Rating: 
Summary: Man o War's Grandchild
Review: I saw "Seabiscuit" (son of Hard Tack who was the son of Man o'War) at the movie theatre 3 times, and have just recently bought the video. Watching "Seabiscuit" at home on TV is the same as watching "Titanic" at home on TV. Its great, but nothing like experiencing it on that huge screen with surround-sound. The scenes where we first see the horses running wild through the wide-open spaces with Tom Smith watching them or coming up behind with his lasso - you had to see it on the big screen. That's only one example. There are too many to go into here.I've heard a few people say that the movie is too predictable, or too corny. Too predictable? Its a true story! In fact, the last race Seabiscuit won before he retired, the "hundred grander" at Santa Anita, was much more dramatic and exciting in real life than it was in the movie. In the movie Seabiscuit just comes from way behind to win. Actually, Seabiscuit got boxed in between several horses and Red Pollard had to take a very risky chance of trying to run between two horses when a small space finally opened up. Pollard already had his badly injured, but healing leg to be concerned about. But he took the chance, led Seabiscuit through that small space, broke out of the pack, and finally won the Santa Anita "hundred grander." That race was much more dramatic than the race against War Admiral (son of Man o'War), but I guess some people considered it anti-climatic since the race with War Admiral was such a national event. I think the film-makers could have made the movie that much better by showing that last race exactly as it happened. Then do the voice-over while Seabiscuit is in the winner's circle. So, these people who say the movie is too predictable - its a real life story folks. It really happened. Sorry if a true story is too corny or predictable.
Rating: 
Summary: Universal's Seabiscuit Could Have Been Better
Review: Seabiscuit is yet another example of how Hollywood (in this case, Universal Studios) takes a nice story, having the potential to be a really nice "family" film, and turns it into an adult feature. I lost count of the number of irritatingly-blasphemous foul words used! As it usually goes with most movies, these words did absolutely nothing to enhance dialog at all. Discerning parents will probably want to keep their children away from this one. The DVD's packaging was another sore spot. Instead of getting the usual chapter insert and liner notes with the disk, Universal Studios decided that the purchaser would rather own a "barker" sheet for Buick! Yes, even you could win a new Buick Rainier! How poor is that?
Rating: 
Summary: EEW....This thing stinks...
Review: Smells like horse manure...This movie is still playing as I am typing this, and it is just awful...I could not watch anymore of it. It is a complete bore, and I wanted to fall asleep...to get myself not to fall asleep, I had to get my son ready for bed himself...lol! I did not feel anything for the characters, and Seabiscut is almost non existent in the film...the only touching part that I saw was when Jeff Bridges character's son gets killed in a car accident...and that was near the beginning of the film...from that point on..you want to fall asleep...the movie bounces around way too much and it is very hard to follow...please whatever you do...if you want to stay awake during a film...don't rent or purchase this one!!!
Rating:
Summary: Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition)
Review: I'm bewildered by some early reviews which seem to convey Seabiscuit's using "Ken Burns type naration" as a negative. What other vehicle could present the sub stories better? What I saw was a phenomenon put in perspective of the Great Depression. Rooting for the underdog, having something to believe in. I found it interesting that the US and state governments had basically banned horse racing around the turn of the century, only to breathe life back into it to generate tax money by taxing wagering. My copy of Seabiscuit included the book that the movie was based on. Between the movie and the book, I have a new appreciation of both the jockies and the horses as atheletes. I've never really been too interested in horseracing. I've always been drawn to stories of courage, winning against the odds, etc. The hardships people are willing to endure.
I mentioned Laura Hillenbrand's captivating bestseller, which the movie is based on. At some point before or after watching the film, read her book. It fills in the story in a way that no movie can. It's my belief that no movie can be better than the book it's based on.
The actors all did a superb job making the story believable. William Macy, Bridges et al. Specific roles have been discussed in other reviews.
I must say that I just recently started buying DVDs and of course have purchased or rented most of the new releases. None have had as good a story to tell. Maybe more special effects, explosions, etc. but Seabiscuit still holds it's own.
I'm happy with this purchase.AND I don't have any problems letting my young son watch it.
John Row
Rating:
Summary: Pull Away Winner!
Review: What an awesome movie! The historical insets which give the movie its historical context are just fantastic to set the mood for a second chance winner. Jeff Bridges is superb in his role, the character seems to fit his personna so well, smooth and yet energetic and passionate. Chris Cooper does an equally admirable performance as the remarkable trainer Tom Smith and Tobey Macguire as Red Pollard is very good. This real story captivates and motivates since it's about the underlying potential in everyone to achieve, while others just want to suppress. Howard is such a case, and sees this in a trainer, a horse and a jockey, after finding it in his own crumbling life. The cineamotography and music are excellent and fit the storyline snugly. This is one to be watched multiple times.
Rating: 
Summary: War Admiral A Monster Horse? Puh-lease!
