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Young Netflix subscribers have fallen in love with the frontier adventures of Lucky Prescott and her friends on the Netflix exclusive series Spirit Riding Free. And now the DreamWorks animated adventure Spirit Untamed takes a step back to tell the story of Lucky’s arrival in the town of Miradero.
Spirit Untamed follows free-spirited Lucky (voiced by Isabela Merced) after one too many mishaps gets her sent away from her home in the city to visit her father, Jim (Jake Gyllenhaal), for the summer, accompanied by her aunt, Cora (Julianne Moore). When Lucky arrives in Miradero, she feels a strong connection to the talented rodeo riders—and to a wild horse that she’s named Spirit. And when a band of wranglers captures Spirit and the other wild horses outside of town, Lucky and her new friends set out on a dangerous mission to rescue them.
These girls definitely have plenty of their own spirit. They’re brimming with personality—especially Lucky, who always seems to be in some kind of trouble. She loves to explore, and she’s not afraid to take risks. That certainly makes her a likable character for young girls—because she’s strong and daring and adventurous. But her impulsiveness will often make parents cringe (as will the fact that, despite her tendency toward getting herself and others into trouble, no one seems to be keeping much of an eye on her).
Lucky’s story is short and simple—just like the series that inspired it. It isn’t especially detailed, and the drama isn’t exactly sophisticated. It’s just a cute movie for kids—with plenty of small-town Western charm. But it’s not what you might expect from DreamWorks Animation. Though the Western setting is bold and colorful, the animation simply isn’t as stunning as some earlier DreamWorks films—more cartoonish than realistic.
Fans of the Netflix series will definitely notice the differences. The story is different, the voices are different, and the animation is different. And, admittedly, that can be a little off-putting at first. But, fortunately, the feel is still the same. It’s still a charming Wild West adventure with cute characters, a fun setting, and plenty of lessons about family and friendship.
If your kids love Spirit Riding Free, they’re probably already begging you to let them see Spirit Untamed—and they won’t be disappointed. It isn’t a noteworthy film, but young viewers will love the frontier setting, the spirited characters, and their daring adventures.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
