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(About Our Ads) "RACING STRIPES" (2005) (Bruce Greenwood, Hayden Panettiere) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor *Mild Heavy *Mild None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Mild None Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Minor None Mild Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: Unaware of his native species, a zebra hopes to participate in a prestigious horse race and gets help doing so from his barnyard friends and human caretakers. PLOT: After being accidentally left behind by his circus crew, a young zebra (voice of FRANKIE MUNIZ) finds himself in the custody of Nolan Walsh (BRUCE GREENWOOD), a farmer whose teenage daughter, Channing (HAYDEN PANETTIERE), instantly adores and names the young foal Stripes. After she convinces her dad to allow her to keep him, Stripes ends up in the barn where he meets a number of other talking animals. There's Shetland Pony Tucker (voice of DUSTIN HOFFMAN), his goat friend Franny (voice of WHOOPI GOLDBERG); Reggie (voice of JEFF FOXWORTHY), the scatterbrained rooster; and the porch-bound bloodhound Lightning (voice of SNOOP DOGG). Eventually joining them is Goose (voice of JOE PANTOLIANO), a mob pelican who's hiding out from the big city. While there are no local mobsters for him to worry about, the local power comes in the form of Clara Dalrymple (WENDIE MALICK) whose nearby estate trains thoroughbreds such as Sir Trenton (voice of FRED DALTON THOMPSON) and his offspring Trenton's Pride (voice of JOSHUA JACKSON). Clara doesn't care for Nolan, her former trainer, and the various animals on her land make fun of Stripes who doesn't realize he's a zebra and not a horse. That is, except for young mare Sandy (voice of MANDY MOORE) who's taken a liking to the now three-year-old "teenager" who dreams of one day racing in the prestigious Kentucky Open. That seems like a long shot since Nolan won't even let Channing ride him -- for fear of losing her as he did Channing's mother years ago -- but when longtime track regular Woodzie (M. EMMET WALSH) clocks him in an impromptu sprint, things begin to look up. With Clara allowing the zebra into the Open as a joke, Noland, Channing and even Tucker start training Stripes in how to race. With the aid of the comedy horsefly duo of Buzz (voice of STEVE HARVEY) and Scuzz (voice of DAVID SPADE), the zebra sets out to overcome various external obstacles and self-doubts to realize his dream. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? It's a good bet that many younger kids will want to. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For mild crude humor and some language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: BRUCE GREENWOOD plays a farmer and former race trainer for Clara who's overly cautious with Channing for fear of losing her as he did his wife years ago. While initially reluctant, he eventually agrees to allow her to ride and race on Stripes. HAYDEN PANETTIERE plays his teenage daughter who feels somewhat repressed by her father, particularly in her dream of racing on Stripes in the Open. WENDIE MALICK is the mean and snobby estate owner who dislikes and belittles Nolan, his family, animals and farm. M. EMMET WALSH plays a longtime track veteran and bettor who sees the potential in stripes. STRIPES is the young zebra who's unaware of his species and wants to be a race horse. He must put up with the ridicule of others as well as his own self-doubts when he aspires, trains for and eventually participates in the big race. SANDY is the young mare who takes a liking to Stripes. TUCKER is the veteran Shetland Pony who helps train Stripes and gives him all sorts of advice. FRANNY is his friend, the farmyard goat. REGGIE is the scatterbrained rooster. LIGHTNING is the lazy, porch-based bloodhound who never gets up. GOOSE is the mob-based, city pelican who's in hiding and talks a big talk, but is really a nervous Nellie with a penchant for attempting to defecate on others from the air. BUZZ and SCUZZ are two wise-cracking horseflies who hang around the estate, with the latter really being into flatulence-related humor. SIR TRENTON is the thoroughbred who looks down on Stripes and puts pressure on his own son to succeed in the sport. TRENTON'S PRIDE is his son and Stripes' rival who's always putting him down and wants to succeed like his father. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this children's comedy that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of a handful of minor expletives, while some brief, horse-related sexual-style talk occurs (about a female horse's "flanks") and many potentially imitated phrases are uttered. A few scenes (such as adult horses surrounding a zebra and then the sight of the latter being unconscious on the ground) may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers, but probably not to older kids. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, some slapstick style material occurs, and a few characters fall from their rides but are otherwise okay. Crude humor (fart and poop-related material) is present in several scenes, while a human character's mother is noted as being dead (and there are some brief, tense family moments between her and her father). Some imitative behavior is present, while some minor characters briefly drink. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE In a joke about drinking (on the part of the film), one of the male horses offers to buy Sandy a drink (meaning water). Miscellaneous people have wine or champagne at the race. BLOOD/GORE Goose flies by and tries to defecate on a weather vane, but instead hits Reggie, covering him with lots of wet and white excrement. We see one of the flies in some food (that might be gross to some viewers). Scuzz tells Buzz to pull his wing and then lets out an audible fart. Scuzz and Buzz land in a pile of manure (seen in graphic close-up) and state that they're in heaven as one says, "Bon appétit." Scuzz propels himself through a cup of espresso with his farts (we see the bubbles and he says that he's "espressing myself"). We see a smashed mosquito (with resultant goo) on a windshield (played for laughs). Scuzz farts inside a bubble where he's briefly stuck with Buzz, prompting the latter to complain that he has a million eyes and Scuzz has all of them burning. Goose tries to defecate on Mr. Trenton (as a distraction), but misses (although we see the white excrement flying). Mr. Trenton sneezes, with Scuzz flying out of his nose and we see a large amount of mucous covering a stereo. Scuzz states that he likes food, especially candy and poop. Goose says, "Say hello to my little friend" and then lets excrement fly toward Clara. We then see her with white excrement dripping off her hat. