I was invited to an advance screening of this movie to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Like most people, it’s been over a year since we have been to the movie theater. Before everything changed, we were used to going at least once or even twice a month- so it has been a big adjustment!
Luckily, we FINALLY got back to the theater this last weekend when we went to see Spirit Untamed, coming to theaters THIS Friday June 4th!
About the Movie:
An epic adventure about a headstrong girl longing for a place to belong who discovers a kindred spirit when her life intersects with a wild horse, Spirit Untamed is the next chapter in the beloved story from DreamWorks Animation.
Lucky Prescott (Isabela Merced, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) never really knew her late mother, Milagro Navarro (Eiza González, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), a fearless horse-riding stunt performer from Miradero, a small town on the edge of the wide-open frontier.
Like her mother, Lucky isn’t exactly a fan of rules and restrictions, which has caused her Aunt Cora (Academy Award® winner Julianne Moore) no small amount of worry. Lucky has grown up in an East Coast city under Cora’s watchful eye, but when Lucky presses her own luck with one too many risky escapades, Cora picks up stakes and moves them both back with Lucky’s father, Jim (Oscar® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal), in Miradero.
Lucky is decidedly unimpressed with the sleepy little town. She has a change of heart when she meets Spirit, a wild Mustang who shares her independent streak, and befriends two local horseback riders, Abigail Stone (Mckenna Grace, Captain Marvel) and Pru Granger (Marsai Martin, Little). Pru’s father, stable owner Al Granger (Emmy winner Andre Braugher, Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine), is the best friend of Lucky’s father.
When a heartless horse wrangler (Emmy nominee Walton Goggins, FX’s Justified) and his team plan to capture Spirit and his herd and auction them off to a life of captivity and hard labor, Lucky enlists her new friends and bravely embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to rescue the horse who has given her freedom and a sense of purpose, and has helped Lucky discover a connection to her mother’s legacy and to her Mexican heritage that she never expected.
What I thought:
Spirit Untamed was a fun movie for the whole family. It was definitely one that you could take little kids to without any issues- but it was one that the older kids {and even adults} can enjoy as well.
The main girls were very likeable- Lucky has a kind heart, an adventurous spirit, and plenty of determination. Her new friends, Pru and Abigail, have their own personalities and are both kind and funny girls. They both also have a fun connection to their horses that played out in funny ways, like Abigail’s horse bobbing his head while she sang while Pru and her horse looked less than amused about said singing.
A movie without conflict isn’t much of a story, so of course there is conflict in the form of the bad guys who are trying to “break” Spirit and steal all the wild horses to sell for profit. But luckily nothing too scary for little kids to handle happens, and of course thanks to Lucky and her friends there’s a happy ending.
What the kids thought:
According to Zac {7 years old}: “I really liked the movie. My favorite character was the baby donkey that Abigail’s brother brings with him places. I liked how {spoiler} Lucky and the other two girls freed Spirit’s family.”
Shane {11 years old} liked it too, and thought the horses were really cool. I was sitting next to him and heard him laughing quite a bit!
Diversity in Spirit Untamed
I appreciated the diversity in this movie- Lucky is part Mexican, her friend Pru is Black, and many things from Mexican culture are presented.
This movie also promotes strong female role models. Aunt Cora is pretty great and Lucky and her friends are all heroes.
Is Spirit Untamed appropriate for young kids?
Spirit Untamed is a GREAT movie for families with kids of all ages. There is conflict in the movie but it isn’t overly scary, and it has a happy ending. There isn’t violence beyond trying to break a horse {and that’s not shown as much- the horse fights back and does more damage than the bad guys} and I didn’t catch any curse words.
Even more importantly, this movie teaches great lessons like being there for the ones you love, standing up for what’s right, and not letting fear rule your life.
Learn More + See it in Theaters!
Spirit Untamed comes out to theaters this Friday, June 4th! Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and follow the #SpiritUntamed hashtag.
Printable Activity Kit
Want to have even more fun with Spirit? Download this free printable activity kit to get the kids excited before you go- or to keep the fun going even after the credits roll! Click here to download.
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