Customer Reviews

Return to Snowy River [VHS]

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The man from Snowy River is back! After a few years trying to earn money to marry Jessica Harrison (Sigrid Thornton), Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) returns to Snowy River. But he finds that a lot of things have changed. The succesful ranchers and bankers want to buy up all of the land of the beautiful Australian mountains where he was brought up. He also finds that Jessica's father, Harrison (Brian Dennehy) wants her to marry Alistair Patton (Nicholas Eadie), son of landowner Patton Sr. (Rhys McConnochie). With a sort of silent feud between the landowners and the mountain men going on, Jim and Jessica must decide if they're love is worth firing up the feud even worse.

As most of the cases, I prefer the first movie to "Return to Snowy River" though I think they both deserve 5 stars. One of the reasons is I enjoy the first one more is that Kirk Douglas played Harrison in the first movie. Yes, Brian Dennehy was superb in that role, I still like Kirk Douglas.

All right, to the fine parts of the movie. Beautiful and magnificent scenery of the Australian mountains! Excellent acting by all actors and actresses, the suspense, action, and adventure will keep you on the edge of your seats! And Tom Burlinson sure know how to ride when he performs some pretty cool stunts while riding horses. Especially the earlier part of the movie where he proves that he can certainly ride better than Nicholas Eadie who plays the part of the jealous bad guy for Jessica's affection.

I recommend this movie along with the first movie, "The Man from Snowy River". These movies are classics and one of the family movies I watch at home. Can't be missed!

This movie is almost as good as the original Man from Snowy River, my all time favorite movie. However, I put off watching this DVD because here in the U.S. it was released as a 1.33:1 pan and scan picture, a far cry from it's theater release of 2.35:1. This means you're only seeing about 1/2 to 2/3 of the original frame of the movie. And, if you're like me and have a widescreen set up, it looks even worse. There is a solution if you're a serious fan. A digitally remastered DVD of Snowy River I and II with the origianl aspect ratio 2.35:1 and glorious Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks were released (together in one package) in Australia. They are region 4 DVDs and PAL to boot, but if you have a region free dvd player or can convert yours to region free (I have the Oppo 971H and it was a snap) then you can find these movies from sellers in Australia (fleabay or other places) and see them as they were meant to be seen. In fact, Geoff Burrowes who produced them both, includes on Snowy River II the wedding scene between Jim and Jess that was cut from the theatrical release at the very last second. He says it was the way the movie was meant to end, and is the way it's shown here (the shorter ending that was actually released is on the special features menu, so you can see both). I don't know if the wedding is on the dvd released in the U.S. since I refused to watch it. What a great story these 2 movies share!! Watch them, you'll not regret it!

Return to Snowy River is a sequel that definitely compliments the first movie considering a lot of movie sequels don't really make the grade. Also knowing that Disney was at the helm of this production, with their excellent track record, it was a pretty sure thing it was going to be great.

Tom Burlinson (as Jim Craig) and Sigrid Thornton (as Jessica Harrison), once again display great chemistry in their interactions that makes for a very pleasing, although turbulent romantic adventure. Amidst the clashing of landowners and Jessica's father (played by Brian Dennehy) wanting to distance her from Jim Craig permanently, the couple discover the power of love and surmount the odds to find happiness.

Filmed in Australia's Victorian Alps, the cinematography is visually stunning and breathtaking. The horsemanship and stunt work is very exciting also and coupled with great acting, this movie is a highly rewarding experience for everyone of all ages.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone.

There are some people you don't soon forget. Jessica Harrison (Sigrid Thornton) has never quite gotten over Jim Craig/The Man from Snowy River (Tom Burlinson). In the first movie, he promises to come back for what is his.

When he does return, the scenery has changed. The high country hasn't changed as much as the people have changed.

Jessica's father (Brian Dennehy) wants her to marry Alistair Patton (Nicholas Eadie). When she sees Jim for the first time since his return, one of the first things she wants to know is why it has taken him so long to return. It seems he has been trying to prove his worth to her by raising horses and trying to make a future for them both.

