The Young Black Stallion

Went and saw the premiere with my kids (both under 7) this week. They thought it was great, and although the run time was a little short for my tastes, it worked out great for their attention spans. My little one seemed a little bored during some of the slower portions.

The film was visually very appealing, the landscape was terrific. The far away shots of the desert were really stunning as well as the race footage. You could almost feel the sand being kicked up during the race scenes. IMAX was a great format to see this in and my kids were in awe of the size of the screen.

That being said, the acting was a bit strained but hey 2 of the 3 main characters were kids and the other was the horse. And while it may be nit picking, how does a 12 year-old girl start a fire all by herself with no tools or supplies?

Anyway, overall a fun experience to take your kids to.

OK, I have been a huge fan of the Black for a long time and was DISGUSTED after seeing this film. Let's name the problems...First this film has much of the same crew that the first two had. It has also been called the PREQUEL to the original Black Stallion. Why is it that they can't get Shetan's dam's name correct or her color?? In The Black Stallion Returns, we learn the Sagr was the Black's CHESTNUT mother and in this film she is a gray mare name Jenny?!?!?!?!? WTF? And it's set in Africa in 1946 and 1947...I could be wrong but the first one was set in the 1940's as well when the ship wrecks. Time line doesn't sound quite right to me. Also, as a goof, there is a friesian in the beginning of the movie that is supposed to be Shetan's father...upon further notice it appears to be a gelding. Ben Ishaak is the only character that remained to even make this film appear to be related to the previous two in any way. Might be a cute family film to some but it's my biggest movie disappointment of the year.

This family-friendly film is a kind of prequel (previous film) to The Black Stallion (1979), which was a huge hit at the time. Neera (Biana Tamimi) is an Arab girl who was separated from her father in her homeland during World War II. Left alone in the desert, she ends up befriending a black colt, which she names Sheetan. However, as time goes by, she finds her father again and is forced to abandon her horse friend. But it won't be easy to forget him, and she is haunted by the image of the animal lost in the desert all the time. Later she discovers that it is a legend about a steed born from the desert sands. The film is directed by Simon Wincer (Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles) and features a script by Jeanne Rosenberg, the same screenwriter of the original film, based on the book by Walter and Steven Farley.

Based lightly (considering the changes made to the original work) on the novel series started in 1941, Black Stallion, by Walter Farley and his son Steven Farley, but very cute, and the girl Biana Tamimi captivates and charms with little Patrick Elyas, well like the beautiful Corcel, beautiful scenes on the dunes, beautiful images, a simple and charming production...

I am a Walter Farley Fan and have been since I was 5 years old. Have read every one of his books MULTIPLE times and now am saving them for my young grandsons to enjoy. Because of this early exposure to the grand adventures of the Black and his get, horses became part of my free-time life; moved to Montana because of it and raised Arabs as a pacifier.

The Black's Dam's name is actually Aisha. She was a Chestnut and the horses chosen for the several "The Black" movies have accurately portrayed Walter Farley's descriptions. Not being critical and am very pleased that others have enjoyed the series as much as I.

The scenery is superb! The characters are portrayed in a life-like manner. Neera and Black proved excellent! However, I was a little disappointed with the set-up of the story. It was slow-going for the first 30-minutes. It was great for the next 15-minutes. Then it was over. I felt that what I saw in the advertisement on the Disney channel is actually the entire movie. Wonderful story. I would have liked the beginning to have been shorter and the excitement last a little longer. After the movie I stated outloud, "That's it?"