User Reviews

As the old saying goes, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. The movie would have been much more enjoyable if the same animation style of the Netflix series was used, perhaps created a new story stemming from one or some of the story lines used in the series, and used the same voice talent from the series. Nevertheless, my daughter enjoyed it very much, even though she also had many of the same feelings or reactions that I did.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is one of my favorite animated films of all time, and if not for the masterpiece that is The Prince of Egypt, I would even go so far as to declare it as my favorite from DreamWorks, at least of the hand-drawn ones. It is truly a testament to the power of animation as a form of visual storytelling. The animation is a perfect melding of both hand-drawn main characters and computer-generated backgrounds, and a lot of the story and character development is told mostly through the horses' facial expressions and body language without having any need to make them speak, save for the internal narration (which I'll get to in a second). And I also have to give it credit for its depiction of Native Americans, particularly with one of them and the strong relationship he forges with Spirit, as well as his own horse, Rain. There are, however, two aspects that keep me from putting Stallion of the Cimarron on the same level as Prince of Egypt, and those are, of course, Matt Damon's narration and Bryan Adams's songs. I have always felt conflicted about their usage. I completely understand why the narration and songs are there; to give some better context on Spirit's thoughts that could not be articulated as well through animation alone, and there are some moments where it works perfectly fine. But there are also many other moments where I felt it was rather unnecessary and they could have just let the visuals tell the story as is. But that's pretty much it, and it's not enough to keep it from being a great film, and honestly, a forgotten gem, in my opinion. It makes it all the more interesting that DreamWorks would come back to make a franchise out of it 15 years after its release.

Thus, we have this movie, Spirit Untamed, which is evidently based on a TV show streaming on Netflix called Spirit: Riding Free, which began in 2017. I am going to have to get this upfront and say that I have never seen any episodes of the show, but based on my research, it's more or less a complete reboot of the movie. The only thing it really has in common is that it has a horse named Spirit, and that's pretty much it. Now, I'm not opposed to the idea of taking a beloved property and going a completely new direction with it; as long as it's decent enough to be a worthy successor, I'm perfectly fine with that. Apparently, Riding Free is one of Netflix's most popular children's animated series, and that's probably why this movie ended up being greenlit. I had wanted to check this movie out at the theaters, but none of them held it long enough, so I ended up watching it on the small-screen through VOD. Since I knew that this was going to be a completely different take from Stallion of the Cimarron, I emptied my mind of any memory of that earlier movie and watched it looking for a completely unique experience. And that's exactly what I got, but unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.

As I stated earlier, I watched this movie on my TV at home as opposed to seeing it in the theater, and honestly, I'm glad I did that instead, because the movie looks like that's where it belongs. As opposed to being done in DreamWorks's main studios, the animation for this movie was done at a much smaller studio based in Great Britain and it really shows here. The animation is not really bad per se, as the humans (and horses) are very expressive, and the color palette here is quite vibrant. There are even some places in which it looks quite nice, such as whenever there's a sunset, and in particular, a dream sequence where the girls ride across across the water reflecting the skies above. But with that said, it's certainly not on par with DreamWorks's other CG-animated features like Kung Fu Panda, How to Train your Dragon, and even Bee Movie (which I actually think is kind of underrated). The overall textures look so flat, and it doesn't have any of the grandeur as other DreamWorks movies. It's certainly better than the TV show, at least based on clips I've seen, but that's all I can really praise.

Although this is an adaptation of the Netflix show, the one thing that I thought was really strange was that the filmmakers didn't hire any of the show's voice actors to reprise their characters in the movie. Instead, they cast bigger names like Isabela Merced, Marsai Martin, Julianne Moore, Jake Gyllenhaal and Andre Braugher to take on these roles. I find this to be a very puzzling decision and definitely not one that worked for the film's advantage. Aside from Martin, Moore, and occasionally Braugher, the voice acting leaves quite a bit to be desired. It feels like they only did one or two takes and it really could have benefitted from casting the voice actors from the show. It's far from cringeworthy, but the cast members just didn't sound like they were in there, living the moment. And that's going to be problematic, because if the voice acting is subpar, it will be harder to get invested in the characters.

