Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Intense animated mustang tale has lots of peril, violence.

G 2002 83 minutes
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Parents say

age 5+

Based on 36 reviews

Kids say

age 6+

Based on 51 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a 2002 movie about a wild mustang stallion that cannot be tamed in the "Wild West." The scenes of Spirit being taken away from his family, and subsequent scenes of Spirit's cruel treatment while men try to "break" him, may be too intense at times for younger or more sensitive viewers. The soldiers use guns and treat Spirit harshly, applying whips and spurs. The blacksmith makes an unsuccessful attempt to brand him. While trying to break Spirit, after all else fails, Spirit is left tied to a post for three days in the hot sun with no food and water. Frequent peril includes a near-drowning scene in which horses are trapped in raging rapids. Characters are in peril and it appears that one has been killed. There's a fire and a chase scene. The Native American boy is portrayed as brave, compassionate, and honorable.

Community Reviews

Krispydabell
Krispydabell Adult
November 17, 2021
age 5+

I Love This Movie!:

I absolutely loved this movie and I still do! In fact, I grew up on this movie! It’s a household classic with my family! Contrary to the reviews on this movie, as well as the information about this movie, this movie does does have a meaning! The meaning and purpose of this movie is to bring awareness to the treatment of horses in some of the places like the one Spirit was in, as well as how they may obtain the horses in the first place. As for the “violence,” “peril,” and “drinking and smoking,” this was a 2002 movie. Back then, it wasn’t a big deal to show drinks or smoking in cartoons- Gaston and his crew drinks beer in Beauty and the Beast! Same goes for Captain Hook and his crew! As for the violence and peril aspects of the movie, I’m sure I’ve seen equal, if not more, violence and peril in Disney movies alone growing up, not even counting Dreamworks and Blue Sky films! So is this movie okay for your child to watch? In my opinion, yes- absolutely! Have fun laughing, comfort each other when crying (it’s a tearjerker sometimes!), and, most importantly, reiterate the overall message and awareness this movie brings. It’s a lovely movie! I highly recommend this movie for all families to watch and enjoy!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
doctora
doctora Adult
June 21, 2022
age 7+

The animation is definitely for horse lovers

An animated film that captures horses in a beautiful way. Damon's narration and Adams' songs do not land well with me and I would argue have not particularly aged well. Then of course there is the depiction of Native American culture from a non-Native perspective. The larger story of colonialism is portrayed through railroad expansion without any cultural context for the young minds that this film is intended for. Smart moves in not leaning on cutesy sidekicks and on making the horses speak, no need for it.
See all 36 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the animated SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, Spirit is born to a loving mare and grows up in a paradise of mountains and plains, with plenty to eat and drink and freedom to run as far as he can dream. He becomes the leader of the pack of horses, and watches out for his group to keep them safe from predators. His curiosity leads him to investigate a campsite, and he's captured by cavalry soldiers. A brutal commander tries to break him, but even starvation doesn't make him submit. Spirit escapes with an Indian boy named Little Creek, and they grow to care for each other. Spirit also cares for Little Creek's pretty palomino, Rain. But Spirit still will not let anyone ride him. Little Creek sends Spirit back to his home, but he's captured again and has many more adventures before returning to his family.

Is It Any Good?

Many kids will enjoy this traditionally animated story about a brave wild mustang in the 19th-century American West, but parents may find it overlong even at a running time of less than 90 minutes. Parents should also know that there are some scary scenes and that the story may be hard for younger children to follow because the horse characters don't talk.

There are some lovely and powerful images of horses racing through endless stretches of grass, mountains, and rivers. The scary scenes are very vivid, especially the fire and a railroad engine knocked off its tracks that comes tumbling downhill. But the story moves slowly, especially during the dreary Bryan Adams songs. The narration (by Matt Damon) is more poetic than descriptive, so younger kids will benefit from some discussion about the story.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different ways that the Colonel and Little Creek have of trying to teach Spirit to carry a rider. Do different parents have different ways of teaching children? What ways work best?

  • How are Native Americans and the U.S. Cavalry portrayed in this movie? How is this in contrast to the way Native Americans and the U.S. Cavalry have historically been portrayed in Western movies?

  • Was the violence necessary for telling the story, or was it too much? Why?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

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    Flicka

    Book-based movie has some innuendo, violence.

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