Review of The Littlest Outlaw

Of all the movies Walt Disney personally oversaw before his death, "The Littlest Outlaw" is one of the most obscure. Part of the reason probably is that there are no stars in the cast that anyone outside of Mexico would recognize. But I think the main reason the movie has been forgotten is that while it's not awful or merely bad, it is for the most part slight and forgettable. There are a few pleasures here and there, the best being the padre character Joseph Calleia plays - the role is written to make the character human and sympathetic, and Calleia's performance is winning. And in an age of loud and strident family movies, the gentle feel of the movie is refreshing... at first. Eventually, viewers will realize that the movie is lacking considerable "oompth" when it comes to conflict and challenge for the title character. It doesn't help that the movie is pretty predictable throughout, and there are some plot points (like with the stepfather character) that aren't concluded in a satisfying manner. Despite these problems, I'll say again the movie isn't bad, but you'll likely forget it not long after watching it.