Now we finally get to the meat of the film. The movie focuses on the exploits of Lucky Prescott, who moves to a new town in the American Wild West, reuniting with her estranged father. While she's there, she encounters a horse attempting to be broken by local horse wranglers, who SPOILER ALERT: are later revealed to be the bad guys. Lucky befriends said horse who shares her own free spirit, despite her father disapproving of her riding him, having lost his wife in a riding accident during a performance. Together, along with two other girls, Lucky and Spirit embark on an adventure to save his herd from the wranglers. This alone presents a lot of fascinating concepts, and one that could result in a really good film, maybe not necessarily as great as Stallion of the Cimarron, but certainly could be a worthy successor. If the cards were played right, they might even have something along the lines of How to Train your Dragon (I have not seen that movie, but it's often regarded as one of DreamWorks best films). The problem, unfortunately, is that the movie plays it way too safe; it doesn't take any chances or risks at all with it, and as a result, becomes another generic "girl and her horse story." None of the elements that could have led to a compelling film are really explored and even the mother's death in the opening scene is really downplayed, and thus makes the film rather boring. But that doesn't mean the film has nothing that works in its favor. What I find is the best aspect is the friendship that forms between Lucky and the two other girls, Pru and Abigail. Though the characters are a bit stock, the relationship between them does feel strong and genuine. They play off each other quite well and there are even moments where it can be rather comedic. And though the movie is pretty dull overall, there are some intense scenes where the girls have to trek dangerous paths in order to save Spirit's herd and there is a rather suspenseful climax in rescuing the horses trapped aboard a departing ship. There is also a nice message about how you can let your spirit ride free as long as you got the courage in you. Sadly, that message is really undermined since the movie doesn't seem to have any courage in exploring these elements. There's definitely a real irony in the movie's title. The movie is called Spirit Untamed, but the entire film was too tame, and thus lacked little spirit whatsoever. Again, I don't know if the Netflix series does a better job at pulling off this concept because I have never seen it, and maybe it does. But based on what I saw in this movie, I'm not going to have high expectations if I ever decide to renew my subscription and give it a watch.

To conclude, this is far from one of DreamWorks worst films; I definitely wouldn't put it in the bottom five, but as it is, it's one of the company's most forgettable; I actually had to look up a couple of other reviews to help bolster some of my points, because I forgot so much about it. There is nothing really awful about it, but at the same time, there's nothing that good about it either. It really does feel like that this should have been released just straight to streaming service or even straight to DVD. Even if I never saw the earlier film, I still wouldn't recommend it unless you have kids who really love horses. Even stranger is that this movie is rated PG for action scenes, but Stallion of the Cimarron's entire tone was very mature, thus the action scenes were grittier and more intense. And yet that movie has a G rating. If you are looking for a good animated horse movie for your kids, I would highly recommend saddling up with that one instead.

I don't understand why this studio had to remove and basically change the original story of Spirit. And to complete remove Native Americans and downgrade the story is not okay.

Really disappointing movie. It was just bad. Everything about it was bad.

There was no reason to include Spirit in this. It's just another basic horse girl movie. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was a story about a horse who could not be tamed, a movie that highlighted the negative impact that colonization had on the natives. This movie has none of the original themes, except for the buckskin stallion named Spirit. I don't care that the creators have said that it's a descendant of Spirit. Show the new generation the original and teach them about the cultural genocide this country committed. Or you can show them this movie of friendship and the bond with animals, even if there are hundreds of other movies with the same theme.

In conclusion, this is just another basic horse girl movie. Might as well just be the Disney+ Black Beauty.

This film is a reasonable watch even if it is quite predictable. There are a few laughs and the characters are quite likeable.

It is just a bit bland and just falls a bit short in a few places like the music, plot and laughs.

Its ok but a long way from an animated classic.

The new animation is jarring, the retelling of lucky's story was unnecessary, and the plot was 2 episodes of the show. Save your money as this movie does NOTHING to further to storyline.

Greetings again from the darkness. Any kids that watched Dreamworks' original SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON (2002) are now at least in their mid-20s and many likely have kids of their own. That original film featured old school animation, and provides a nice comparison for today's computerized "drawing". However, from a story and character perspective this is less a sequel to that film, and more a spinoff of the original Netflix series, of which there have been more than 50 episodes.

Lucky Prescott (voiced by Isabela Merced, Dora in DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD, 2019) is a rambunctious youngster being attended to by her Aunt Cora (Oscar winner Julianne Moore) at the home of Lucky's wealthy and now candidate-for-Governor grandfather. With no time for her shenanigans, grandpa ships off Lucky and Cora to be reunited with Lucky's father, Jim Prescott (Jake Gyllenhaal). The two haven't seen each other since Lucky's mother died tragically ten years ago. On the train ride to Miradero, Lucky has a connection with a beautiful wild stallion she names Spirit. The two share a bond of wildness and independence, though soon enough Spirit is being held captive by mean-spirited horse wranglers.

