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Amazon.co.uk Review
Set in northern Africa at the beginning of World War I, Running Free is an unusual movie narrated by a horse, voiced by Lukas Haas (Witness). While the gambit works for the most part, let's face it, some sentences ("I had to find my place in the world") just sound silly coming from equine lips. Lucky, as he is called, is born on an African-bound ship but is separated from his mother when the horses swim for shore and the new colt simply can't keep up. While mum and the rest of the gang are sent to work in the mines, Lucky is discovered by a young orphan who works as a stable hand. The mother-son pair are briefly reunited, but the stable's stallion, Caesar, fatally injures her. The high-born Caesar also prevents his own foal, Beauty, from seeing Lucky and eventually forces the colt out on his own. The dour indignities heaped upon this horse, including a heart-wrenching parting with the boy, last for about an hour of this 78-minute film before events begin to shift and Lucky is able to live up to his name. Although the film is rated suitable for all viewers, horse death, graphic fighting and cruelty toward the boy might be overwhelming to young or sensitive children. --Kimberly Heinrichs, Amazon.com
Synopsis
The adventurous and inspiring story of a remarkable friendship between a boy and a colt named Lucky. Directed by Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains). Narrated by Lukas Haas (Mars Attacks!)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
this is a good hartwarming story that makes you laugh and cry. you can really feel for the foal at the begining and you can really despise ceaser the cruel stallion. this is a great film for horse lovers and for people who like happy endings.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I loved this film. Unfortunately,it seems to have cut out more than half its target audience, as it's one of the few and far between films about horses that DOESN'T think that, by taming a horse and putting it to work, you are doing it a huge favour. Let's face it, people that would watch a film about horses are generally those who own one and do put it to work. This film is not afraid to say that actually,horses should be allowed to run wild.
Running Free is the story of a young chestnut colt named Lucky, born on a ship bound for the mines in Namibia, who is rescued and befriended by a young orphaned boy who works in the stables. When he loses both his mother and his newfound friend, owing to evacuation during the war,Lucky must learn to survive on his own, eventually becoming the leader of his own herd. The film is narrated by the horse and told from his point of view.
Despite the various themes of family, friendship and redemption, this film is in no way saccharine or sentimental. There are no soft focus close-ups, or gentle zoom-ins to lamenting music. In fact, the human characters are realistic; the upper class and feared stable owner still has compassion for the orphaned boy, allowing him to keep Lucky despite the foal's lack of noble lineage. What's more, unlike many 'villains', he rejects loading his own prized purebred horse on to the evacuation train, instead ensuring everyone in the mines is taken to safety.
However, there are several suspensions of belief, as the orphaned boy and Lucky somehow survive in the Namibian desert. Lucky too apparently learns his survival skills from a young village girl.
Despite this, I enjoyed Running Free a great deal, as the focus is on the horses, and riding and working them is not seen as normal and acceptable. Neither is there too much sentimentality or blatant moralising, as is found in many family films. If you are interested in horses, it is definitely worth watching, if not, it is at least worth a look for its different perspective.
Running Free is the story of a young chestnut colt named Lucky, born on a ship bound for the mines in Namibia, who is rescued and befriended by a young orphaned boy who works in the stables. When he loses both his mother and his newfound friend, owing to evacuation during the war,Lucky must learn to survive on his own, eventually becoming the leader of his own herd. The film is narrated by the horse and told from his point of view.
Despite the various themes of family, friendship and redemption, this film is in no way saccharine or sentimental. There are no soft focus close-ups, or gentle zoom-ins to lamenting music. In fact, the human characters are realistic; the upper class and feared stable owner still has compassion for the orphaned boy, allowing him to keep Lucky despite the foal's lack of noble lineage. What's more, unlike many 'villains', he rejects loading his own prized purebred horse on to the evacuation train, instead ensuring everyone in the mines is taken to safety.
However, there are several suspensions of belief, as the orphaned boy and Lucky somehow survive in the Namibian desert. Lucky too apparently learns his survival skills from a young village girl.
Despite this, I enjoyed Running Free a great deal, as the focus is on the horses, and riding and working them is not seen as normal and acceptable. Neither is there too much sentimentality or blatant moralising, as is found in many family films. If you are interested in horses, it is definitely worth watching, if not, it is at least worth a look for its different perspective.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A nice film, the story wasn't brilliant but visually it is a treat, some great shots of beautiful horses, worth watching for these alone. Horse lovers will relish this film, but for the non-horse-obsessed it can be a bit boring at times and is fairly predictable.
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