It is not of the sophisticated level of “Babe” but there is enough mature humor to keep mom and dad amused while the kids roar over the pooh-pooh antics of Buzz and Scuzz. But, the brisk pacing, entertaining, oft adult-geared humor make this the kind of film the parents won’t mind seeing. Racing Stripes” is firmly entrenched in the kids sector of movie entertainment with its bevy of talking animals – well voiced across the board – doo-doo humor and a pair of fast talking horse flies, Buzz and Scuzz (voices of Steve Harvey and David Spade). The rest of the barnyard creatures join in to help, led by a cantankerous Shetland pony Tucker (voice of Dustin Hoffman), a kindly nanny goat called Franny (voice of Whoopi Goldberg), a not too bright rooster named Reggie (voice of Jeff Foxworthy) and a pelican called Goose (voice of Joe Pantoliano) who is on the lam from his connected “family” in New Jersey. Stripes sees the racetrack and is irrevocably bitten by the racing bug. Next door to the Walsh Farm is the Dalrymple Estates, a prestigious thoroughbred training center where Nolan once worked before his wife’s tragic death in a riding accident. Three years later, Stripes is all grown up and notices something strange and exciting. That is until his daughter, Channing (Hayden Panettiere), spots the diminutive quadruped, names him Stripes and begs her dad to keep him. Nolan, trying to get home through the driving rain, almost hits the little critter and bundles him into his truck with the intent of turning the babe over to the authorities. Although the roadies are admonished to not leave a thing behind, one large box, containing the baby zebra, is forgotten. Things take a routine path as we are presented with a traveling circus coping with a breakdown during a dark and stormy night. They take a more child-oriented path with Racing Stripes” by concentrating on the kind of humor that would appeal to the pre-adolescent audience that is the film’s target. You can see that the filmmakers have their sights set on the success and charm of the wonderful 1995 film, Babe,” with their foray into the world of talking animals.
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