Spirit the Stallion of the Cemarron Easy Drawing
One of Dreamworks' most ambitious, but most visually stunning and most underrated film
Whether it is the best Dreamworks movie is up for debate, but it is a long way from being their worst. Along with The Prince of Egypt, one of the most powerful, evocative and stirring animated films I have seen along with Watership Down, Spirit:Stallion of the Cimarron has to be Dreamworks's most ambitious film to date. It is also visually stunning, and do I think it is underrated? Yes, I do. I am going to do something I have not before in my earlier reviews, I am going to talk about each element of the film and talk about them in sufficient enough detail(or at least I will try to):
ANIMATION: My goodness! The animation in this film is absolutely stunning! No, no, can I change that to gorgeous? I cannot count the amount of times I sat there awed at the audaciousness of the backgrounds, the vibrancy of the colours and the swiftness of the character movements especially on Spirit himself. I know I have raved about how amazing the animation was in Prince of Egypt and Over the Hedge, but seriously the sheer beauty of the animation here makes this for me the most beautiful visually of the Dreamworks movies.
MUSIC: For this movie, I have read reviews not only on IMDb but also from critics that the songs and score here sucked. Can I be obliged to disagree? I admit at 17 I prefer classical music, but the songs from Bryan Adams I thought were lovely. They had nice melodies and meaningful lyrics that do try to convey a message, Here I am was amazing. I also liked the orchestration. Hans Zimmer has done better work, and I admit the sounds used in the orchestration were unusual they were somewhat effective as well.
STORY: When criticising this film, this is the element that gets bashed most. Critics complain that the story is slow, lacklustre and not compelling enough. Okay, it isn't the most fast moving story or one driven by humour and excitement, though there is evidence of both. This film for many reasons is somewhat more mature and ambitious than most of the other Dreamworks films, I think the only other Dreamworks movie that surpasses it in terms of ambition and maturity is (predictably) The Prince of Egypt. The story here is driven by themes of love, courage, following your heart and freedom and they are explored acceptably. Admittedly, it wasn't always as in-depth as it could've been, but some scenes like the scene with the train really did have an impact on me, and the romance between Spirit and Rain was cute. I wanted Spirit to succeed, even when it looked impossible.
SCRIPT: I liked the maturity and heart of the script here. And I also liked the fact it was delivered in the perspective of Spirit, I like films that are told through the perspective of a character from the film, it offers a whole new perspective on things. Spirit isn't the first film to be told in the perspective of a character, Black Beauty and Watership Down are prime examples and the Rankin'/Bass special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer had a snowman telling the story. That said, the script is very reflective and beautifully written.
VOICES: Very little to complain about here. Matt Damon was a nice choice for Spirit/The Narrator. I have also heard complaints that Damon was bland and dragged the movie down, and I also do disagree with that. I have heard much worse voice acting, and as far as I am concerned(not trying to sound opinionated) but Damon did a good job. And I liked the character of Spirit, he was brave, handsome and loving, quite possibly my favourite character. Daniel Studi was appealing as Little Creek, and James Cromwell plays the mean Colonel with crusty demeanour.
In conclusion, this is an underrated film, that deserves more praise. It isn't one hundred percent perfect, but I do think there are worse animated movies out there, that are nowhere near as ambitious, as well animated or as brave as Spirit:Stallion of the Cimarron. It isn't easy taking on ambitious projects, and I applaud ANY film that tries. 9/10 Bethany Cox
40 out of 40 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
The first great western of the 21st century!
SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, the new animated feature from Dreamworks, is an honest-to-God western. Some of you may be forgiven for thinking it was just a horse movie, a distinct and definable genre in its own right (e.g. MY FRIEND FLICKA), but I assure you this is a real, bonafide western, complete with cavalry, Indians, Monument Valley and the building of the transcontinental railroad. It's a familiar saga (to western fans) but told here from the point-of-view of a wild horse. It just may be the only western that children in today's audience will get to see on the big screen. (And it's perfectly suitable for even the smallest children.)
The movie has three selling points for people who are appalled at how childish and inane animated features in the U.S. have been over the last decade or so:
1) It's got a serious story. 2) The horses don't talk. 3) The horses don't sing.
