Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

Take away Hans Zimmer's self-important score and the endless parade of gratingly whiney (or should I say whinny?) soundtrack anthems by '80s blue-collar rocker Bryan Adams, and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is actually a winning cell-animated mini-epic chronicling a proud young mustang's adventures in the vast expanses of the Old West. Gorgeously painted in scenic sunset and field watercolors, and narrated (by Matt Damon) from the horse's point of view, Spirit is a grand adventure encompassing cowboys and Indians, the U.S. cavalry, and the western expansion of the railroad. But the music is like a lasso around the picture's neck, preventing the story from running free (which is ironically what most of the songs are about) and dating it so quickly that it won't have a chance of standing the test of time. Except for glossing over a massacre of Lakota Indians, the picture is otherwise captivating, sincere, symbolic and respectful of both nature and the cultures depicted. Recommended, especially at the sell-through price. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by producer Mireille Soria, and directors Lorna Cook and Kelly Asbury; a 14-minute featurette in which senior supervising animator James Baxter imparts four simple steps to drawing Spirit the stallion; featurettes on animation and music (seven and 10 minutes, respectively); four storyboards with available commentary; two set top games; eight “favorite scenes”; production notes; cast and filmmaker bios; and DVD-ROM features (including a “Make a Movie” feature). Bottom line: a good extras package for a sure-to-be-popular family film.] (R. Blackwelder)