Lucky and her father have an awkward reunion as he tries to keep her safe, unwilling to admit the free-spirited nature she shares with her mother, who once rode with the Los Caballeros, a local trick-riding team. Her mother's clothes, boots, and posters open Lucky's eyes to a world that feels like home. She befriends not just Spirit, but also a couple of local girls, Pru (Marsai Martin) and Abigail (Mckenna Grace), who are drawn to Lucky's energy, but also recognize the danger she's in going up against the evil wrangler (Walton Goggins).

What follows is an adventure with terrific visuals and enough action to keep the three and five year olds that I watched the film with glued to the screen. Heck Mountain and the Ridge of Regret seemed to be especially exciting for them, and I personally got a kick out of the importance of math (a word problem) in keeping Lucky on track. The film clocks in under 90 minutes, which is just right for most kids. The songs (Taylor Swift sings the trailer song) didn't seem to make much impression, but the kid characters did. From a grown-up perspective, it's hard to miss the fact that the adult males aren't the best role models, and even Abigail's young brother Snips (Lucian Perez) spends most of his time wreaking mischievous trouble. However, the lack of other political messages was a relief, and female empowerment in youngsters is always a welcome story line.

The film is co-directed by Elaine Bogan and Ennio Torreson. Writing credits go to John Fusco (the original Spirit film), Aury Wallington (the TV series) and Kristin Hahn and Katherine Nolfi. The all-star voice cast is a nice complement to the visuals (especially the mountains and clouds), and the message about independence and finding one's own way in life. It should also be noted that the film is rated PG, not G.

Opens in theaters on Friday June 4, 2021.

When I first saw "Spirit: Riding Free" in 2020, it blew me away. I saw "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" for the first time in February 2021 and I loved it. When "Untamed" was announced, I was excited. Until, the trailer was dropped and saw that it's the first episode of the show stretched into an unnecessary movie. When I saw the film, that's exactly how I felt. It was unnecessary. The animation felt it was done by the people who did Paramount's "Wonder Park" rather than DreamWorks. The writing was just lazy. The co-writer and TV show developer Aury Wallington did a great job with "Riding Free" but this is a low point for her. Why turn.an already established origin story into what feels like a 1 hour direct to video movie? I mean really? All I can say, it's not going to get nominated for an Academy Award.

I'm Dad, sat watching this now with my daughter (8) who is a big spirit fan, and she loves it! 10 mins left and she's already asking if she can watch it again. Are people reviewing this as adults? Baffled. Definitely worth a watch, if your a child, and as a dad, I've found it entertaining. Good movie. Ignore the negativity!

Solid attempt, and I don't regret going to see it, but it lacked any real character development or weight. And the Netflix show it is based on does a much better job with the content.

If you are a fan of the Netflix TV series I recommend waiting until it's available for streaming. This is basically a repeat of the first couple of episodes of the series with a few minor changes, which is disappointing because they could have had an all-new adventure and storyline for Lucky and her friends.

This movie was not near as good as the original. It dragged the whole time. No parents or kids laughed at all. Don't waste your time. I grew up with the original film so I was hyped for this and this was one of the worst movies I have seen in years. Don't waste your time and money with this flop. This is probably the biggest disappointment I have seen in a long time. I did not hear anyone laughing or crying why because it stunk that's why. I bet by the end of this year this film will be forgotten.

I really wanted to like it but it was not possible. Jake Gyellenhaal was probably the only part of this film that was fine, but this is a film for kids and when the kids are running around the theater instead of watching the actual movie there is something wrong. The film does not keep its target audience entertained enough.

Also the supporting characters were super dull and boring and half way irritating. Here is the thing about this movie it also had nothing to even do with Spirit they just used his name for an off brand piece of s**t

Final score 0/10.

A young girl lost her mother years earlier in a horse riding accident. When that happened she was sent to the city to be raised by her aunt and granddad, a big-time politician. However being too precocious for the city life at about 11 or 12 she and her aunt travel by train to reunite with her dad. Along the way the girl sees a family of wild horses running alongside and behind the train.

Later in the rustic town the girl is reunited with the horses as thieves try to capture them. With a lot of patience and persistence the girl finally gets the one horse, she names it Spirit, to accept her. From there they get involved in unbelievable adventures along with two other young girls and their horses. In the end they have to go on an unauthorized adventure to help capture the crooks.

The animation is very pleasant and the voice acting appropriate. A nicely enjoyable lightweight animated movie. I don't understand the several very harsh reviews, it is just a pleasant movie.

