We have all grown up listening to ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’ fable and have believed in it. To support that fable, the makers of Shrek have come up with a fun-filled animated animal movie Rally Road Racers, which also has a believable story with morals.

Like Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda, Rally Road Racers is set in China in a time, when animals of all sizes, shapes and speeds, talk. There is a slow loris (a slow-moving mammal), who wants to make it fast as a race driver. He lives with his grandma, who discourages his love for speed, but to succeed, he finds assistance from a wise goat.

The teaming up of Zhi the Loris (voiced by Jimmy O Yang) with veteran racer Gnash the Goat (JK Simmons), is what makes the plot all the more interesting since they plan to dethrone the reigning king of the tracks — the evil, menacing toad Archie Vainglorious (John Cleese). There’s the obligatory love interest with a female Loris Shelby (Chloe Bennet), who has an agenda of her own, which adds suspense to the story.

Archie has asked all residents of Tai Chi village to leave the place, yet Zhi strikes a deal with him, coming up with the idea of saving the village with a final race. Though it means the world to the loris, the toad has other plans as he wants to capture the trophy, by hook or by crook, since it’s the only prize that has eluded him professionally. Vainglorious faces stern competition from the novice which takes up most of the 93-minute flick. Will Zhi manage to save the villagers or do they meet their fate quickly because of his ambitions, find out in Rally Road Racers!

One thing is clear that there are crashes, clashes and a little romance between two slow lorises, which makes the race interesting. The film’s feel-good lessons about finding and caring for one’s community and building one another up are also a highlight of the film.

The ending may be predictable for many, but the way the landscapes, colours, cars and the action are accommodated, the director Ross Venokur must get the credit for. The movie highlights the importance of friendship, honesty and teamwork. Produced by John H Williams, the movie is fun-filled with something for everybody at home. Like many family films, there are so many references that the parents would cherish, while a few would go over their heads and would be enjoyed by the kids.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 20th, 2024