It's 1946. Alec Ramsey (Kelly Reno) is traveling on a ship with his father. There is a wild Arabian stallion on board. The ship sinks and the boy becomes stranded on a desert island with the horse. He is eventually rescued and returned to his mother (Teri Garr) with the horse. When the horse runs away, trainer Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney) catches him. Together, they train him to race on the big tracks.
It takes a little too long to get going with a very slow start. The ship sinking is exciting and the island is beautiful. I think the island is actually a great place for the boy to speak. It would give him real personality. The music and the lack of dialog makes the movie beautiful to look at but it could have been more. With great writing, the boy could have delivered a compelling performance like 'Cast Away'. However he's never given the chance and the movie moves along slowly but beautifully. Considering the drama in the story, the movie really lacks tension. When they're off the island, the movie takes its time. It wants to be atmospheric and mythical. The second half never gets any of that. It feels tired and formulaic. The first half is a beauty but the second half is lacking.
It takes a little too long to get going with a very slow start. The ship sinking is exciting and the island is beautiful. I think the island is actually a great place for the boy to speak. It would give him real personality. The music and the lack of dialog makes the movie beautiful to look at but it could have been more. With great writing, the boy could have delivered a compelling performance like 'Cast Away'. However he's never given the chance and the movie moves along slowly but beautifully. Considering the drama in the story, the movie really lacks tension. When they're off the island, the movie takes its time. It wants to be atmospheric and mythical. The second half never gets any of that. It feels tired and formulaic. The first half is a beauty but the second half is lacking.