Search - The Silver Stallion on DVD

Michelle H. (snoozemouse) from CHEYENNE, WY
Reviewed on 10/16/2010...

If you like Man from Snowy River, you will like this movie...

0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

JoAnna T.
Reviewed on 3/5/2010...

This is a wonderfully scenic film -- gorgeous shots of horses running free. The plot is a bit hard to follow and the people in the film don't make much of an impression -- but I think that is the design of the film, to focus on the horses and nature.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Jeannine W. (jrelehw) from LONDONDERRY, NH
Reviewed on 12/21/2007...

A very nice family movie. RC is always a joy to look at! If you have a horse crazy girl she will love this!

2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

GOOD - BUT NOT MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER

Waitsel Smith | Atlanta, GA USA | 09/02/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Based on previous reviews, you would have thought this was another MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER: it's not, not by a long shot. I watched SNOWY after wading through this one, and was amazed at how much better it was. It's not that the horses aren't amazing - they are. But the story is weak, the cinematography is undistinguished, and this desperately needs a wide screen. I have to agree with another reviewer that this is a B movie.

On the other hand, Caroline Goodall turns in a wonderful performance as a writer creating a story about a silver stallion that has become a legend in the outback of Australia. She narrates parts of the story almost as if she were telling it around a campfire at night, so that it has a certain eerie quality. Ami Daemion is enjoyable as her daughter, reading her mother's story as she completes it in chunks, and becoming more and more obsessed with the horse. Russell Crowe plays a rancher bent on catching the silver stallion, and in his usual, likeable way is entertaining in this early performance of his career. Unfortunately, he gets little more to do than show off his riding abilities, because the real stars of the movie are the horses.

This film has some excellent horse work, except for the fight sequences between the ruling stallions, which are little more than dances. Nevertheless, as animal actors, they're wonderful. If I had it to do over, I would have given this film three stars instead of two, because it is a sweet story to snuggle up with the family on a weekend afternoon. I think pre-teen girls and any horse-lover will especially love it.

Waitsel Smith"

More likely to appeal to children than adults.

Monika | Davis, California | 09/09/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Based on the book "The Silver Brumby" by Elyne Mitchell, "The Silver Stallion" opens during a storm, with a mother composing a story to comfort her daughter, Indi. She tells of the birth of Thowra, a palomino brumby in the high country of Australia's outback, named after the wind. As Thowra grows into a magnificent young stallion, he catches the attention of local ranchers, intent on capturing the beautifully-colored horse. One man in particular (played by a young Russell Crowe), becomes obsessed with the hunt. But the more intent he is on catching the stallion, the more maddeningly cunning and elusive Thowra becomes.

The film switches back and forth between the story of Indi and her mother, and the tale of Thowra himself, with Indi's mother narrating. Eventually we find that the two stories are more interconnected than they seem at first. Unfortunately, neither story has a very strong plotline. Crowe's character's pursuit of Thowra can be boiled down to a series of chase scenes, punctuated by rivalry between stallions of neighboring brumby herds, while the action between Indi and her mother consists of the girl continuously pestering her mother to divulge the next chapter, with a seemingly unrelated side-story about an injured wallaby thrown in for good measure.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this is not "The Man From Snowy River." The horses are anthropomorphized a bit too much for my tastes, and the acting tends toward cheesiness at times, though not so much as to be unbelievable. The soundtrack - often taking on a chanting quality that grows more intense as each chase scene progresses - is rather melodramatic, occasionally even disturbing by its overbearing nature. Nevertheless, while this film fails to really impress me as an adult, I'm pretty sure I would have loved it as a child. The horses are beautiful, and the theme of a cunning animal hero consistently outwitting the "bad guys" is just what most children will love.

The DVD itself, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired. The movie is presented only in fullscreen format, and though the cinematography and picture quality themselves are not top quality, the shots of the Australian high country would have been much more breathtaking in a widescreen presentation. There are also no special features whatsoever. In summation, I'd recommend this film primarily to families with younger children, especially those that love horses. Children will likely find the story exciting and the horses endearing. But even at a mere 93 minutes in length, it doesn't offer much to hold the attention of adult viewers."

Thorwa Lives On!

Monika | 07/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Two words: See it! It's the best movie yet! I've watched it a total of 11 times, and it NEVER get's boring. With the breath taking scence, and horses this is a MUST movie. You look through the eyes of a horse. ( Which I must say is very wonderful touch to this movie ) It's ending leaves you in question and a smile or a tear or two. But it also leaves you wanting to see it again and AGAIN!"