Perhaps the best way to approach this good-intentioned flick is to think along the lines of Babe, then lower your expectations a notch. It's just not a good all-around source of family entertainment. Nor is it a chore for adults to watch (at least most of the time). It would be wrong for me to argue that Racing Stripes is a bad movie, because it isn't. With those voices and the inherent cuteness factors associated with most four-legged beasts, the humans don't get much notice. Kids will recognize Frankie Muniz, Mandy Moore, and Joshua Jackson.
A lot of well-known performers lend their voices, including Dustin Hoffman, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jeff Foxworthy, Joe Pantoliano, and Snoop Dogg. As the villainous Clara Dalrymple, Wendy Malick gets more notice, but only because she's over-the-top. They are constantly upstaged by the animals. For veteran Bruce Greenwood (a respected character actor who most recently appeared as the villain in I, Robot) and child actor Hayden Panettiere ( Raising Helen, Remember the Titans), it's a thankless job. The human stars do the best they can with the material. Racing Stripes also uses Stripes' "different-ness" as an opportunity to address bigotry, albeit in an allegorical fashion. And Channing has to convince her father that just because he lost his wife on the track, he won't lose her. Despite being a zebra, Stripes wants to race. The most prominent one is, of course, that obstacles can be overcome and dreams can be followed.
The film offers nothing but positive messages. In the end, both Channing and Stripes have something to prove when it comes to the Big Race. It works better with the humans than with the animals, but there's plenty to go around. Then there's the melodrama quotient, which is high. Adults will still find things to laugh at (Goose's attack on a motorbike and some of the antics of the flies), but the majority of the humor is broad, and not all that clever. One of the drawbacks of the film is that much of the comedy is sophomoric, with its primary appeal designated for younger viewers. In the end, as expected, everything is resolved in a race. There's also a nefarious stallion, Sir Trenton (voice of Fred Dalton Thompson), who uses underhanded means to sabotage Stripes' chances. Along the way, Stripes picks up a love interest, Sandy (voice of Mandy Moore), and a rival, Trenton's Pride (voice of Joshua Jackson). Meanwhile, the zebra gets help from a host of other farm animals, including a Shetland Pony named Tucker (voice of Dustin Hoffman), a gabby goat (voice of Whoopi Goldberg), a hit-pelican named Goose (voice of Joe Pantoliano), and a pair of comic flies (voices of Steve Harvey and David Spade). Eventually, Nolan relents and agrees to train Stripes so his daughter can ride. (Her mother died in a horseracing accident.) And Stripes, despite being fast, seems overmatched against the thoroughbreds. Her overprotective father, Nolan (Bruce Greenwood), is afraid for her safety. I can't see many boys being thrilled about a story that involves a zebra who thinks he's a race horse and the girl who rides him.Ĭhanning Walsh (Hayden Panettiere) is a 16-year old Kentucky girl who dreams of riding her pet zebra, Stripes (voice of Frankie Muniz), on a local racetrack. To be more specific, the target audience is pre-teen females. Those in the latter category are designed primarily to entertain youngsters. I have always gone to great pains to differentiate between "family films" and "children's films." Those in the former category can be enjoyed by all members of the family, regardless of age. The fault lies in the script (credited to newcomer David Schmidt), which doesn't believe that the animals have much worth saying to adult audience members. The animals' mouths move in a believable fashion, and the vocal cast is first-rate. The concept of making animals talk is always tricky, and, for the most part, director Frederik Du Chau (in his live-action debut after helming the animated Quest for Camelot) pulls it off.
#Racing stripes 2 movie
Although perhaps a little unkind, the best description I can think of for Racing Stripes is that it's a " Babe wannabe." The new film has many of the same qualities, but it isn't as fresh, as witty, or as affecting as the 1995 movie or its 1998 sequel.
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