Racing Stripes (2005)

"Racing Stripes has heart.  Dana Stevens, New York Times
"Good family fun.  Jeffrey Lyons, NBC-TV

Editor's Note A cute zebra foal gets separated from his circus and is adopted by a horse trainer (Bruce Greenwood) in this live action, talking animal tale. Stripes (voiced by Frankie Muniz) becomes adopted by the trainer's tomboy daughter (Hayden Panettiere)--an aspiring jockey--who subsequently wants to race him in the big leagues. Setbacks include her dad's over-protectiveness (he lost her mom in a horse-racing accident), and the fact that Stripes is a zebra and not a normal horse. Though all the other thoroughbreds turn their noses at this odd-looking interloper, a wizened old pony (Dustin Hoffman) steps in as trainer, and it's time to start prepping for the big race. Other animal characters include a mob "hit-pelican" (voice of Joe Pantoliano), a nurturing goat (voice of Whoopi Goldberg), a rooster (voice of Jeff Foxworthy), and a hound (Snoop Dogg). Mandy Moore does the voice of Stripes' comely mare love interest. Steve Harvey and David Spade are a pair of trash-talking horseflies. Adults will cherish some sly references to older movies, while the kids should get a lot out of the mix of real animals, nonstop gags, and an uplifting message about the importance of not judging a horse by its stripes. Though set in Kentucky, the film was actually lensed in South Africa, with real zebras. M. Emmet Walsh is a welcome addition as a loveable old codger and Wendie Malick is the evil race track owner.

	Broderick Johnson, et al. - Producer
	David Eggby - Cinematographer
	David Schmidt - Screenplay
	David Spade - Voice Of
	Dustin Hoffman - Voice Of
	Frankie Muniz - Voice Of
	Frederik Du Chau - Director
	Jeff Foxworthy - Voice Of
	Joe Pantoliano - Voice Of
	Mandy Moore - Voice Of
	Michael Clarke Duncan - Voice Of
	Snoop Dogg - Voice Of
	Tom Finan - Editor
	Whoopi Goldberg - Voice Of

New York Times
"The vocal talent is top-notch..." 01/14/2005 p.E13

Los Angeles Times
"[T]he film is populated with endearing animals that are expertly anthropomorphized and that are voiced by, among others, a sprinkling of famous names..." 01/14/2005 p.E6

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 6 of 10
It would be wrong for me to argue that Racing Stripes is a bad movie, because it isn't. Nor i

Chicago Sun-Times 5 of 10
I will get the usual feedback from readers who took their children to see Racing Stripes and - Roger Ebert