The latter two functions are served by Spirit's first-person narration, voiced by Matt Damon and told in the past tense as a reminiscence, and several songs on the soundtrack written and performed by Bryan Adams. Neither of these elements were particularly necessary and the movie would have been better without them, although they aren't fatal. Hans Zimmer's excellent music score does a far more effective job in conveying, in dramatic and emotional terms, what the songs belabor. But, thankfully, aside from Damon, there are no other celebrity voices.
The other big selling point is the artwork. The background art and western landscapes are stunning and offer a mix of painted scenes and computer-created scenery, although everything seems computer enhanced in one way or another. Most importantly, the film gives us a chance to savor the backgrounds. The characters don't zip around in constant frenetic motion the way they do in Disney movies. Although there are several chase scenes, the characters are just as likely to pause and connect with each other in movements reflecting naturalistic behavior. There are moments of gentleness, tenderness, curiosity, and discovery, so we get to see the space the characters are in and get to connect with it ourselves. There's a real palpable sense of environment and geography, of time and place, something rarely found in American animated features.
The character design is also well-done. The human characters all have solid, expressive, recognizable faces, strongly differentiated from each other. The horses are well designed also, looking like horses, but anthropomorphised enough to give them recognizable emotional responses. No character, human or animal, is exaggerated for cartoon effect.
I normally have problems with digital animation and computer created imagery and SPIRIT is, for the most part, computer created, although it replicates the look of traditional 2-D animation. Still, if this is the wave of the future, then SPIRIT shows us how it should be done. This is digital animation at the best I've ever seen it (including the Japanese anime features I've seen in the last few years). And combined with a good story and clean concept that doesn't patronize its audience, it's created what I think is the finest American animated feature since BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991). If there is any significant flaw in SPIRIT, aside from the songs, it's that the story falls short of greatness, undercut by the lack of a sufficiently emotional payoff. Still, it's a better story than any I've seen in an American animated production since at least THE LION KING. Some viewers may quibble about the politically correct aspects of the story (cavalry=bad, Indians=good), but there is a moment near the end that balances things out in an intelligent, dramatic way.
SPIRIT may suffer at the boxoffice because it doesn't have the all-important lowest-common-denominator touches that have so cheapened the animated genre but attracted audiences looking for easy laughs (e.g. celebrity voices doing hyperactive genies, show-tune-singing meerkats and jive-talking jackasses). But it should give a measure of hope to that small, passionate segment of the audience that cares about animation as a medium capable in its own right of great storytelling and cinematic artistry.
59 out of 65 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Important themes
I liked this movie a lot. The animation was well done and the romance was cute. I liked most of Bryan Adams' songs and the Hans Zimmer score was excellent. What a lot of people don't realize is how well it relates to the Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now themes (what happens when so-called "civilization" invades someone elses home, what does it mean to be "civilized" etc.). The opening scenery and music were very stirring. The film is a lament to an America that was once beautiful.
79 out of 84 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
A fine piece of animation.
The horse is indeed a fine animal. Picturesque depictions of wild horses and their grace could never have been more majestic in an animation flick.
The animation is simply stupendous. The fine animation forms the backbone of the beauty that the horses embolden across the flick. More so when the stallion traverses diverse terrain, jumps across cliffs and braves waters.
Soundtrack too is very impressive. The wonderful instrumental music lures you to appreciate the movie.
"They say the story of the west was written from the saddle of a horse . " huh? Well ,The story of a fine horse sure was written from the saddle of the west .
All in all, this movie is clearly up there with the best .It is one of the best animation flicks i have watched. Would be a very fine choice on a lonely night. An easy 9/10.
53 out of 56 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Terrific animation, beautiful story. A winner through and through.
