Customer Reviews

Wild Stallion

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For years, I was under the impression that the movie industry had forgotten how to make a truly great film that was not only entertaining to watch, but also insightful and intelligent. Now, at long last, the tide has turned. Film More Entertainment's "The Wild Stallion" is a fine example of what a movie should be. The characters come across as real people, not just cardboard personalities. By the time the film was less than halfway through, I had come to think of both Hanna and CJ as friends that I really cared about.
The cinematography is also stunning, giving viewers ample time to admire the beauty of nature all around them, and the amazing gracefulness of the horses. There is even a believable plot involving a crooked deputy sheriff who is in cahoots with the poachers who are out to capture all of the wild mustangs to sell to big industry for drug testing. That includes the title character, a legendary black stallion that the locals claim is merely a myth, but which we find out very quickly is quite real.
City-girl Hanna has come to take photographs of the majestic animals in their natural environment in the hope that her photos will help raise public awareness of the plight of the wild mustangs. But when some shots of the elusive black one are accidentally developed, word gets around and the poachers come a'running.
If you are expecting in-your-face morality lessons, however, you will not find those here. This film is gentle and non-violent in nature. It makes its point without having to beat anyone over the head with it. The serene natural landscapes and true grace of the animals speaks far more clearly than words ever could. Religious references are limited only to the use of the term "Judas Horse," a horse used by the poachers which intermingles with the wild ones, earns their trust, and then leads them right into the trap. I am not a poacher, but the practice reeks of something they would actually do.
All of the actors should be commended on a job well done. Fans of Connie Sellecca will be hugely rewarded. For the younger viewers who admire Miranda Cosgrove from Nickelodeon programs such as "iCarly," here is a side of her acting that we've not seen nearly often enough. No outrageous behavior or wild antics. Here she is a very real human being who carries herself in a believable manner. Some credit also must go to charming newcomer Danielle Chuchran, who plays the country-girl who grudgingly befriends her and ultimately shows her the true meaning of family values.
The film has moments both comical and touching, and viewers of all ages will come away from it feeling invigorated and rejuvenated. This one can be enjoyed by young and old alike. There is no profanity or other offensive content. There are even some lovely Special Features, including a 10-minute bit of film footage of wild horses set to music. This piece alone is worth the price of the DVD. It also has a still photo gallery with over twenty full-color photographs, some of which even include the film crew.
I was sorry that it did not feature a catchy theme song by either Sellecca or Cosgrove, but that is the only real complaint I can state about this cinematic gem. Stop wasting your time reading reviews and order this movie now.

Our children have been asking to get The Wild Stallion ever since they heard that Miranda Cosgrove of iCarly fame had a leading role. Although the DVD was just recently released, it was actually filmed several years ago when Cosgrove was younger than she currently appears in her iCarly character. The plot is fairly simple; the city girl goes to live on a ranch in the country and discovers the wonders of the great west and, oh yes, horses. The sub-plot involves bad guy Robert Wagner and his team of local misfits out to spoil the good life enjoyed by the band of wild horses that roam the area. Connie Selleca is the nature-loving mom that presides over the ranch where Cosgrove goes to stay, and Paul Sorvino plays the local sheriff with his typical expertise and presence. Filmed in the backcountry and small towns of central Utah, the scenery is breathtaking and keeps the young audience the film is aimed at captivated for the 86 minutes it runs. Rated G, I recommend it for children, teens, and the host of Miranda Cosgrove fans out there.

I watched this with my daughter and she got bored with it pretty quickly. Maybe good for a horse lover but that's about it.

Aside from the scenery, this has got to be one of the worst movies ever made. The acting is terrible and the cinematography is incredibly amateur. My 10 & 12 year old daughters were bored with it in the first 20 minutes. We suffered through it hoping it would get better but no such luck. Don't even bother renting this one, much less buying it.

i am pretty easy to please when it comes to horsey girly movies... since i am a girl and love horses i'm always on the look out for things like this.
But this film is just...... BAD!!
the only good thing i can find about it was the ten minute wild horse management clip in the special features. no talking, just music and wild horses doing what they do best.

