Download Spirit Untamed; movie review

 

 

SPIRIT UNTAMED

Cert U

88 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild scary scenes, violence, very mild bad language

Why have movie animations become so clunky?

I recognise that we have moved on from the drawings which made Disney classics so alluring but assumed that technology would have made films more not less attractive.

Presumably, a combination of Dreamworks and Universal meant big bucks being spent on Elaine Bogan and Ennio Torresan's Spirit Untamed.

But I was left wondering whether it doesn't quite gel because it was made remotely by a team working during the Covid pandemic.

Anyway, Spirit Untamed centres on a feisty young girl, Lucky (voiced by Isabela Merced) who is sent for a break at the home of her father (Jake Gyllenhaal) after an incident at her grandfather's house.

He has been trying to bring her up in the family traditions after the death of her mother, a rodeo rider.

The trouble is that her mum's spirit is within the lass and chaos follows her everywhere.

This becomes evident in her dad's town when she tries to make friends with a wild horse who bolts when anyone goes near.

She names the mustang, Spirit because he has the same indomitable attitude as her.

Gradually, he shows her the trust that he is unwilling to give to a group of cowboys who seem up to no good.

I found it difficult to empathise with Lucky because her constant defiance of rules is not always for the greater good.

Indeed, I am not sure what sort of message her antics send out to the young children at whom Spirit Untamed is aimed.

The subject of the Wild West is also a curious one. Cowboys and Indians (as we knew them) were part of our childhood but I can't imagine many youngsters knowing much about 19th century America nowadays.

Consequently, I was left wondering how they would plug into a movie which highlights its way of life.

On the plus side, it is very fast-paced and there are a few quirks which children will enjoy.

Reasons to watch: Fast-paced children's film

Reasons to avoid: Clunky animation

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 5.5/10

Did you know?  A video game adaptation, titled Spirit: Lucky's Big Adventure, was released on June 1, 2021, on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

The final word. Elaine Bogan: "We absolutely started with a lot of inspiration from the TV series. We even began with bringing in Aury Wallington, who was the creator of the TV series, just so that we could make sure we were being authentic enough and staying close enough to the Spirit Riding Free world. Yet we're diving into a much more cinematic feeling and scope." Screen Rant

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