I feel like part of the reason why DreamWorks's Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron works so well (Ebert noted this in his excellent review) is the fact that none of the animals talk. Although the titular horse is given internal narration by Matt Damon (of all people), not once does Spirit, or any other creature ever speak themselves. This allows for more time spent on music, visuals and storytelling free from banter or exposition. When you have a movie with such sweeping scope and majestic beauty, it's nice to just relax and let it wash over you, almost like a music video. I'll always love 2D animation, and here its done exquisitely, the wild frontier rendered in richly colored strokes, the horses vividly brought to life through the illustrations. It's one of the last classic 2D outings, before the eventual switch to computer generated stuff. Don't get me wrong I'm just as in love with 3D animation, but I will always have deep nostalgic pangs for this style as well. Someone once told me that cinema is the only art form in which every single artistic medium you can think of can all inhabit the same space, interacting and complimenting each other to create a symphony for all the senses and perceptions. Spirit is a shining example: exceptional drawing and animation, terrific voice acting, and the music, which is a standout. Both the stirring score by Hans Zimmer and the original songs by Bryan Adams are heartfelt compositions which soar along with the visuals in perfect harmony. Spirit is a wild young mustang, who is captured by a vicious Colonel, gruffy baritoned by James Cromwell. He tries to train the horse and break him, but Spirit has that wild spark of vitality that any protagonist of the animal kingdom must possess. He refuses to give in, never losing hope of one day returning to his herd. He is befriended by young native man Little Creek (Daniel Studi) who is also searching for home. The two form an adventurous bond, putting them against man and nature to return to their origins. Mountains, valleys, corals, trees and the untamed northwest wilderness are all presented in a fashion so gorgeous that the colors nearly pop off the screen. It's just terrific entertainment through and through, never too silly, sappy or frightening, hitting all the right notes along the whole breadth of its breezy 80 minute runtime. DreamWorks doesn't often give Disney a run for its money, but consider this a glowing exception.
10 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Excellent fare for younger viewers
It's said that when Disney first contemplated Dinosaur (2000), the idea was to have the giant lizards play out non-speaking roles and that this was eventually abandoned, principally through a fear of alienating a junior audience. Asbury and Cook's Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron reverses that decision, takes the braver choice and leaves the equine main characters mute - though still subject to some restrained first person narration by Matt Damon. `They say that the history of the west was written from the saddle of a horse - but it's never been told from the heart of one' he says and, right from the start, it is clear that this will be a Western with a different perspective. Animated Westerns are rare enough (the last one I can easily recall is Fievel Goes West (1991)) and those told from an animal's viewpoint even scarcer. Spirit is refreshing in that it carries off a combination of these two challenges effectively, if inevitably somewhat simplistically.
The stallion Spirit's indomitable nature is what shapes the narrative, and is his most defining characteristic. His craving for freedom and independence remain uppermost, even when eventually tempered by the relationships eventually established with the mare Rain and the Indian Little Creek. Strictly speaking, one might argue that Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is less of a Western than a nature film, in which pastoral ideals loom more important than the rigours of life at the frontier. As such, it plays more like a cross between the pony paean of Champion the Wonder Horse, and the pantheism of The Indian Fighter, than as a regular film of the genre. The traditional Western often centres around the establishment of civilisation, the drive West, the homestead movement, and so on. The scene in which Spirit wrecks the locomotive, checking the advance of the railroad, is at odds with a genre world view which, typically, has seen the iron way's coming as a tremendous advance.
Spirit seeks to keep the wilderness pristine, a place apart from the footfall of white men, where foals can be brought up in peace and security. Of course, his halt of railroad expansion can only be a temporary one, but it is good enough in the meantime. It is as well that he acts when and how he does too, for his friends the Indians are blissfully unaware of events, and seem unable to act with similar determination. A far cry from the marauding savages frequently presented by the Western in its heyday, the tribe here are a peaceful people, somewhat enervated by the need to have a strong animal lead and presumably the claims of political correctness. Little Creek is the exception (although still open-mouthed at the stallion's continued rebelliousness at the fort), even if his amazingly timely and successful trudge to find Spirit down the tracks strains belief.
First time co directors Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook have had some involvement with successful animated projects in the past, such as Prince of Egypt, Toy Story, and Little Mermaid. They've clearly learned from their experience. Hans Zimmer's stirring score (which echoes his triumphant Gladiator music at times) and Byan Adam's throaty warbling helps them along, and the story of Spirit runs like clockwork, displaying none of the cutesy parochialism which mars some of Disney's work. With no horse dialogue to slow matters down, much is conveyed through meaningful neighs and equine expressions, surprisingly effective in communication.
