Spirit Untamed: The Movie is a big-screen adaptation of the popular Netflix series Spirit Riding Free, boasting higher quality animation and more star-studded voice talent.
The Production: 4/5
Lucky Prescott (Isabella Merced) is being escorted by her Aunt Cora (Julianne Moore) back to her father in Miradero after living at her grandfather’s estate for 10 years after her mother died in a tragic horse accident. Lucky is an adventurous girl, so adventurous that she is well-known for the disastrous outcomes of those adventures. During her train ride, she encounters a herd of wild horses led by a golden mustang she names Spirit. After being reunited by her father, Jim Prescott (Jake Gyllenhaal), who forbids her to be near a horse, she sees Spirit in the town’s corral while a group of wranglers led by Hendricks (Walton Goggins) attempt to break Spirit in order to sell him. Concerned with the abuse, she quickly befriends Spirit, along with two other cowgirls, Prudence (Marsai Martin) and Abigail (Mckenna Grace), who then team up to try and stop Hendricks from selling Spirit’s herd and enslaving them to hard labor.
If the plot sounds vaguely familiar, Spirit Untamed is a re-working and expansion of the first few episodes of the popular kids animated series Spirit Riding Free on Netflix. Oh, and its also kind of a sequel to 2002’s Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. While the Netflix series had animation that resembled a PlayStation 3 era video game, this theatrical film (yes, it was released theatrically) has a more fluid and three-dimensional quality to it. It is not up to the level of some of DreamWorks Animation’s more recent theatrical releases (Trolls World Tour, Secret Life of Pets), perhaps a few steps below. The movie is definitely aimed at young girls, and I’m sure they will enjoy this film much more than I did, yet I still found it entertaining. The voice cast is excellent, and the story was interesting enough to keep me engaged for its 88-minute running time.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
Despite its occasional lackluster animation, the 1080p AVC-encoded transfer on this Blu-ray is quite good. Fabric textures and horse hair is often well-defined in medium to close-up shots, while colors are often vibrant and not overly saturated. Contrast is very good, with deep blacks and strong shadow detail with little to no crushing. This Blu-ray release is the highest resolution available on physical media, while a 4K/HDR option is available from digital retailers.
Audio: 3.5/5
The default DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio track is something of a disappointment on two counts. First, according to the end credits and technical specs on IMDB, Spirit Untamed was released theatrically with a Dolby Atmos track, which is nowhere to be found, either on this disc or digitally. Second, for a 7.1 track, its not all that immersive or impressive in its use of surrounds. This is a very front-heavy mix, yet does have a very wide front stage with excellent stereo separation and imaging. LFE is adequate, but never really gets a chance to kick in. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout.
Special Features: 3.5/5
Finding Your Spirit (1080p; 9:20): This is a well-produced and rather informative behind the scenes look at the characters and the story, using interviews that were obviously recorded remotely during the pandemic but care went into making them look as professional as possible.
Home on the Range (1080p; 3:20): Mckenna Grace hosts a sing along to this favorite campfire song, with some alternate lyrics.
Snack Time – S’Mores (1080p; 2:18): The girls show us how to make S’Mores in the toaster oven. This sequence is repeated in the How To section.
Deleted/Extended Scenes (1080p; 7:03): Director Elaine Bogan, Co-Director Ennio Torresan, Producer Karen Foster, and Storyboard Artist Daniel Tal introduce three deleted and extended scenes from the film – Campaign Launch-Extended, Bubbles and Elk Stampede.
Behind the Voices – The Cast (1080p; 9:59): The voice cast (with help from the crew) discuss their characters.
Cowgirls Rule (1080p; 4:16): A look at the friendship of the three girls, Lucky, Prudence, and Abigail.
Drawing Spirit (1080p; 15:38): Story Artist Wendy Sullivan provides a brief tutorial on how to draw Lucky, Spirit, Pru, Chica Linda, Abigail and Boomerang.
How to Create Your Own Indoor “Campfire” (1080p; 2:11)
How to Ukelele (1080p; 2:20)
Abigail’s Hand Shadow Secrets (1080p; 2:42)
How to Zoetrope (1080p; 6:00)
Fearless (English) Sing-Along (1080p; 4:16)
Fearless (Valiente Duet) Sing-Along (1080p; 1:59)
You Belong Sing-Along (1080p; 3:30)
Audio Commentary: Director Elaine Bogan, Co-director Ennio Torreson and Producer Karen Foster discuss the many different aspects of making the movie.
DVD Copy
Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy on Movies Anywhere.
Overall: 4/5
I enjoyed Spirit Untamed more than I expected, but it is obviously aimed at young girls. The absence of a Dolby Atmos track and a lackluster 7.1 DTS-HD MA in its place are the biggest disappointments in this release.
Spirit Untamed: The Movie – Blu-ray + DVD + Digita…
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Todd Erwin has been a reviewer at Home Theater Forum since 2008. His love of movies began as a young child, first showing Super 8 movies in his backyard during the summer to friends and neighbors at age 10. He also received his first movie camera that year, a hand-crank Wollensak 8mm with three fixed lenses. In 1980, he graduated to "talkies" with his award-winning short The Ape-Man, followed by the cult favorite The Adventures of Terrific Man two years later. Other films include Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror and Warren's Revenge (which is currently being restored). In addition to movie reviews, Todd has written many articles for Home Theater Forum centering mostly on streaming as well as an occasional hardware review, is the host of his own video podcast Streaming News & Views on YouTube and is a frequent guest on the Home Theater United podcast.
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