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Specifications:

- DVD-Video

- Single-sided

- Single layer

- Region 1

- Run time: approx. 85 min.

- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish,
     Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai

- Scene selection: static

- Package: Keep case

Video Features:

- Anamorphic Widescreen

- Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 widescreen or
   full screen

Audio Features:

- English: Dolby Digital 5.1

- English: Dolby Surround

- Spanish: Dolby Surround
- Portuguese: Dolby Surround
  

Bonus Materials:

- Isolated music score (full length)
- Theatrical trailers (6)
- Talent files

 
Release Dates:

Theatrical Release:         2000

DVD Release:              11/14/00

Review Date:               11/07/00

List price:                     $ 24.95

On-line price:               $ 17.46

Pre-order price was:    $ 14.99

Starring: Chase Moore, Jan Decleir, Arie Verveen, 
     Maria Geelbooi, and voice talent of Lukas Haas

Director: Sergei Bodrov

MPAA Rating: G

Studio: Columbia TriStar Home Video

Movie: B+        Video: A-        Audio: B-        Extras: B-

Summary: "Running Free" is a coming-of-age story of a colt, named Lucky, who 
   loses his mother amidst the confusion when the horses are rounded up and 
   assigned hard labor in a mining settlement.  Told from the perspective of the 
   colt, "Running Free" is a story about friendship, trust, freedom, survival, and 
   the love between animals and their people friends.  It is a beautifully told 
   adventure of equestrian proportion that the entire family can enjoy together.

The Story

"Running Free" is a coming-of-age story of a colt, named Lucky, as personified by the voice talent of Lukas Haas.  This sweeping story is completely told from Lucky's perspective, beginning with his mother's shipboard journey from Europe to South Africa.  His mother gives birth to him on the ship, and it is on this swaying ship that he takes his first steps.  Mother and Lucky become separated when the ship reaches shore and the horses are forced to swim ashore to be rounded up and sent to perform hard labor in a mining settlement.

A young stable boy, Richard (Chase Moore), finds the lost, exhausted, and starving colt, takes him back to his plantation owner's pedigree horse stable, and nurses him back to health.  Here, Lucky re-gains his strength, but quickly realizes that he is frowned upon by Caesar, a prized thoroughbred, who dominates the stable.  Caesar is further upset when Lucky be-friends his daughter, Beauty.

One day, Lucky and his mother find one another, but their reunion is short-lived when the ruthless Caesar fatally wounds her.  During one of his outings with Richard, Lucky comes across a resourceful Bushman young girl, Nivra, who teaches them how to survive in the desolate and seemingly barren desert.  Their fun-filled adventure terminates abruptly when the war destroys the plantation.  Richard is forced to evacuate with other humans, while Lucky learns how to survive and grows up in the desert.

It is refreshing to see this story unfold from the perspective of the free-spirited colt.  I am amazed by the performances of all the animals (Kudos to their trainers), who personify the value and importance of friendship, trust, freedom, survival, and the love between animals and their people friends.  I am equally impressed with the visually stunning and beautiful cinematography of this film. 

 
The Extras

The extra material on this disc is admittedly rather sparse.  It includes talent files, a beautiful full-length isolated music score as composed by Nicola Piovani, and a total of six theatrical trailers.  In addition to the "Running Free" theatrical trailer, there are trailers for "Stuart Little", "Jumanji", "Madeline", "Matilda", and "Oliver!".  It would have been interesting and educational had a "making-of" featurette been included to show how this movie was made with all of the fine animal actors.

Video & Audio

The image quality of this anamorphic widescreen DVD is very good.  The colors are accurate and saturated, and pay tribute to the breathtaking cinematography.  The Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound is well balanced.

Recommendation

"Running Free" is a heart-warming coming-of-age adventure-drama told from the unique perspective of a colt.  Family-oriented audiences in search of an animal-centric tale of friendship, trust, freedom, survival, and the love between animals and their people friends will cherish this wonderfully told story.

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