Some viewers have praised the quality of the animation, and while it is done effectively enough much of the figure drawing has a stripped-down quality which leads to a certain TV blandness (more noticeable in the pan-and-scan video version). The most effective animation occurs during the dramatic destruction of the railroad, but even here there's a suspicion that, had a little more care been spent on light and shade (for instance), the results would have been even more impressive. Least effective of all is the scene on the train, when the despondent Spirit sees his family and friends imagined in falling snowflakes, as the graphic visualisation is disappointingly unsubtle. It's at times like this that the soundtrack proves its worth, carrying the reader over such less effective patches with some emotional charge.
When all is said and done of course, it's the target audience which matters the most. The two junior ladies in my household have watched Spirit repeatedly since it arrived at Christmas and would give the film a big four thumbs up. No doubt the successful reception of the feature on the big screen may encourage a sequel (the antipathy between Spirit and The Colonel has been left unresolved, for instance) and in my home, at least, the result of Spirit and Rain beginning a family would be eagerly awaited.
37 out of 43 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Full of Heart, a great story.
If only ALL animation was this great. This film is classic because it is strong is two simple aspects: Story and Character. The characters in this film are beautifully personified. I felt for all of the characters, and human-animal relationship in the movie works perfectly. The beautiful animation and 3-D computer animation hasn't worked better in any other film. This is a great movie for kids, and for adults who want a classic hero's journey. 8 of 10.
69 out of 74 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Wonderful
I thought this movie would be dumb, but I really liked it. People I know hate it because Spirit was the only horse that talked. Well, so what? The songs were good, and the horses didn't need to talk to seem human. I wouldn't care to own the movie, and I would love to see it again. 8/10
20 out of 21 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
One of the best animated features not to have the Disney name on it
Looking for a movie with cutesy talking horses that the kiddies will love? Then Spirit is probably not the movie for you, it is instead one of the nicest animated features to come along in a long time to not have Disney written all over it. No, the horses do not talk and they shouldn't as the whole story is told from a horse's point of voice in a wonderful narrative. In fact there's not a lot of pointless dialog to weigh down the movie at all.
Instead it's filled by a wonderful score by Hans Zimmer and songs by Bryan Adams who admittedly I wasn't a big fan off except for (Everything I Do (I Do It For You) and Star) but the songs he did for this movie especially Here I Am, Get Off Of My Back, Can't Take Me, Brothers Under The Sun and Sound The Bugle made me download the soundtrack from Walmart.com the next day.
The main reasons I liked this move would have to be the beautiful drawn animation, mixed with an endearing story with some comedy elements and a wonderful soundtrack. Spirit is simply fun and enjoyable for the whole family no matter what their age.
127 out of 135 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Spirit: The greatest Dreamworks film yet.
Warning: Spoilers
I really dislike both Shrek films. (Since their both "PG" and have words in them I would never say myself, so I disliked them.)
But when it comes to "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," which I just barely watched for the first time last month, I became a fan of animated films, other than Pixar. ***Spoilers ahead*** In "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," a horse foal is born and eventually becomes the leader of his heard. One night, he sees a strange light in the distance, and he sets off toward it. This action eventually leads to his capture, and several more things. Throughout the movie, we hear a narration. It's through the thoughts of Spirit, though the horses never talk. This is what makes the movie so goo. They (the movie makers) recored real horses to do the sounds the horses made; none of those sounds were made by humans.
Spirit meets Rain, a beautiful mare, and Little Creek, a native-American, who owns Rain. Little Creek later frees Spirit and Rain, they go running home.
I have never been a big fan of Brian Adams, but I intend to buy the soundtrack to this film in the near future.
Watch this film, and you won't regret it. My Score: 10/10
18 out of 20 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Criminally underrated gem!
Finished this wonderful piece of animation with a feeling of enrichment in my whole body, because I haven't seen a movie as well animated, written and touching in a long time!
I am lost for words, honestly.
A mature story told almost without any dialogue from the perspective of the main character of Spirit, who is all kinds of likable. He is brave, strong, protecting of his heard and determined not to bow down to his enemies. He is simply one of the most endearing animated characters I have ever seen.
The animated landscapes are also beautiful beyond discription. The blend of CG and traditional animation makes it both grand and colourful. Go see it, you are up for some serious eye-candy!