Now what i disliked about this film was... poor build up of characters. the girl narrated far too often when it was obvious what was going on.
the ranch hands were pure and simple idiotic. i would be leery of letting impressionable kids watch this because they trade insults and name calling FAR too often, not to mention dumb pranks such as putting white pepper in the cook's flour. the adults were over-all RUDE to adults and kids alike. i dont know what they were trying to prove by making the sheriff a mustang/tree hugger/kid hater only to have him save the day at the end. Would have made more sense for them to play up the deputy's reputation than the sheriff who we see a handful of times just being rude.
and the Big Bad Guy ... i never got his point. he wanted to capture wild mustangs, government owned and protected mind you! to do lab tests on when it would have made more sense to go to a local auction and just buy several for a couple hundred bucks - this happens a lot too! ask anyone who rescues abused horses! So that part of the film was really just plain dumb. he has to .... hire local goons, pay off a deputy, risk getting caught...prosecuted and put into prison... for a small band of wild horses. It would have made a lot more sense to make this film about the BLM wild horse roundups and auctions.
Maybe these people didnt want to make the government look bad? i dunno..... maybe if they had set this film in a different time period when people really were flying over herds with helicopters, shooting at them or selling them to Alpo...? i mean back in the 50's it was LEGAL to hunt mustangs for the pet food industry. why not talk about that?

Anyway i digress....

The kid actors were..... eh.... well.... average i guess. i have seen far worse. the little blond girl was cute as she could be but even she couldnt save this film.

Now the last thing i hated, and hated most of all i suppose.. was the director telling the camera man to rotate his camera in a circle around the villains for about five minutes while they had a POINTLESS "Because i'm the boss!" argument. i had to fast-forward through the most of it because i was getting physically sea sick.

The actual interactions with the stallion and mustangs do not make this worth renting AS a horsey girly movie. You will see a few reviews where people claimed their kids refused to watch it.. this is probably why. it spends too much time with human/human interaction,.. kids insulting each other, adults insulting each other, adults insulting kids, adults getting overly dramatic, kids listening to adults insult each other..... its too bad they dont have this one available to watch online.

The script could have been much better with a little more effort. Besides the issue with the plot.... NOTHING was truly resolved! i know i didnt fall asleep, but i somehow missed whether or not the BIG BAD guy was captured or if he escaped on his jet plane. after all he was the source of all the commotion! are we to assume the local goons ratted on him?

I also wish there had been more elaboration on the history of this stallion. Alas... there was but a small bit... apparently an escaped thoroughbred and not an actual mustang... kinda took the wind out of my sails.
the climax was NOT. you are left saying.... "thats it???" and for the next two or three minutes you wonder if there will be a big surprise you didnt expect, kind of like in horror movies where they think the bad guy is dead only to have him suddenly spring to life.
well.. no. sorry......
it was TOO noble... too passionate and that really made it more or less unrealistic. beyond cheesy... beyond unbelievable. in the description is says she is the unlikely champion.
i disagree... CJ did more work. Hannah just took a few pics which tipped off the bad guys.

Watch it if you must. use it as an example of what NOT to do when making horsey girly movies.

I got this DVD for my granddaughter but had to check it out myself first. I highly recommend it for adults as well as children. Loved the fact the girl saved them through taking pictures of them. It can show children that there is a way they can get active in what they believe in.
Also it showed everyone who is in law enforcement is not always honest. We always like to think so. I know my husband is. Most everyone I know here is. But in some cities, they aren't.
We need to take a stand for what is right even when the government may not stand behind us.

Cute. That's the first word that comes to mind when I watch this movie. The plot has been done so many times it's truly impossible to come up with anything original along the same lines. It's the sort of movie you can watch when you don't want anything that would make you think. Miranda Cosgrove is an amazing, talented actress, so this movie fit her pretty well. Still, the movie is a pleasant diversion for a rainy afternoon.

I bought this movie at our local Movie Gallery because it was closing and the movies were 50 -70% off the original price. The Wild Stallion lacked at the part to keep the viewers interest. It had good parts and its lows. As a fan of Miranda Cosgrove and iCarly, I was disappointed. Overall, it was an alright film but if your looking for a watch to love, you'll be disappointed.

I really liked this movie. This was a good purchase as it was clean, had a little adventure and drama, the actors and actresses were everyday people. Would highly recommend seeing this family-style movie.

I enjoyed the movie but I thought it would be more interesting than two girls finding a wild stallion. allen