Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dreadful animated folk tale has some scares.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Zodiac: The Race Begins
What's the Story?
During an era when people have no concept of time, a king issues a proclamation, ordering all the animals to race to the Celestial Palace. The twelve fastest animals will be tasked to be part of the Zodiac, and thus help humanity tell time and to protect them from evil. And so, the race begins, as characters like Ringo the Rat (Tom Arnold), Riley the Rabbit, and Orial the Ox find ways to emerge victorious in this journey, and thus become immortalized on the Zodiac. But an evil tree stands in their way, as well as numerous animals who are also trying to earn their place in the Celestial Palace.
Is It Any Good?
ZODIAC: THE RACE BEGINS is an excruciatingly awful mix of terrible songs, horrible acting, unlikeable characters, and only the thinnest of storylines to carry this thing through to the end. This movie has no redeeming value to it. Which is a shame, because the basic premise of it is interesting enough, but the execution of this movie is so bad, it's impossible to care how it ends.
As if this wasn't bad enough, there is also an evil tree that speaks in a sinister voice tailor-made to fill young kids' heads with nightmares. This is just plain lousy, and there really isn't anything else to say about it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the story upon which this movie is based. How could you find out more about the folktale?
How does this movie compare to other movies based on folktales?
Were any of the characters likeable to you? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 6, 2006
- Cast : Clarence Edwin , Tom Arnold , Zhao Jin Chen
- Director : Edward Fu
- Studio : Phase 4 Films
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Fantasy ( Fairy Tales )
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Some mild peril.
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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