The choice of artist to sing the songs was a little odd at first, but just like the naration it was not done excessively and knew when to let the expressions of the characters do the talking did not ruin any moments. But Hans Zimmers score was epic and grand and added to the moods of the individual scenes.
A fantastic movie with a lot of heart and a gresat story about freedom, friendship and nature. Criminally underrated and deserving of more praise. DreamWorks! Make more movies like this!
7 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Awesome the kids love it
I have probably seen this movie over fifty times by now because of the kids they just cant get enough of Spirit. The best thing about the movie I think is that the animals isn't able to talk, this makes the whole movie more honest and makes a better impression on both kids and the adults so 10/10 from the kids and me
72 out of 77 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Good all round Family Film!!!
I took my kids to see this Film and was more than just a little surprised that I liked it as well! It was a refreshing break from the normal smash and explosion of the modern movie world, and I found it particularly interesting that the animals although intelligent didn't talk the narrator did that, (the narrator supposedly being Spirit reflecting back on his life) All in All a good, no Very Good Family Film. I hope we will see more like it.
15 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
We need more films like this
In a time when Hollywood is making money by showing our weaknesses, despair, crime, drugs, and war, along comes this film which reminds us the concept of the "Indomitable Spirit". If you are feeling beaten down, this movie will free your mind and set you soaring. We all know how tough life can be, sometime we need to be reminded that persistence and courage will get us through. That's what this film did for me and I hope it will for you.
161 out of 170 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
This movie is about freedom.
I recently watched Spirit and enjoyed it very much, I've seen it about 4 times now on HBO and will buy the DVD. Those who gave negative reviews would probably think that `Vanishing Point' was just another car chase movie and `Thelma & Louise' was just another chick flick. Although the conclusions of those films are darker I feel the themes are somewhat related; that freedom and individualism are very important and that there is usually someone wanting to take it away from you. The other common trait of these movies is the caring, thoughtful `guardian angel' types who help the main characters to overcome adversity.
Another review here mentions how this film relates to the theme of civilization invading someone else's home. All one has to do is look around at the dwindling open areas around us to see that.
I thought the animation and the story were amazing, the animators really got the horses to look, act and move naturally. Spirit's emotions were very clear as the story progressed (yes I'm aware they do humanize the horses a bit, but this is fiction). In a couple of action scenes you feel caught in the current of the rapids and the heat from a forest fire. In other more quiet scenes (which are most of the time) you're allowed to savor the backgrounds. One of the big things that make the story really work is by not going the talking, singing animals route. Doing so would take away from the story's power. Instead the flow of the story is told by occasional narration by the main character, further punch is added by the fantastic soundtrack. Another plus is that they weren't afraid to give the story somewhat of a dark side (which really made this film watchable to me). This isn't prevalent through the entire movie though, and the conclusion is fitting and uplifting without being sappy.
Those who appreciate horses will really like this movie, but I think it's a bit more than a horse movie. I don't feel this would be a good movie to take children to if they're brought up on the inane fare that's offered up today. But if they're the thoughtful sort that can handle compelling stories like The Lord of the Rings and Black Beauty they'll likely love this movie. Hell, I'm 35 years old and STILL love that stuff.
21 out of 22 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An animated movie that is to be commended. One that is up there with the best.
Spirit is a unique and original look at western life from the point of view of a wild horse, and native Americans. The film focuses on the friendships and perils that a wild horse, Spirit, encounters during his life.
Very well done in the presentation, using the technology available today to deliver stunning visuals that are breathtaking in their depth and realism.
The music is fantastic, with songs by Bryan Adams, and music by Hans Zimmer, who also was responsible for the extremely popular music from the 1994 Disney hit, The Lion King.
The story is not very deep but the fact that it isn't quite as in-depth as some movies doesn't in my opinion detract from the film as a whole.
An excellent film which I enjoyed immensely, and that is suitable for all the family. Not one to be missed. (10/10)
106 out of 114 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Great.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is an overall wonderful movie. The blending of animation types is unique, the storyline is amazing, and the music is wonderful.
The drawn animation is a special thing about many animations. How they expressed the characters, especially the horses, through their animation are spectacular especially. While the way horses communicate through body language is easy to understand, many young children and people who haven't studied horses might not understand. Without words, I would imagine it would have to be challenging to express them through the features. Because of this, I understand the 'eyebrow' they added to the horses (while real horses don't have those thick lines). One of the few things I noticed about horse habits that might have been portrayed strangely is that Spirit lead his mother's herd. In wild horse herds, the lead stallion usually chases the young colts out.
