Advantages: Feelgood family fun
Disadvantages: It's very predictable

...Stripes is a young zebra accidentally left behind by a circus during a storm. He is adopted by kindly farmer Nolan Walsh and his daughter Channing and makes his home with the other farmyard animals. But what Stripes really wants is to be racehorse and with the help of his human and animal friends he strives to make his wish come true at the Kentucky Open. Belgian director Frederik Du Chau formerly made his living as an animator for Disney. Obviously their child-friendly ethics have rubbed off on him; choosing to direct this sentimental family film that takes Hans Christian Andersen’s “Ugly Duckling” as inspiration. He eschews animation in favour of live action shenanigans with humanising voice-overs. Its closest film relatives are the “Babe” movies, though there is less evidence of animatronics and technical jiggery-pokery here... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: sweet rattle
Disadvantages: none

...Zebras, I've noticed play a fairly big part in little boys clothing. Before Scarlett was born we didn't know her gender so we brought some gender neutral clothes and some reduced blue sleep suits and vests, which featured zebras in various designs. Little girls are bunnies whilst little boys are zebras. Whilst looking round for Christmas presents for our little one we found this cute little zebra rattle. The zebra has blue and light blue stripes, small children must get a strange idea about animals! It has a smiley face and a playgro logo on the middle of it. It has a velvety, soft texture to it. Attached to the main body of the zebra is a clear plastic ring, with half of the ring showing and the other half in the zebra body. In the ring are six fairly large balls of the following colours, green,purple. Red, blue, orange and yellow... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Brilliant family entertainment
Disadvantages: non

...Racing Stripes is a superb family movie, During a horrendous thunderstorm, a travelling circus, have trouble with the rope lashings on some of the trailers, amidst all the commotion a basket containing a young Zebra foul breaks free and is left in the road, The foal is discovered by horse trainer Nolan Walsh (Bruce Greenwood) and is taken back to the stables where Nolan and his young daughter rear the foal, and name him Stripes. From the barn yard, the Zebra foal see's the horses from a racing yard, training for the prestigious Kentucky Open, and dreams of becoming a famous race horse himself, and maybe someday even winning the 'Open' himself. Stripes and all the other animals are brilliantly voiced over, by some of movies top names, such as Whoopi Goldberg and Dustin Hoffman. This is some of the best voice over I have ever... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Its a talking animal movie!
Disadvantages: its a talking animal movie

...An abandoned zebra grows up believing he is a racehorse, and, with the help of his barnyard friends and a teenage girl, sets out to achieve his dream of racing against the other racehorses. I have no children and like to believe that I am an Adult, but sometimes kids films are just better! This isn't Shrek and the humour isn't adult, dont be fooled that this is animated, just because of the film case. The animals are real! The story is a basic one and although largly based around the zebra who wants to be a racehorse, is a story of a father daughter relationship following the death of the wife/mother in a riding accident. The baby Zebra is lost by the circus and found by an expert horse trainer and named 'stripes' by his teenage daughter. Stripes admires the racehorses and believes that he too is a racehorse and can race... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: good fun for all the family
Disadvantages: cant fault this one

...The answer is of course is when it's a zebra as you will discover in this great fun-filled family film. Racing stripes is about Stripes - a baby zebra who after being abandoned by a circus is rescued by a young girl (Hayden Panettiere) who aspires to be champion jockey, and her protective widowed father (Bruce Greenwood)who doesn't want to see her injured or killed like her mother before her. Stripes is then taken to live on their farm with various farmyard animals. As he grows up he dreams of becoming a famous racehorse (he doesn't realise that he is a zebra - just thinks he is a stripey horse) and wants to run in the biggest race of the year. Will he fulfill his dream - well I won't give the game away - you'll just have to watch and see for yourself. Here's some background. This is not an animation but uses real animals which... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Vintage filming and massive setlist
Disadvantages: No extra features

