Film Review – Spirit Untamed

Almost two decades ago, DreamWorks Animation released “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.” It was slightly artier fare from the “Shrek” studio, presenting family audiences with an animated adventure about a special horse that didn’t involve cartoon touches, with the production trying to offer an epic instead of a babysitter. It was an interesting picture (with an incredible score by Hans Zimmer), but it, almost predictably, didn’t find many takers at the box office, with its Disney-ish ways unable to compete in the marketplace. There was never a sequel for “Stallion of the Cimarron,” but DreamWorks didn’t let Spirit die, bringing the fiery horse back for a 2017 television series, “Spirit Riding Free,” aiming the material at younger viewers eager to devour tales of horse riding and friendship. The show was a hit, keeping Spirit alive over the course of 78 episodes, but the company isn’t ready to give up on the moneymaker, making an unusual creative choice to produce “Spirit Untamed,” which is basically a remake of the “Spirit Riding Free” origin story with a slightly bigger budget, slicker animation, and a marquee-friendly voice cast. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com