7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A wild stallion is captured by humans and slowly loses the will to resist training. Throughout his struggles for freedom, the stallion refuses to let go of the hope of one day returning home to his herd.
Starring: James Cromwell, Daniel Studi, Chopper Bernet, Jeff LeBeau, Zahn McClarnonFamily | 100% |
Animation | 81% |
Comedy | 57% |
Adventure | 46% |
Romance | 15% |
Western | 1% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Dutch: Dolby Digital 5.1
Flemish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Flemish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Inside every creature is a spirit that yearns to be free, to run wild without the chains of constraint, to live without the fear of captivity, the labor of slavery, and a forced, and false, feeling inferiority created by other, more physically powerful and capable creatures. When those things come, it's just as much that inner determination of that spirit and the force of that will as it is the outer gifts of strength and speed that determine one's fate. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron tells the story of one such free spirit forced into a life of hardship, its struggle to escape its unwarranted confines, and its quest to rediscover the magic of freedom, not only of bondage and labor but of free will and life as one chooses to live it. The 2002 animated film delivers on its promise of a heartwarming tale of courage against impossible odds, love between kindred spirits, and the positives that are a result of an ironclad determination to break free from captivity and prove to the world that freedom and victory are born of the heart and won in the spirit.
Showdown.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron's 1080p transfer frequently looks gorgeous. The transfer is hindered only by some instances of uneven, jagged lines; pause the film at the 3:13 mark and see the green slope rise with an unnaturally sharp stair-step effect. That out of the way, however, the transfer looks terrific. It's vibrant and healthy, made primarily of earthen hues — brown terrain and Spirit's lighter, sandier yellow-brown coloring — but nevertheless showing impressive brilliance and stability. Flashes of bolder colors prove equally impressive, primarily blue army uniforms but also the red, white, and blue stripes on an American flag and green vegetation. Details are sharp and robust; the film benefits tremendously from the uptick in definition over its standard definition release. Clarity is striking, and the image enjoys a fair bit of depth and accuracy even in long distance shots of far-away terrain. Darker scenes sport good, even black levels. Despite one or two problem areas, this is, overall, a tremendous image from Paramount.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron rides onto Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation works well all around, but its biggest flaw is that it never seems in full command of its resources. Music and sound effects always seem just a tiny bit underpowered. Musical clarity satisfies, and it enjoys a richness of space but never truly dominates, never pulls the listener fully into the world, whether score or Bryan Adams' pop songs. Likewise, big sound effects, while not falling flat, seem to settle for simply "good." Whether a stampede of horses or a crashing locomotive, the track offers a lot of sound but never quite enough energy to go along with them. Still, such effects nicely fill up the listening area on all occasions. A few isolated action sound effects work well enough, such as a gunshot here and there. Atmospherics are very well implemented. Even something as simple as a very light background wind help to fully define the film's environments, and though they play low, pausing the film demonstrates just how truly immersive and mood critical yet in-film sonically invisible they can be. Dialogue does come through effortlessly and clearly from the center. All around, a very good track that's just a little bit of added effort away from reference quality excellence.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron contains the following supplemental features. Note that a DVD copy of the film is included in the case.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron works on practically every level. It's an externally gorgeous film and a fully satisfying inward journey of one animal's unbreakable spirit, its bonds of friendship and trust, and its struggle to re-secure the freedom it was born to enjoy. The picture builds its narrative on minimal dialogue and none, save for a few choices instances of voiceover narration, for its title character. It's a film of beautiful simplicity, effortless harmony, and deep connections with its audience. In short, it's a triumph of its genre and an example for others of its kind to follow. DreamWorks' Blu-ray release of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron features excellent video, solid audio, and a fair assortment of DVD-era carryover extras. Highly recommended.
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2002
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+ How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Fandango Cash
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Abominable Fandango Cash
2002
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Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1942
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2015
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