Two-Bits & Pepper

Watched it every year for my birthday for seven years still going! While others who don't like it may not appreciate it, as a horse lover I loved it and found it hilarious! This movie is like home alone with horses and is definitely worth more than 2.9 stars! I gave it 10 and I believe it deserves more of those!!!

As a grandmother and horse lover/owner, I loved this movie...of course it was beyond slap-stick silly...but that's half the fun! My grand daughter LOVED the old Mr Ed talking horse series and would watch them religiously. I wish I could have shown this movie to her before loosing her! My husband and I both watched this...we're well educated but not too sophisticated to where we don't enjoy a few silly movies. Loved the scenery...Santa Barbara California is one awesome place to live...is beyond beautiful! Loved the sunshine, green pastures and rolling hills. My 20 yr old grandson said this movie is terrible...too silly...but he's a college sophisticate! I'd watch this again and share with my other grand kids...they'll have a good laugh!

Two Bits and Pepper is definitely not the best horse film I have seen and it does have a lot of faults. Adults will most likely find this film predictable and irritating but little kids are bound to enjoy it. The story is very simple - two girls are kidnapped by two very stupid kidnappers (the kind you would see in Beethoven 3, only more stupid because they can't even add 1+11!) and the kid's ponies (Two Bits and Pepper) decide to rescue their owners and bring the kidnappers to justice. The ponies do speak (Homeward Bound style) but have very irritating voices that I felt were unemotional and past caring. This film does have a lot of flaws and unfortunately they are noticeable.

The kidnappers do not speak with any emotion and sounded like they just wanted to get on with it and the girls, I think were the only ones that acted well. There were a few good scenes such as when a fire breaks out but it is fairly easy to lose interest and the film gets boring towards the end because we all know what is going to happen. Yes the horses are cute and the stunts preformed were OK and the scenery was nice but nothing could save this film from the lack of professionalism. I think it will appeal more to little kids. But one good point is that the film teaches them that they should not talk to strangers or get in a stranger's car. This film is not great and I have seen better but for the money (£1 in Woolworths) it is OK though I would not view it more than once. 5/10.

Joe Piscopo delivered a fairly good performance, although "Zike" was a shade too contrived. He can do better. By far he was the best actor - everyone else was either wooden, too stage-y, or couldn't deliver their lines with appropriate intonation or emotion. The script left a lot to be desired. Why would the mom not think to look for her daughter in her horse's barn? Why would a girl run off without her horse (DUH - teen girls and horses, ya know - LOL!)? Most disturbing - why would a movie show a little girl chatting with and exchanging insults with two men who have just invited her into their car? She wouldn't have gotten away with that in real life.

Oh well, we have a lot of fun with interpreting what the horses are really saying. Most of the time, they're asking, "Are you gonna give me that treat, or what?" The little horse tries to dominate the big horse in many of the scenes. Best of all, when one horse is supposed to be encouraging the other, he's doing the equine equivalent of flipping the bird! Park your brain at the door, but do pause and talk about things from time to time with your kids.

I gave it three stars because of Joe Piscopo, and because I can think of movies that are a lot worse.

Nice little story about 2 girls and their horses. The horses talk to each other in the style of Homeward Bound or Look Who's Talking. Toss in two bumbling kidnappers (both played by Joe Piscopo) for some comic relief and we have a story with a little drama, comedy, parental conflict on the trials and tribulations of growing up. Although predictable, it is charming and will appeal to little girls everywhere.