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE A horse makes fun of Stripes' mane by saying, "Nice Mohawk." Clara is very demanding to her staff and condescending to others, particularly Nolan and Channing. Various horses make fun of Stripes and his zebra appearance. Adult humans make fun of Stripes, as do various horses at the track. Channing disobeys her dad and rides Stripes to work. Clara says (about Channing), "What is that dreadful child up to now?" Clara offers to allow Stripes to enter a prestigious race just to embarrass them. Sir Trenton has a bad attitude toward Stripes and he and other horses beat up the zebra (we only see the beginning of the attack). FRIGHTENING SCENES Depending on the age of the viewer, some/all of the following may be very suspenseful, a little unsettling or have no such effect at all. As some dramatic music plays and lightning flashes in a rainstorm at night, various people rush about to work on a vehicle on the road, all of which may be unsettling to younger viewers since they might not know what's occurring. They might also feel bad seeing baby Stripes left behind in a box on the road (at night in the rain). After young Stripes is left alone in a barn, we hear various voices coming from unseen characters (and younger kids might find that unsettling), but they turn out to be all of the friendly barn animals. Sir Trenton and other large horses surround Stripes, with Trenton telling the zebra that he's about to be scratched from the big race (as some dramatic music plays). One rises up and we see Stripes' point of view as the hooves came down at him. We don't see any impact, but do see Stripes lying on the ground the next day (and some kids may worry that he's dead, but he's only unconscious and later is fine). GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Subdivide me and Kentucky fry me," "Don't make me chew open a can of pony woop," "Why do you have to be such a horse's...(followed by an animal sound in place of the following word), "Shut up, you idiot," "Dude," "Dang," "Talk to the tail, boys," "Who's feeling their oats," "After I kick your butt," "See ya, loser," "Holy cow," "Get a load of this dump," "Are you a horse or an ass? You look like as ass to me," "Be careful, pony boy," "Hey sweetness," "Hey plow-boy," "Go choke on an apple," "Don't get your tail in a knot," "I'm not gonna blow sunshine up your tail," "You can put your boots in the oven, but that don't make them biscuits," "You glue factory rejects," "Stuff it, McNuggett," "Bada-bing, bada-boom," "Will you shut up," "Freak," "Flies like to bite your booty and eat your doody" (or something like that), "You dimwit," "She's such a pain in the butt," "You're such a..." "You're lunch for a lion," "You little nobody," "Don't look back, leave it all on the track," "Beauty and the beast" (said about Sandy and Stripes), "You're about to get scratched," "Those dirty rats," "Let's go and kick some horse flank," "Hey moron," "You fool," "For shizzle," "You've always been a pain in the butt" and "Say hello to my little friend." Little Stripes belches from drinking milk. Scuzz belches. Scuzz propels himself through a cup of espresso with his farts (we see the bubbles and he says that he's "espressing myself" -- kids might imitate the latter part). We see a guy with face paint that looks like zebra stripes. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of suspenseful and dramatic music plays in several scenes. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 asses (used in double meaning to be profanities but also the name for a donkey), 1 possible damn (that may have been "dang") and 1 use of "Oh my Lord" (sung in a song by a character). SEX/NUDITY Trenton's Pride and another male horse spot Sandy (a female horse) and state, "Check out the filly...What a mane...Check out the flanks." SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES There's brief talk of Channing's mom, with Woodzie stating that Channing moves like her and then adds, "God rest her soul." Later, Channing is mad at her dad for being too conservative and says that he's busy trying to keep her from getting hurt like her mom. Nolan tells Channing that she either gets rid of Stripes or never rides him again and that scene and others create some tension between them. Nolan finds some old photos of his wife (who's now deceased). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT There's brief talk of Channing's mom, with Woodzie stating that Channing moves like her and then adds, "God rest her soul." Later, Channing is mad at her dad for being too conservative and says that he's busy trying to keep her from getting hurt like her mom. Sir Trenton is a very stern father who expects perfection from his son. The comment that for some horses, different is scary. Life on a farm. The race horse industry. The apparent and real difference between the haves and have-nots. Channing tells her dad that just because he gave up on his dreams doesn't mean she has to. Stripes is upset and feels sorry for himself when he learns that he's a zebra and not a horse. Clara and Nolan bet on the horse race. VIOLENCE Distracted while racing a mail truck, Stripes slams face-first into a tree (played as slapstick). While racing Trenton's Pride, Stripes wipes out in a turn and tumbles a few times (but is otherwise okay). Goose tears apart Channing's old motorcycle (so that she'll have to ride Stripes to work the next day and thus will see how fast he is). We then hear and partially see a resultant explosion that blows him across part of the barnyard (played for laughs). A man tries to swat Scuzz and Buzz (but they're okay). Channing falls off Stripes, but is okay. Sir Trenton and other large horses surround Stripes, with Trenton telling the zebra that he's about to be scratched from the big race (as some dramatic music plays). One rises up and we see Stripes' point of view as the hooves came down at him. We don't see any impact, but do see Stripes lying on the ground the next day (and some kids may worry that he's dead, but he's only unconscious and later is fine). Goose tries to defecate on Mr. Trenton (as a distraction), but misses (although we see the white excrement flying) and flies into a wall (for slapstick results). Jockeys riding other race horses purposefully and repeatedly bump into Stripes (with Channing riding him) during a race. As a result, Scuzz bites one of the horses on its rump, sending it out of control and dumping its rider (the guy is okay). Reviewed December 29, 2004 / Posted January 14, 2005