At home on DVD from my public library, my wife was on the golf course experiencing her own unique adventure.

LIKES:

Animation is Good It's Cute Has Some Character and Animal Love Family Friendly Moves Fast Okay Voice Acting Perfect For Target Audience

DISLIKES: Predictable Design is mixed Shallow Character Development Little Adult Factor Little Suspense Moves Too Quick Lacks The "Spirit" of the Original

The VERDICT

Spirit Untamed is a cute movie that holds some good animation that is simple, fun, and something that families will love to see in theaters. A family friendly adventure with a lot of happiness and adventure will light up the target audience of youths, especially girls who love horses, allowing parents to also have a small escape of fun in seeing them happy. And don't worry, there are little "stressful" moments to throw any curve balls. While simple wholesome fun, the movie does suffer from perhaps being too simple, a tale that is rather boring and predictable and lacking depth to what could have been a more wholesome story. Disney, Illumination, even DreamWorks earlier works, had more balance to the film and allowed all audiences to enjoy the spectacle, where this one is geared, including in design, to the young audience. Though it lacks the soul of the original works, it is still fun if you are looking for a G rated family outing, but this reviewer says you can watch it at home and get the same experience at a fraction of the cost.

Scores

Animation/Adventure/Family: 7.0-7.5 Movie overall: 6.0

This was the first film my daughter and I went to see together. We don't know the Netflix series so it was new to us. Story is pleasant, songs are uplifting, nice message for girls to be independent and value of friendship. She's 3 and a half and paid attention until the last 10/15 mins. It's not the best film ever but I had a good time with her and we had lots to talk about after. Or you could watch the series together at home.

The entire premise of spirit was that spirit couldnt be tamed and this show HE GETS TAMED just stick to the 2000s version its so much better thank this hunk of garbage.

So OK this is NOT near close to the 2002 version.

But animation, despite 3D, is top.

Story, despite being predictable, is good.

Characters are well defined.

And the overall spectacle is pleasant for the young ones (9-13 years) and even the whole family.

I want my money back. If you enjoy the Netflix show, just spend an hour and a half rewatching it. This is just a poor retelling of the first episode with significant plot points changed. Why was this even made? It didn't even hold my kids attention.

Bought the movie yesterday & finally got watch it this morning. It was good. And eiza was spectacular in her 1st animated movie. But I feel it needed more. Especially milagro. I know its lucky's (the daughter) journey & story,. And her mom will always be with her in spirit, but I feel that milagro should be equally important as lucky. They should've added more flashbacks and stories of milagro. So lucky can face your journey even more.

One more thing, I love the song, both eiza & Isabella made (fearless). It was beautiful 100% eiza should do more music again.

I liked the first Spirit movie, it has a unique story, beautiful animation and memorable characters, a very underrated DreamWorks film I must say, but who asked for a 3D animated movie?, even if it's related the show, it came out in the UK yesterday and I gave it a watch and... yeah..., it was boring.., super bland and forgettable...

The film has nothing new or original, it's the same old saving the animals from villain with a parent who won't listen and main character want to explore instead of following family tradition, it's predictable to the point that you can guess within the first few minutes and you can connect the dots, it's exactly that, it's not a funny movie at all, I didn't smile once or anything, it's that rubbish, the characters are designed blandly and don't stand out, they are quite boring with no personality and memorable lines, even the voice acting feels phoned in and the cast sound tired along with a basic bland and forgettable animation that has nothing worth remembering from DreamWorks, also I was bored incase you couldn't tell...

However there was a couple of things I can say positively, even though it's not funny at all, I did laugh once and I liked the nice bonding of Lucky & Spirit, that was okay, despite how basic and bland It looks, the animation is legit pretty to look at and Spirit looks good in 3D animation, so at least it's visually pleasant at best, along with decent voicing acting with Jake Gyllenhaal and Walton Goggins giving out their best performance here.

But yeah, I didn't like it, not the worst DreamWorks film but it's close, so I even need to say?, boring story, tiresome acting, forgettable animation and just dumb characters, this film might be fine for kids but boy is it boring, even with pretty animation and a okay bonding scene, it's still not a good film, far from it, almost as bad as Shark Tale, but at least it's not scary, but yeah don't waste your time on this, stick to the 2002 movie or the show if it's any good but I haven't seen it so I won't get around to watching it, but yeah definitely one of the worst DreamWorks films to date and one of the worst films of this year and one I will instantly forget quickly.

Spirit: Untamed gets a 3.9/10.