Common Sense Media Review
Intense animated mustang tale has lots of peril, violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 39 parent reviews
Parents say this movie is both captivating and emotionally resonant, striking a balance between beautiful animation and important life lessons about perseverance, love, and respect for nature. While many children were drawn to the story and characters, parents noted some intense scenes that could be distressing for sensitive viewers, making it a topic of discussion rather than just a viewing experience.
- emotional resonance
- beautiful animation
- valuable lessons
- sensitive scenes
- family-friendly
- captivating story
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 53 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is an incredible animated feature, praised for its stunning visuals, emotional depth, and captivating music. While it possesses some intense and potentially frightening moments, many reviews emphasize its powerful themes of perseverance and resilience, making it a cherished favorite across generations.
- animation quality
- emotional depth
- strong messages
- family appeal
- intense moments
Summarized with AI
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
- In theaters : May 24, 2002
- On DVD or streaming : November 19, 2002
- Cast : Chopper Bernet , James Cromwell , Matt Damon
- Directors : Kelly Asbury , Lorna Cook
- Studio : DreamWorks
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Animals
- Run time : 83 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : scenes of peril, scary fire
- Last updated : November 6, 2025
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