Monday, February 17, 2003

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

In a Nutshell: Excellent for children, fairly good for adults. A perfectly pleasant film.

Quick Plot: Follow the adventures of Spirit through the pioneering old west, from capture by the army to living with Native Americans, through childhood and love. (And no talking animals, though Spirit does "narrate" over the action occasionally.)

In Detail: I liked this film fine. I think it is a great movie for kids, though if you aren't ready to explain "why the mama horse is laying down like she's hurt, and then a baby horse suddenly appears," then you may want to wait. It's not icky, and nothing inappropriate is shown, but it's not Bambi either. The music is by Bryan Adams, and it's fine, but not spectacular. I think the songs at the beginning were a little close together. I was also disappointed in the blending of the hand drawn elements and the CG elements. It may have come off better on the big screen, but it was clearly obvious what was what on the television. It was funny, it was a little sad, it was tense, it was happy. Quite good, but never truly making it to great status for me. If the audience is just adults, then it's worth seeing, but don't rush right out and rent it. If you have kids, you really should try it. I think they'll like it a lot.

Will I Buy It? Probably, eventually, but mainly for my (future) kids. I liked it fine, and we may watch it now and again, but it doesn't make it to my list for tons of repeat viewings like many Disneys.

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