At first it seems Jessica is going to follow the wishes of her father, yet we know that she has quite the mind of her own and when Jim asks: "What do you want?" Jessica replies: "I want you." She doesn't have to think twice because her heart is free. Together Jim and Jessica are really like two wild horses at heart. They don't want to be tied down to the life everyone else has determined for them.

Jessica has always been judged for who she is and not for what she is. Her heart can only be tamed by Jim Craig and she is even willing to give up everything she holds dear to make him happy. Alistair Patton (Nicholas Eadie) holds her attention briefly, but the minute she sees Jim you know she hasn't forgotten him as he is the only man who truly knows how she feels about life and love. Alistair turns out to be vindictive and cruel. He not only wants Jessica, he wants to destroy Jim.

This sequel has way more action scenes that are even more spectacular than the first movie although a bit less artistic in places. I still love the scene in the first movie where the horses run through the snow. In this movie, there are gorgeous scenes of horses swimming through rivers and running across the Australian mountains. Quite frankly, it is all quite stunning and the sheer power of the horses can be felt throughout the scenes.

The black stallion plays a significant role in either destroying or healing situations to the point you can't decide if you like him or not. It is as if everything he does causes some extreme situation.

It is highly recommended that you watch the first: "The Man from Snowy River" because they don't repeat information that would make the background behind the feuds much more clear.

When two souls are destined to find one another, they do. Jim and Jessica seem to be able to weather any storm that comes their way, even when the future looks very bleak.

After all, life is an adventure to be lived to the fullest and sometimes you have to set someone free from your heart to see if they will one day come back.

~The Rebecca Review

This is one of those soaring, melodramatic epics, set as a sequel to the classic film "The Man From Snowy River." It's a typical action-adventure love story, laden with turgid emotional scenes, where the hero gets plenty of triumphal moments and everybody gets what they deserve in the end.

The movie is set apart from most by its stunt work, cinematography, scoring, top notch actors and classy style of filming. This movie is also suitable as family entertainment, though this in no way takes away from its overall quality.

Plot wise, there are several engaging storylines, well knitted together and leading to a thrilling climax.

Fans of the first film should also be pleased to see the return of the prize colt, who Jim and Jessica trained in the first film, making his racing debut.

This film seems to be frequently overshadowed by its predecessor. But I think it's a more polished product; the actors look better, the editing is smoother, the stunts are more daring, the cinematography is more expansive. It come across as a more mature film overall, which is really what it's supposed to be.

The cinematography is notably fabulous, and the dramatically flighted score matches it perfectly. Many prefer Mr. Douglas in the first film, but I thought Brian Dennehy did the role a lot of justice.

The social commentary implicit in some of the storylines can get a bit heavy-handed. Some of the characters are saved from being too stereotypical only by the skin of their scripts and some good acting. There are times when the dialogue skates the edge of cheesiness or the plot line takes a turn into improbability. But the overall strength of the acting and filming always manages to pull it through.

This film is especially noted for its stunt work with horses. As a rider and horse lover myself, I've seen pretty much every horse movie out there and 99% of them just can't pull it off. The action in this one is just mind blowing, very realistic and filmed with incredible intensity. Even better, all the horses are gorgeous and the main actors are fabulous riders, who you actually get to see doing most of their own riding stunts. In my mind, it still sets the standard for horseriding action in film.

Overall, this is a great old fashioned drama, and a wonderful experience on film.

Notes:
The internet fosters some reaaallllly wild ideas.

The movie "The Man From Snowy River" is based on the famous poem of the same name, by Banjo Patterson, considered to be a national treasure in Australia.

Several other reviews have mentioned the idea that a horse died onset. The rumor is specifically concerned with one scene, where a horse named "Denny" (please note this is the name of the character's horse and not the real horse - you can confirm it with subtitles) is shown falling down the side of a mountain.

Being an avid horse lover, I spent some hard hours ferreting out the source and veracity of the rumor.

A check at the American Humane Association's online ratings site revealed a review for "Return to Snowy River," which rated the movie as "Unacceptable." But the review had several inconsistencies, which I contacted them about directly (they're very prompt in answering emails).

It stated only that they had received a report from Australia that a horse had died on set; no further contact was ever made and the report remains unconfirmed.