...By the time The White Stripes played at Blackpool's Empress Ballroom, they were flying. Their most recent album of the time, Elephant, had taken their underground garage-rock blues to the mainstream and their most famous song Seven Nation Army was soon to become "rock song of 2004". This film was made over the penultimate two dates of their UK tour, which were both at Blackpool on the 27th and 28th of January, 2004. And so, the DVD starts to play and we're shown a few clips of Jack and Meg on the Blackpool promenade. The first thing you will notice is the quality of the footage. In true retro style, the film is shot using only 16mm film on Super 8 cameras. And once the concert begins, you begin to see why, as the vintage filming just adds to the atmosphere and experience. Having given up on the idea of setlists long ago, Jack and Meg... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: It's beautiful
Disadvantages: Might be served by sexist barmen, and it might go down too easily and might not be sold in Asda..

...there’s an evil fat cat with his spotty sidekick following me around the store (via sophisticated tracking devices) and saying ‘She likes fake beef stew then does she? Kevin!! (fat cat clicks fingers) get rid of it immediately! Aaahhh…. (bony fingers now idly tapping mean lips) I see she’s decided to go organic now…be sure to stock only the weak crap with no fat and no taste that she loathes so much.’ and so on... So it was only a matter of time before they took away my dearest Red Stripe. Stella, obviously, is the queen of all lager but Red Stripe is cheaper and smoother although it tastes very similar, and both are closely related to the Bud family. It’s been a long time, but I can recall it tasting like heaven itself. It goes down really easily and is refreshing, mellow and quite delicious. I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: FAB - Funny, interesting, touching and more
Disadvantages: A little predicatble in places

...Sadly I missed Racing Stripes in the cinema but quickly got hold a copy once it became available on DVD and I am very glad that I did. The film, is a classic, focussing on a baby zebra who is left behind, in a severe thunderstorm by the travelling circus. The cure little fellow is found by a young girl takes her back to the small farm) that she and her Father run - of course all the animals and the Zebra whom is soon christened Stripes can talk. After a little persuasion her Father agrees that she can keep Stripes on the farm which is located next to a championship racing stable and track. It soon expires that the girls Mother was a championship jockey who sadly died in a racing accident and her Father was a championship trainer - but since the death of his wife he could no longer face the task of training the animals he feels... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A durable, washable and versatile toy
Disadvantages: A bit opinionated and vain.

...Well, hello there! Scoot the Zebra here, I just thought I’d have a go at writing one of these Ciao op thingies. Everyone seems to be at it these days (writing I mean, tee hee, you naughty people). The Mistress is upstairs tap, tapping away on the computer til all hours, the oldest poppet is learning to write her name and even the two younger darlings are scribbling on every available surface! So, I thought to myself, how better to get one over on that snooty rocking horse in the front room, than to write an opinion on myself!! Such a worthy subject and so very interesting too, I’ll tell the world and earn a few useful pennies into the bargain. Anyway, I managed to persuade one of those dippy Barbie dolls to climb up onto the bookshelf and grab a pencil and piece of paper, honestly you’d have thought I was asking her... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: If you rub it on teeth they get cleaned.
Disadvantages: The risk of potential death.

...Everybody stop what you're doing! Leave the PC and dash to your bathrooms! Check whether or not you have this particular toothpaste installed next to your frayed brush and your manky razor. If not, why not? Can't you tell by its name that it is the ultimate in dental hygiene? This is a toothpaste that could change your life! Okay, well maybe not, but these messages aren't a million miles away from what the packaging is saying. This stuff is called 'TOTAL' after all, not to mention the added bonus of a Fresh Stripe! (I guess it wouldn't work as 'TOTAL Fresh Tripe'). This paste apparently offers so much. You are protected from 1. Cavities; 2. Plaque; 3. Tartar; 4. Gum Problems; 5. Bad Breath. Let's face it, as social animals it is this last one that is the clincher - forget my health! I just must not smell! The illustrations used... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful