Rating: 
Summary: At first it was boring...
Review: But after the first 20-30 minutes, it began to pick up from there.At first, this movie felt more like a documentary, due to the cutscenes where an almost monotone narrator talks about important dates in early 1900's U.S. history. Some of the cutscenes seem to have no relation to the movie whatsoever, though, and could distract people from the actual storyline. However, everything began to pick up when the three different characters' storylines that we follow became more and more tragic until they are united by the fourth character, Seabiscuit - the small and nearly broken down horse with a sad early life. The thing that bothered me about the sudden addition of Seabiscuit was that the movie explained his life in a few short minutes, instead of having it be a continual storyline from the beginning of the movie, like the automotive salesperson, the horse trainer, and the jockey. The storyline continues with more challenges and more tragedy for all the characters, that I was left cheering for all of them to succeed in their fight against their misfortune. This movie develops all of the main characters very well so it was easy to sympathize with them. Also, the races were more exciting than I anticipated, leaving me and my fellow viewer at the edge of our seats, cheering Seabiscuit on. This movie also left a nice message about how it's not all about the race and winning, but how the characters were all brought together and changed their life around - for the better. This movie delivers its more than two-hour performance very well and wraps up everything nicely. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: All and all a winner
Review: Great movie, highly recommend. The only caution that I can think of is language. It was much stronger than I had anticipated, and would caution you if that is something you have trouble with, beware. Make sure to watch the historical documentary in the DVD extras section.
Rating: 
Summary: Superb Movie
Review: A superb movie
A true classic already.
This movie really brings to life this great story of Seabiscuit.
All characters are great.
For once, a great movie with a superb storyline
Rating:
Summary: The hoss was very realistic, but the gloss went over the top
Review: SEABISCUIT was a very good "movie-movie" with an underdog theme and I'd recommend it to anyone, but it wasn't without flaws. I don't want to seem to "dwell on the flaws" -- this IS a four-star review, after all -- but this review will highlight and coalesce some of the less admirable aspects of this expensive, high-production movie because so many others have sung its praise so commendably. This isn't a pan--just one consumer's viewpoint who has seen the film both in theater and twice on DVD with bells and whistles. The acting was noteworthy. At the least, convincing (Jeff Bridges as the title horse's owner, Tobey Maguire as Seabiscuit's gentle jockey); and at best illuminating: Annette Bening as the Bridges' character's first wife, who had to carry a lot of the emotional baggage left over from a highly truncated first third of Laura Hillenbrand's bestselling nonfiction book, on which this movie is based. Leaving out of the movie such not-so-minor historical details as the San Francisco earthquake (which proved the validity of the panic-proof Horseless Carriage and made a millionaire out of Jeff Bridges' character, Buick franchisor for the West Coast), SEABISCUIT as briskly as possible establishes the rags-to-riches biography of the man who made his fortune selling cars--and then, ironically and much like Henry Ford, developed a taste for the idyllic and bought himself a huge estate and became a gentleman squire of horseflesh. It isn't easy to do in a standard-length movie what Hillenbrand's massive book did, which is underline the synergy that took place when owner, trainer and jockey all collaborated to rehabilitate the "impossible" Seabiscuit, a "runty" horse, built all wrong and raised to bring out his violent temper. (Seabiscuit was Man O'War's grandson, but on the wrong side of the bloodline.) So now, the truly interesting phase begins, the underdog (underhorse?) saga--think of Seabiscuit as a kind of equine Rocky. Unfortunately, the movie has to haul out the ol' Hollywood Duck Tape to bring the three guys together convincingly, in essence putting Tobey Maguire's character through seven or eight hellish years of surviving the Depression by racing, roundabouting, and fighting bare-knuckles....but then to backtrack in calendar years, creating a sci-fi type "time anomaly." [I can almost hear some stereotype of a 1940s studio exec hollering "Where's the love interest?"] To accommodate the romantic angle and introduce the owner's courtship of his second wife, and to provide background info for the Depression (for which I am grateful), some number-cooking ensued. At the point where jockey and owner meet, the plot from the jockey's point of view should have landed him in about 1937, but the movie tells us it's 1934. Which it must be, according to the conventions of Hollywood Logic; what we're told is true, but the time anomaly results from the script's (or more accurately, the abbreviation of script's) painting the plot in a corner, logic-wise. In all fairness, Hillenbrand, lacking the restraints of the 100-page screenplay, had the space to tell the real story from multiple points of view and so the numbers add up just as they did in real life. So while I must give the film five gold stars for good civic intentions and solid acting (and more to kiss than a horse), it gets held back in primary for failure to achieve in elementary arthithmetic. Other not-too-subtle signs of condescension toward a mass audience are at hand, the kind we DIDN'T see in the truly top-notch underdog "Gladiator" or "Rocky." SEABISCUIT leaned a bit much on Hollywood overproduction to puff itself up. This is such an utterly compelling story that even with the occasional glitch it would have sold better understated than without Randy Newman's (or his assistant's) plebian background music, which made every meadow a vista, every emphasis an epiphany, every awakening an orgasm. Too many carefully inserted "ta-daa" moments signaled by music or quick cuts that condescended to the audience, a pity in a film derived from a book that earned plenty of real "ta-daa's." There is, however, one time-saving plot device which is utterly charming. It's pure fiction and I don't care. Kudos plus to the invented (NOT composite) character played by William H. Macy of tipsy radio sportscaster "Tick-Tock" McLoughlin, who broadcasts his own special blend of pixillated pony wisdom and thoroughbred blarney from a tiny studio with a host of noisemakers and musical instruments and the occasional help of a very bored girlfriend. (If you've seen BULL DURHAM you know the potential the blind eye of radio holds for fabricting faux "on-site" events.) Much welcome comedy relief that advanced the plot without my really knowing it. Not to digress, but is Mr. Macy ever in a bad movie?? I personally think SEABISCUIT is an asset to any family. Anecdotal DVD material is okay, nothing amazing. Visual transfer is fine, aural copy is just OK. I for one found that irritating earwash of not-quite-wall-to-wall background music annoying, especially during the false crescendoes; when I set the home theater receiver (and I have a cheap one) for U-shaped (ampitheater/surround) playback, it wasn't so annoying and blarey. Seabiscuit his ownself was a no-bull horse. Despite the fact that the film comes equipped with some gratuitous bullfeathers, it's still well worth experiencing, and more than once.
Rating: 
Summary: snooze fest
Review: Like gnawing on a tasteless biscuit that has, in fact, been floating out on the seas way too long. Let's start (and maybe finish) with my first complaint. What's with that sappy, cigar addled Jimney Cricket-esque, nostalgia-obsessed - cliched beyond belief - narration that accompanies black and white shots from the past as boringly as any car commercial? Have we become so roboticized to actually fall for that act ad infinitum (ad nauseum)? Yes, Jeff Bridges is endearing, and Toby ain't too shabby either but the film was filled with formulaic tactics that simply take away from the beauty of the scenes and the appreciable performances. I must admit, at times I was swept up in the grandeur of the flick and who wasn't rooting for the underhorse at every gallop; however, I am sick of the formula!!! Please give us something truly unique. It doesn't matter if the film is based on a true story if the story is told like a billion others. All it would have taken, in my humble opinion, would be some sort of "cliche-checker" ensuring that the film be ridded of any overtly formulaic or snooze-inducing cliches (like the good ole boy American narration). Perhaps this is mean of me; but how many agree that we have seen these tactics way too much? Just because it pleases the marketing research panels and promises to pack the crowds does not translate to quality. The film could have been great without the cliches!!! Sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Too good for the era in which it was produced
Review: SEABISCUIT has much too generous a heart for the mean-spirited era in which we live. Sometime's it seems as though films which are less intellectual are consigned to the scrap heap by the arts-page elite, even though these pictures tell a great story beautifully and reflect the highest elements of film art. The fact that Chris Cooper was never nominated for an Oscar for his awesome performance in this film says it all. Sure, the film does not reflect the historical record accurately, and for this reason it might have been retitled. But there were sufficient elements gleaned from the rest of Seabiscuit's history to justify a film with his name on it. When you go to the movies or roll a DVD, don't seek absolute historical truth, and above all don't scorn honest emotion. SEABISCUIT is a beautifully produced film. Well produced, acted, edited and art-directed. The costumes are awesome. The script is intelligent. Randy Newman's score is predictably lavish and lovely. The cinematography is to die-for. The tension and pacing are appropriate to the tale. So for all those aspiring Vincent Canby's out there, I say leave it to the master. We go to the movies to be enthralled, to think and feel and leave this sorry world for awhile. I loved this movie, and my firends think I'm an intellectual. Little do they know!
Rating: 
Summary: This movie is incredibly plain...
Review: Seabiscuit is an acclaimed movie that runs for well over two hours, yet I found myself bored and waiting to see what was so great about this movie. This movie tells the story of Seabiscuit, its trainer, owner and jockey. The movie opens by showing snippets of a young Tobey McGuire at home with his family and Jeff Bridges making a fortune selling cars. It shows Chris Cooper on the farm training horses. This movie jumps from scene to scene at an incredible pace from the beginning of the movie to the end. The editing seems choppy and the story is fragmented. To enjoy this movie, every single scene needed to be about 10 seconds longer. The director cut every scene short, making them just long enough to tell the viewers how they should feel. At the very beginning of the movie, Jeff Bridges sees his son reading a book. He asks him if he wants to go outside and play. The son says no, then the scene cuts to the dad leaving town without the son. There is no explanation why or who is even watching the kid. The next scene shows the kid getting in a truck to go fishing. The next scene shows the kid dead and the dad crying. The whole movie is like this. There is no character development because there isn't time. If you watch this movie, check out the scene where it is revealed Toby McGuire is blind. That could have been longer and explained more, but it is cut short and left me wondering what's going on? I guess this movie would have needed another hour to give the subject matter justice, but as it stands, the director did a horrible job of telling a great story. This movie deserves none of the accolades it is getting.
Rating:
Summary: Seabiscuit
Review: One of the best films we have watched in a long time. Seabiscuit is a Classic and will be treasured over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent QUALITY DVD
Review: I love this movie- very well done. They brought the book to life with a real feel for the material. What I wanted to comment on is the QUALITY of the DVD itself. It is a pleasure to have a DVD that is of such high quality- not a pop, skip, stick or smudge on the disk. The color is rich and saturated. The sound is incredible! Truly a movie buff worthy print!
Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: I thought this movie was amazingly well done. I loved it.
The characters and acting ensemble were cast with dynamite effects. Some times the series of circumstances seemed disjointed and with too little foundation to fully grasp the impact but the unifying pieces are so effective the movie flows with great believeability. William H. Macy's character as an announcer who seems to flank every horse race Seabiscuit runs is the greatest thread of consistency in the movie. The announcer who conveys the elements of historically accurate moments gives the movie credibility and ties the loose ends of this nonfiction adaptation.
Randy Newman wrote a movie score that wraps itself around the characters and enhances each moment of despair and inspiration.
If the rating had been just one degree more geared toward family I would loved to have brought my kids to see it. It's a great come from behind and never-down-and-out inspiring story. Predictable in ending but not in the development of each character. I proudly own this dvd.
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