Also, while some people might think portraying the white army officers as the 'bad guys' is stereotyping, think of all the movies in which the Native Americans have been portrayed as that. Sometimes back then; they did treat mustangs very poorly. For example, in real history, the Appaloosa breed was almost wiped out due to the Army officers. Imagine what would have happened to one of the worlds best loved riding breeds if the Native Americans had not saved them.
I think it's amazing how the realism wasn't subtracted by making the horses talk to each other. Spirit's feelings were expressed by a little bit of narration, but mostly through the music (by Bryan Adams). The songs express the story really well, and Hans Zimmer and Bryan Adams did a great job telling the story through melodies and lyrics.
The emotion I got when watching the movie, whether the first time or the twentieth (yes, I've watched it that much), you wouldn't believe. Some of the scenes take your breath away, while others seem to force tears into your eyes. The opening sequence, showing Spirit's homeland, puts you right into the spectacular action right away.
I don't understand at all why some people are so hateful of this brilliant movie. Overall, I rate it a 10/10 - a must watch.
23 out of 24 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An incredibly well-made movie for the young and not so young
This movie was highly entertaining. The soundtrack (Bian Adams) is simply beautiful and inspiring. Even more impressive is Brian Adams doing all the songs in French as well. The score is also uplifting and dramatic.
The movie is made from a mix of traditional animation, combined with computer generated images. The result is truly stunning. I watch this film at least once a week with my kids and we never tire of it. The story is compelling and well narrated.
I don't understand anyone who would rank this movie less than a 7. Definately a keeper in my household.
13 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Not the tired Disney formula.
There's no song and dance numbers, and the ponies don't break out into song whenever they're blue or lonely. That's enough to rate this film very highly. The storyline has a lot of symbolism in it, from the captivity of Spirit as well as that of the other horses, and the 'lessons' the movie tries to teach us in the bad guy vs the good guy, the bad guy being Army, and the good guy being Lakota. You'll like the movie. It'll make you think, and your kids will adore it.
17 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Must-watch for all. Excellent film!
My daughter watched this on Netflix when she was almost five, and not only did she understand it but also fell in love with it.
If you're a true horse/animal lover, you would want them to have a good life, just like a true friend would want what's best for you. A true animal lover doesn't want to capture animals, just like a human friend should not hold you captive.
The songs are great and a plus, but I absolutely loved the story and I believe it opens the eyes of humans to how animals feel.
We definitely need more films like this. Just like "Brother Bear", it's a step toward humane literacy.
Don't miss it! It's beautiful.
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Beautiful, moving
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know what's the problem with this movie being politically correct. It only means white men had a kind of barbarian behavior to animals while native Indians had to learn how to live together with them. There's nothing depicted in this movie white men did not do with horses. Okay, is it stereotypical? Yes, in a level, yes, but come on, this is a movie, this is an animated movie, aimed mostly for kids; world is more black&white for them than this movie shows. By the way, the colors of the movie are incredibly beautiful; just as the pictures. Maybe not always really interesting pictures but lovingly beautiful. And the action scenes are better than any in the last two episodes of Star Wars (I had the same opinion about Tarzan after The Phantom Menace). That train sequence... And when ****spoilers*** before the very final scene, Spirit is aimed by guns but is not shot, you can see this movie isn't half as stereotypical about white men as you thought. If you still think it is, you have missed that scene. I personally am sad that this tale could reach only a smaller part of the movie-goers; this might mean that stupid (even if funny), poorly drawn animated features have future and ones like this do not. I certainly would love to see more of this type. 8/10. (p.s. Mustangs are really wild European horses...true)
9 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Both thumbs up for Spirit!
