to be one of the year's brightest new stars. She's got great projection, great looks, and has potential for doing both family and teenage movies. Wendy Malick stands out in the crowd for her role as Clara Dalrymple, the evil horse trader who wants her hands all over Nolan's training skills. After Nolan stopped training since his wife's death, Clara has lost most all races - and she finds that making a bet with him on Stripes might solve everything. Voice-wise, I think most roles are suited to the correct actors. Dustin Hoffman and Fred Thompson, two veterans to the screen, has incredible presence in their respective horses Tucker and Trenton. Steve Harvey and David Spade are the film's lowest points - except no one could have played two talking flies in a more annoying fashion than them. Listening to them is like watching a program of nothing but fart jokes: you hear one poot, you've heard them all. Because of their characters, the film easily loses a star.
The movie has an odd feel to it - the first half dedicates itself to the characters solely and setting the early stages, and the second half cuts to the chase with the action. I'm talking basic kiddie montages, silly characters like Foxworthy's rooster who does nothing more than cluck around silly notions, and more farts jokes like before. If there's one thing that I feel cheated by, it's the relationship between Stripes and the stallion Sandy. Obviously Sandy was introduced as a love interest, but such little time is spent focusing on her. She appears every once in a while, but otherwise the audience is more concentrated on the silliness at hand. Otherwise, the rest of the movie is quickly paced, gets the wholesome message across, and has the ordinary happy ending. Sure it's unoriginal, but is the director trying to appeal to older critics like me?
'Racing Stripes' succeeds for the most part, with the exception of some unnecessary characters and the obvious nonsense every now and then. It's a cute film, and I'm sure pretty of kids will find this one to be a winner. It's certainly a good shot.
