Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Borgarkeri A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

gavin6942 While traveling with his father (Hoyt Axton), young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion who is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a desert island.This film is noted for its beautiful cinematography. Indeed, some of the scenes have no words at all and rely on the horse and the island to tell the tale. And whether it is a good tale or not, it is a good-looking one.Unfortunately, I watched it on the DVD from MGM, which only hints at the bright and brilliant colors. My assumption is the new Criterion disc will take the negative and give it the quality it deserves. If so, I would be more than happy to give the picture an extra star.

Geoffrey DeLeons I found this movie enjoyable, even though there were some "unlikelihoods" in it. It was going along fine up until the scene where Alec, who previously was the horse's best friend, decides to throw ropes on the animal and force it to "race". I found it abysmal and berserk that the child would do an ethical about-face like that and return this kind and noble beast to ropes, schedules, programs, surrender and torment. I took the movie out of my V.C.R. at that point, and threw it out.It is unfortunate that the producer of this movie felt strongly enough about the original novel to give us a movie that tears our hearts out: Just when we thought Black had found a good and decent home, we find that this proud and sensitive animal is just a tool for the ambitions of man. (Some things never change).The dialogue at the outdoor table should have gone: Alec: "Why did you stop training?" Henry: "I couldn't stand to see horses being broken anymore. Have you ever seen what it takes to break a horse to make it run? Have you ever seen what jockeys do to their horses during the races?" Alec shakes his head no.Henry: "To break a horse of Black's age and history would be even tougher.., maybe impossible. You might kill the horse trying. You said this horse saved your life, right?" Alec replies "Yes." "Well, then why don't you try returning the favor? Show it some love."If The Black Stallion had taken another route by showing the ultimate value of kindness, the movie could have been something special, more akin to The Horse Whisperer. Such a betrayal by Alec is insane, and made the movie valueless.

James Gamble The first half of The Black Stallion probably has the most beautiful combination of stunning photography and music of any movie of any time. A boy and a horse in a desert setting with turquoise seas and glistening red sunsets set to exotic tones. The second half is an against the odds drama with a thrilling night scene on a racetrack with the sound track blaring the breathing of the stallion and the pounding of hooves against pouring rain. It is an appropriate film for any child over 4 or 5, especially for children, who love horses. The first part of the first half of the movie does have the sinking of a ship scene, which is confusing and may be scary for a young child.

runamokprods Time has perhaps taken a tiny tick off the perfection of this for me (the ending is a bit abrupt, etc.), but this is still one of the best, most beautiful, most emotional, and most entertaining 'family' films ever made. Eschewing dialogue entirely for large blocks of time, and then only using words sparingly when people do speak, this is story told in pictures, both breathtaking wide shots (often tracking shots moving so fast, but so smoothly that it seems impossible) and intimate close-ups revealing subtle details of emotion. The sequence with boy and horse making friends while trapped on an island is justifiably what people remember most, but there's lots that's great here, including what was arguably the best performance of Mickey Rooney's long career.NB: The DVD releases are frustrating. The US release isn't even anamorphic, and the UK, while anamorphic, has lots of dirt, grain, and less than perfect moments. And they're still gorgeous.