The problem is that AHA does not monitor films made in foreign countries, nor do they accept ratings from foreign animal welfare agencies. So the the film should be listed as "Not Monitored." In sum, the rating appears to have no legitimacy based on their own rules.

Further research yielded the fact that the Lovicks, who were responsible for supplying all the horses for the film, will confirm they owned the main horse actor who played "Denny" up until his death and that no horses died onset. They have a website you can contact them through.

Finally, there seems to be an underlying confusion as to how horses are actually used in film. The main animal "actor" in any film has multiple doubles for handling the work. I myself counted at least 3 different "Dennys," which an experienced eye can easily pick out. In movies, there are special stunt horses trained to "fall" for any scene where a horse goes down. A "fall" horse and rider did the controversial scene on the mountain, not the main horse who played "Denny." Nor, of course, was anybody falling down a mountain; the camera angles simply make it appear so. The stunt is common, and capable of being filmed safely.

I could never be more sastisfied with a sequel than this one. It's even better than a Toy Story 2 sequel. Mainly, because all questions are answered, in wonderful movie form! Jim Craig comes back from being away from the mountains for about 3 or 4 years. He hasn't seen Jessica in all that time, and, of course, he wants to. That's when all the trouble begins, and the Jessica and Jim are fighting to be together, while her father and a jealous Military, snobby bankers son, wants Jessica for his own. Which immediatly starts a rivalry with Jim and him before the day was over. The movie has incredible music, and scenery. I think the proffessional reviewers are looking out their own back-yard window when they say that's the only good thing about the movie. The music for this movie and the first one is excellent, beautifully suiting the moment it is being played at. The acting is perfect, to me, and the end satisfying, with Jim riding after Alastair to stop him from leading HIS horses over the border in a thrilling, and at one point, heartbreaking chase. The viewing is crisp and clear, the horses are wonderful. And the real stunts that Tom Burlinson does are AMAZING. Like when his horse Danny goes flying over the cliff edge in a daring leap (slow motion might I add). So good. I can't tell you any more than to stop reading this review and go rent this tape, better yet buy it! If you like romance, and LOVE horses and an engaging story-line, without all the crud they put in the movies now a-days, get this!!

BUYER BEWARE! This movie was originally in widescreen but is not released in anamorphic as the first one was/is - what's the deal, Disney? I guess people with tiny tv's want full screen so they can actually see the image, perhaps? Widescreen versions should at least be made available in tandem so that those people of discerning taste in cinematic entertainment can truly enjoy the film. Some Disney movies only ever existed in full screen aspect ratio, but there were many made for the big screen that have only been released in full screen transfers to date. Boycott them and make Disney see the error of its ways! (the three star rating is for the average between 5 stars for the film and 1 star for the dvd release)

This is a terrific film, one of the rare sequels that's even better than the original. However, Disney's decision to present this film in cropped, full-frame format is inexplicable. With its magnificent scenary, this is a film that cries out for widescreen anamorphic presentation.

You'll get some idea of what you're missing during the opening titles, which are horizontally compressed to fit the frame rather than cropped. (If you have a TV with 16:9 mode, you can flip to it at that point to see the credits in nearly-correct aspect ratio. Otherwise, you'll be watching a parade of very tall skinny horses through spectacular scenary.)

The lack of widescreen is the sole reason I don't give this DVD five stars.

This movie is a pleasure.

It is not often you find a movie sequel every bit as excellent as the original.

Fortunately for us, The Return to Snowy River is such a movie.

We are treated to a more mature version of Jim Craig, who truly has become the Man from Snowy River and Jessica Harrison, who has become a woman in her own right. The magnificent scenery and excellent acting are a bonus to the storyline, and when you combine the Return to Snowy River with The Man From Snowy River, you have the perfect movie night for family viewing.

One of the few sequels that are as good or better than the original movie! Same great music, hard riding, and stunts as the first. Maybe it's even a little bit better than "The Man From Snowy River". All my friends think so anyway! The only thing that's hard to get used to was that they replaced Kirk Douglas with Brian Dennehy in the part of Harrison. He plays the part well, but it's just a bit unsettling for some reason. It's still a great story, though, and definitely worth a watch.