Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Flicka 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Keep on Flicking Away.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 17, 2012

I didn’t approach the challenge of reviewing the DTV sequel “Flicka 2” as an opportunity to keep up with the now ongoing “Flicka” saga, which kicked off with a 2006 feature film (adapted from the classic novel by Mary O’Hara) starring Alison Lohman. No, I decided to take on the feature as a way to keep up with actor Patrick Warburton, an actor I’ve grown to strangely dislike over the years. He’s a bulky performer with a single comedic speed, yet “Flicka 2” offers the man something different to play for a change, taking command of a hesitant paternal role that doesn’t require the services of his dim-witted butch routine. A-flicka-men.

When her grandmother can no longer act as her guardian, Carrie (Tammin Sursok) is sent to live with her estranged father, Hank (Patrick Warburton), on his sprawling Wyoming ranch. A skateboarding, hell-raising teen, Carrie has difficulty adapting to the slow pace of rural life, only finding comfort in the company of Flicka, an untamed stallion Hank doesn’t know what to do with. The two bond instantly, leaving Hank in the unnerving role of disciplinarian as his distant daughter settles awkwardly into her new life of rural routine. While Carrie enjoys a dalliance with a local farmhand and deflects peaceful offers of communication from her increasingly exasperated father, Flicka demonstrates progress as a potential show horse, leaving a rival rancher (Ted Whitthall) looking to steal the animal to help his spoiled daughter win a local rodeo.

If you didn’t happen to see the original “Flicka,” don’t worry. “Flicka 2” is basically the same motion picture, only the scale of the filmmaking has been reduced, country star Tim McGraw has been replaced by country star Clint Black, and some fart humor has been shoveled into the film to give the target demographic (10-year-old girls) a few cheap laughs along the way. The two features are bound together by a diary concept that has Carrie reading personal thoughts on Flicka left behind by Katy (played by Lohman in the earlier picture), allowing the two girls to share their profound love for the stallion, while permitting viewers a brief moment of familiarity to help ease into the bonding process.

“Flicka 2” is an expectedly elementary picture, detailing the life of an itchy teen girl stuck in the middle of nowhere without her cell phone, access to a nearby skate park, or the comfort of friends. From here, Carrie enjoys a traditional arc of self-discovery, nudged along by a horde of gushy pop tunes, a few horse riding montages, and the thrill of young love with an aspiring cowboy. Director Michael Damien (yes, that Michael Damien) submits a pedestrian effort, coloring broadly with simple emotions to sell the trite screenplay, relying on gorgeous Canadian landscapes to do most of the heavy lifting when filmmaking nuance is crudely waved off.

As for Warburton, the man gives the role his best shot, expelling many sighs as Hank remains out of touch with his daughter’s pubescent needs. It’s not a superlative performance from the once and future Puddy, but it’s refreshingly sincere work, free of barking. It’s Sursok who’s overly aggressive here, hamming it up as Carrie learns a thing or two about life outside of the big city, trying her hardest to play young and vulnerable.

Flicka 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation supports a standard low-budget look, with emphasis on primary colors and bright outdoor glory shots. It's enough to convince, with fresh hues keeping grasslands a lively green, while costuming retains its blue denim and cream hat appeal. Skintones read on the hot side at times, with reddish skin dominating a few interior interactions. Noise is managed comfortably. Shadow detail is satisfactory, finding a pleasing level of detail on Flicka, while evening adventures aren't completely solidified, leaving distances to survey. Fine detail is adequate, sustaining the feel of fabrics and dramatic offerings from the cast, while close-ups carry realistic facial qualities. A small feature like this benefits from an outdoorsy feel, and the gorgeous Canadian locations retain a natural sense of HD energy to lend the production the expanse it can't achieve through screenwriting.

Flicka 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-MA HD sound mix find its most impressive range when detailing scoring cues, which sound big and immersive, utilizing surround placement to sustain dramatic grandeur. Dialogue sounds strong, handed a largely frontal position to anchor personal developments, with voices sounding passably full, while accents are easily inspected. Atmospherics are limited, with rural life handed satisfactory elements of blowing wind and stable commotion, though true directional activity isn't exploited to a consistent degree. The track holds to a melodramatic routine of conflicts and warm resolutions without jarring shifts in audio engagement, making the listening experience acceptable for younger audiences, with emphasis more on the open range liberation of Flicka than a more intricate sonic exploration of home theater intensity.

Flicka 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "A Conversation with Clint Black" (3:53, SD) chats up the supporting actor, who offers his highly rehearsed thoughts on the entire filmmaking process. It's a little weird to hear the singer talk about his acting "sensibilities" when he's barely in the picture, but hey, the man is beloved, with cast and crew interviews effusive in their praise for the man's amiable spirit and down home charm.

• "Running Wild: The North American Mustang" (4:38, SD) visits the Sunset Ranch in the Hollywood Hills to meet the four-legged stars of the film, collected and trained by horse wrangler Trace Barrett, who's tickled to show off his work. The featurette is devoted to understanding horse history and psychology, with Barrett explaining the behavior of the mustang and the importance of the "lead female," a figure that keeps all the other horses in line. There's also a demonstration on how to catch a horse, observing Barrett display his magic on one of his trainees.

• "The Making of 'Flicka 2'" (5:34, SD) is the requisite promotional featurette used to sell the cheery production experience to newcomers, with cast and crew interviews (recorded on-set) proclaiming the wonderfulness of working on a wonderful picture with wonderful people. It's a routine distribution of empty platitudes, but that's to be expected. Talk of cast cowboy skills is interesting (Warburton lights up when discussing his personal time with the horses and their trainers), but the rest on the rushed side, burning through mentions of location scouting and inspirational intent. Interestingly, director Damien isn't present to slather his own film with praise, which is very strange.

• "Horsin' Around" (2:37, SD) is a blooper reel, with the cast enjoying plenty of mix-em-ups and blown takes during filming, with most of the mistakes emerging from the unpredictability of working with animal actors who refuse to do as they're told.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Flicka 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The world didn't need a "Flicka 2" (heck, there's already a third installment of the franchise, with "Flicka: Country Pride" released in 2012, also directed by Damien) but as useless sequels of questionable artistic merit go, it's not deplorable. Pre-teen girls will adore it, and that's all that really matters.