It is not easy to create a animated movie in which the animals can display human feelings without losing his animal nature and will be understand by the younger audience at the same time. I have only seen three feature films, in which the idea, to tell a story only through the eyes of animals without "cartoonize" them too much, really works: "Bambi", "Watership Down", and "Spirit - Stallion of the cimarron". This movie is very underrated, it contains all the spirit (oops, good play with words ;-) that once was the realm of Walt Disney. Unfortunately modern Disney lost the ability to tell a good, straight, and heartwarming story in great pictures and symphonic music, like "Spirit - Stallion of the cimarron" do today. Unfortunately modern Disney films needing a lot of action, running gags and sidekicks to cover the weak and soulless plots. Without doubts, the primary model for "Spirit - Stallion of the cimarron" was Disney's old masterpiece "Bambi". As a great fan of "Bambi", i recognize more than a dozen references to Disney's greatest movie of all time: The opening sequence with the forest, Spirits birth, the fight with the cougar, the look to man's camp far away, the burning forest and the jump into the river, the final reunion... and a lot more. That's not wrong, because the makers of "Spirit" use this lovely references in its own context and add a lot more to bring us a great movie that will really touch you. I give him 8 out of 10 stars!
9 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Not bad, not bad at all...
Well, what can I say, this movie really got to me, it's not so bad, as many say, I really loved it, although the idea seems so simple, and rather boring, it isn't. First of all I enjoyed the soundtrack (Bryan Adams), it really goes with the movie. Second the simple story, and the drama of Spirit gets your attention. One thing I like the most is that they didn't give the stallion a human voice to interact with the other horses, it makes the movie more realistic, not many animations seem realistic now do they ?, but... I don't know, making animals talk is just so... lame.
One of the most beautiful animations of 2002 in my opinion, I recommend it to everyone, not just the kids :), because it is very relaxing.
57 out of 62 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Spectacular eye-candy, expressionism at its best
As a student and self-proclaimed connoisseur of animation, and having been amazed by The Prince of Egypt and intrigued by The Road to El Dorado, I walked into this film with the highest of expectations, as well as with my seven-year-old nephew and four-year-old niece. Animation-wise, this film was a spectacular feast for the senses. Some of the rendering and color and style was some of the best I've seen in years. How they can communicate an entire script told mostly through whinnies and neighs is truly an incredible feat (the true art of animation is expressing emotion, and to do that without words is remarkable). The characters seem real, have depth (physical and emotional) and the look and feel in general is fantastic.
To those whose kids were traumatized that horses were treated poorly, I would say that my nephew and niece are as sensitive as the next kids, and they thought this film was nowhere near offensive. If anything, they thought it was a little too short. To those who say this film is propaganda against "evil white men", I say that the Native Americans in this film put a rope around Spirit and caged him as well.
This is FAR more than a story about a horse that gets a rope around the neck every time he tries to escape and is abused and beaten at every turn. This is a good example of Expressionist film: An Everyman character (I believe Spirit can relate to everyone) with some kind of journey, a quest to find out where he belongs, to find his home, with a character (or characters) that symbolize purity of word and mind, a guardian angel of sorts (I believe this character is found in the Eagle, Little Creek and the mare Rain) with some kind of a message or a moral. This is a fable about the unconquerable human spirit. Sure, Spirit himself has some ups and downs and even forgets for a little bit who he is, but he's reminded and realizes his spiritual identity is worth fighting for.
So if your kids were raised on Teletubbies and Barney ONLY, they may be disturbed by this fantastic film. What is lacks in story, the characters, emotions and meaning more than make up for it.
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
A Wondferful Movie For Everyone
I began riding horses fairly recently, and, as anyone who has ever ridden should know, I fell in love with horses and their world. I rented Spirit on a whim, just trying to pack my life full of as much horse related material as I could, and I was surprised by the results.
What I expected was a feel-good Disneyesque movie with talking animals and stereotypes every five minutes.
What I got was an amazing film, filled with beautiful scenery and animation, and an amazing storyline that has the great potential to warm one's heart.
Spirit is a wild mustang in the Old West, whose entire world is brought crumbling down around him when he discovers the humans slowly taking over his homeland. The story unfolds with a wide array of characters, some human, some animals, all are well written and most are pleasant to watch on screen.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good story, and who has an appreciation for history and animals.
One thing I forgot to mention, but that I feel is important, is that the animals in this film do not talk. This was a really nice vacation from the Lady And The Tramp animated movies that everyone today is used to.
16 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166813/reviews
0 Response to "Spirit the Stallion of the Cemarron Easy Drawing"
Postar um comentário