Movie Review: "My Friend Flicka"

Synopsis: Young Ken is in a rut.  His report card is so abysmal, he'll have to repeat the fifth grade.  While his dad tells him to study every day, his mother convinces his father to pick out a young horse from their farm to train and for Ken to make his own.  When he sees a female pony, he quickly names her Flicka, and adores her...only for her to get injured on a fence.  Will Flicka recover?
Based on the book by Mary O'Hara.

The Good: This movie does have a lot of old-school charm going for it.  Also, the content is rather clean; the language never gets any worse than "gee whiz".  The ending was different than I expected, which was great, because I wasn't looking forward to the finale at first.

The Bad: Despite this being a "classic," it didn't withstand the test of time for me.  For one, it was entirely too pokey; I struggled to finish it.  Also, some viewers may be bothered by the scene where Flicka gets injured--it's a bit bloody--and the emotional intensity throughout.  Though it had its moments, overall, I felt this one was a dud.

Conclusion: I know many people love them, but, I have never been a fan of horses.  Still, just like with sports films, I can appreciate a piece of entertainment that centers around something I'm not into if it's well made...but, this one wasn't.  If you have a little equine fanatic around your house, this would make a great gift; otherwise, I'd suggest buying or renting something else...unless you're in dire need of a nice long nap.

Score: 2/5