Review by John Delia
Perfect for families, especially young girls and boys 7 to teens, the animated movie Spirit Untamed opens in theaters on June 4. The adventure runs high, the entertainment exciting and the family values very visible. The voice talent is perfect and the animation perfect. See it on the big screen!
Rejoining her father Jim Prescott (Jake Gyllenhaal) after being away for many years due to the accidental death of her mom, Lucky Prescott (Isabela Merced) is hesitant to see the place where she was born. Her mom, Milagro (Eiza González), was a horseback riding star on the rodeo circuit and respected by all the people of the village, but how will she be greeted? Being from a large city, Lucky has doubts about moving permanently to her father’s ranch in the western planes, as she knows it will be a whole new life experience. One she may dread.
When she arrives in the western town, people start to notice her being the image of her mom. Not knowing what to think, she settles in. Before long she makes friends with Pru Granger (Marsai Martin) and Abigail Stone (Mckenna Grace) that know the western ways. When a couple of wild horse wranglers rent a stall from her father and bring a wild stallion, Lucy is entranced by the feisty untamed steed. She also notices how much the horse despises the wranglers. When she makes friends with the horse, the wrangler fears she may take him away.
So begins a test of Lucky’s mettle in a story of friendships, the love of horses, and growing up in the west. Directors Elaine Bogan and Ennio Torresan put a lot of feeling in the film and it shows. His characters are exciting, create some comedy, are wise and energetic. Although the story does show some of the bad in people, the outcome turns out for the best.
Sprit Untamed has been rated PG by the MPAA for some adventure action. It also has peril and some very angry horse wranglers. Most mature children that watch adventure films should be able to grasp the values of love, friendship and the spirit of horses. The film is playing only in movie theaters starting June 4th.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Isabela Merced, Mckenna Grace, Julianne Moore, Walton Goggins, Elza Gonzalez
Directed by: Elaine Bogan and Ennio Torresan
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
MPAA Rating: PG for some adventure action. Also peril
Running Time: 1 hr. 27 min.
Opening Date: June 4, 2021
Distributed by: DreamWorks
Released in: Theaters