Review: Everyone else has pretty much said it all about this movie. As a young child I read all I could about horses, especially race horses. Without going into great detail, I would like to point out that there are several historical "inaccuracies" portrayed in the movie "Seabiscuit". Most can be easily explained as to why they are left out or have been changed, however ONE really, really, REALLY bugs me: War Admiral was only 15.3 hands high! Only 3" taller than Seabiscuit. That's it. They were BOTH small horses. While I can understand that the "big little horse" theme pretty much ran the whole movie, in reality it just doesn't wash. Surely they could have found something else to hang everything on rather than change an important historical fact -- such as the size of the rival horse? Sheesh :)
Rating:
Summary: An extraordinarily beautiful film...
Review: I have been waiting impatiently for this film to come out. It had some of my favorite actors, Toby McQuire and Jeff Bridges (who is not used often enough in good movies!) in it, and it was a horse story. I remember being a little girl and reading all the horse books I could get my hands on. Black Beauty and all of Walter Farley's books, and I did read a very short, illustrated one on Seabiscuit. This is a magnificent movie. Many of the panorama views that are done with no voice or talking remind me a bit of The Titanic but with a happier ending. This was truly the meeting of four very damaged beings: 3 men and a battered horse. Their coming together, and the support and care they gave each other led to a winning combination of strength and courage that could not be beat. The cinematography of the movie is absolutely stunning. Bridges is does his fine job that was seen in so many previous movies...how can the Academy and filmmakers miss giving him more outstanding material to work with I will never know. The supporting cast and a very, very thin Toby Mcguire fill out this beautiful film in their parts. I plan to watch this film many times on rainy Saturdays, partly because it is beautiful and because it was uplifting (and I don't gamble!). I can understand how so many people in the U.S. who were in the throes of the Depression found the story of Seabiscuit to be uplifting, and allow them to hope that they too could survive and could also thrive, given an opportunity to do so (which many of the social programs instigated by FDR did do and did build the national infrastructure of highways and national forestry projects/dams that we still depend on). Karen Sadler
Rating: 
Summary: Feel-good movie, but that's it!
Review: When I was a kid I used to follow horse races a lot, so this movie understandably appealed to me, considering it's about the story of a short horse that beats the odds and becomes one of the United States' best race horses. Having become famous at a time when the country was coming out of the depression, it stood as an example of what the "small man" could hope for: there was an opportunity there for those who were willing to take a chance and fight for it. So there's more than the basic story of an animal and the people surrouding it. There's the whole country metaphor that keeps coming back once and again in the movie. Overall, a feel-good movie but not an instant classic or an Oscar contender, if you ask me. Absolutely worth renting, but buying...? I'd argue...
Rating:
Summary: Good, not great
Review: Although this movie has some breathtaking and brilliantly filmed racing scenes that are uplifting and inspiring, making you want to cheer, the movie all in all is quite a disappointment which could have been much, much, better. First of all, the narration is absolutely unneccessary, and makes the film not only tv-ish, but boring after hearing the narration after the first half-hour. Second, the cast isn't too enjoyable, with newly-rising star Tobey Maguire, William H. Macy, (as a cameo (!)), and ofcourse, Seabiscuit taking the cake. Jeff Bridges is O.K., but like the movie could've been better, and Chris Cooper is his usual non-emotional, dull and grunting self, thank god he doesn't come in until the last hour. The love-story sucks, and the movie also has some unnecessarily added tragedies, (like Bridges' kid) however all in all this movie does have a great message about how Seabiscuit's triumphs won the hearts of depression-weary Americans and America itself. The best scene is the ending narration and shot. If you dont have anything better to see or do, than this movie is for you!
Rating:
Summary: For those fans who love old-fashioned MOVIE-movies!
Review: What a marvelous film. An absolutely picture-perfect recreation of a era not recently seen in modern film...the Depression.
I had no idea that in the year 1938, this horse occupied more column inches in the newspapers than Roosevelt (#2) or Hitler (#3). One out of three Americans heard the climactic match race on the radio. 40 million people.
Nowadays, it seems we can't even get one out of three Americans to vote.
The story is well summarized in other reviews.
I'd like to point out an amazing effort by the writer/director Gary Ross. There are so many delightful moments...thoughtful touches that "tell the story" in most powerful ways. And this is a great story told VERY well.
The inter-jockey interplay during actual races is terrific. A decision to NOT show a tragic event on-screen, followed by agonizingly silent segments, are far more effective than a traditional special-effect-and-sweeping-orchestral-flourish moment. Horse races are always cleanly conveyed...you know who's where, and what our jockey is thinking.
"Our jockey" being Red Pollard, sharply portrayed by Tobey Maguire. Even better is Chris Cooper. Although he finally has received recognition from the industry, I don't think the public knows how truly gifted he is. He's a joy to watch.
Jeff Bridges, as usual, is solid. He normally elevates his material above it's source, but here he doesn't have to. Ross' screenplay is witty, poetic...it has depth and detail.
As the director, Ross does the same from behind the camera. Just as poetic, with lovely images, thrilling racing sequences, some drop-dead gorgeous vistas...well done Mr. Ross!
Everything from the production design, to the cinematography, to the music (can Randy Newman EVER do wrong?) is so "right" for this movie, that you won't notice it until after the credits roll.
You're WAY too busy being caught up in the tale of this amazing horse, his owner, his trainer and his jockey.
There are very few guarantees in the movie biz. If you have a fondness for the type of movies "they don't make anymore", you will enjoy this film. Guaranteed.
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