Le retour de l'étalon noir

A great family film, about a boy from the U.S.A. and a horse from Arabia. The boy meets and befriends Arabs and Muslims and rides the horse in a grueling Arab marathon horse race.

What is most important about this film is that it is that rare gem: a Hollywood film that shows Arabs and Muslims realistically: as human beings, instead of depicting them as terrorists or fanatics, which is what Hollywood usually does (see the documentary "Reel Bad Arabs" for more about that topic). After all, the reality is that most Muslims are not terrorists or fanatics.

This film helps people to appreciate ethnic diversity, instead of hating what is different... therefore, unlike many media portrayals of Arabs and Muslims, the film helps to increase peace and harmony in the world.

(1983) The Black Stallion Returns ADVENTURE

After the critical success of "The Black Stallion", the makers thought they could do this again by returning cast and crew to do the follow-up adapted by the same author who wrote the first one called the Black Stallion! The plot has Alec Ramsey (Kelly Reno) who's now older and little taller than he was in the 1979 film, going into another adventure to retrieve his Arabian Stallion, after being taken from him from people claiming that they were the original owners, for the purpose of using him for a race somewhere in the deserts of Casablanca! Not as subtle as the first one, nor as adventurous as one would expect to see after the first one, since they're some far fetched things happening during this kind of an adventure which can sometimes drag, meaning that you'd have to stick it out until the final 20 minutes or so, to make it all worth your while because it avoids cliches! And the final race was just as thrilling as the first movie.

"The Black Stallion Returns" is shot in 1.85:1, and I saw it in 1.33:1 because of the TV-network cut it down as usual. "The Black Stallion Returns" is a cinema-movie, you should see this on the big screen but after all, this should be done in 2.35:1 instead. This doesn't mean that the movie is bad because of the wrong format, but it would be more powerful in a wider one, as long as the cinematographer would handle it together with the director (I think they would). One of the reasons why it is shot in 1.85:1 might be that the first film was in that format too.

The story is faster and the film is shorter than it could be. After a standard opening, all gets better. And soon Alec, the main character reaches the desert, which is the reason why I wanted to see this movie. This isn't "Lawrence of Arabia" by David Lean, I know that, but the desert scenes are beautiful. And it is because of this scenes I like this movie. Everything started with photos from this film that I saw as a kid. The impression was that the desert was beautiful, or could be shown as beautiful. I should have seen "Lawrence of Arabia" already when I was younger, maybe I would have liked it even more than. For me, "The Black Stallion Returns" could have more and also slower desert scenes than it has, without getting a bit boring.

"The Black Stallion Returns" is actually shot in Morocco, North Africa. The cinematography is not poor, far from. But some of the characters could be better done. The choice of Woody Strode as Meslar was perfect, but he isn't used as good as I hoped. Alan Garfield doesn't amuse as Kurr, a villain, I had hoped that Kurr would be cooler and more menacing. Kelly Reno is a bit weak but at least okay as Alec, but Vincent Spano is cool as the Arabian prince.

The music by Georges Delerue is a bit unequal but at times very good.

The best parts of this movie are without doubts the desert scenes, including the horse race in the end (even if I think it should have been even better).

If you hate horses (why should you?) you can't like this, but otherwise it isn't that hard to enjoy this movie, even if it gets very emotional and describe the relationship between Alec and Black as close as a relation can be, which is booth fascinating and perhaps irritating. Here the direction shows what it really wants to show: emotions, admiration, love, friendship and almost worship from Alec to the Black. In that chase, the director (Robert Dalva) has succeeded.

"The Black Stallion Returns" is first of all a movie for a younger audience than me. That is why I see so many ways how it could have been even better, a more "hard core" movie with a harder, more action-filled tune and an even stronger adventure-feeling in style with perhaps my favorite from this time; "Conan the Barbarian". This would be a movie that was perhaps fitting a wider audience, or at least another.

I saw "The Black Stallion Returns" before I saw 'The Black Stallion', I think that is the best way to enjoy this sequel (it is somehow rather independent from the first one).

(Goofs:) Couldn't Kurr's Uruk men have killed the stallion instead of letting it survive or did they want it to survive? This is not clearly explained.

Rating: 6 of 10.

Berbers come to New York to get their prize stallion back and Alec (Kelly Reno) pursues them to the desert wilderness of Morocco and possibly Algeria. Vincent Spano plays his Moroccan companion.

I like "The Black Stallion Returns" (1983) slightly more than the first one. It's not as artistic, but it's dramatically compelling and definitely more adventurous. It's like "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), but with a boy & his horse and faster-paced.

No, it's not epic or refined like "Lawrence" but, if you're in the mood for a youth-oriented Saharan adventure, it fills the bill. The stowaway part is well done and I appreciated the inclusion of raven-haired beauty Jodi Thelen.

Some viewers complain about the ending, but it fits. Think about it.

The film runs 1 hour, 43 minutes, and was shot in New York City, Djanet, Morocco, Algeria, Abiquiu, New Mexico, Italy, Santa Clarita & Los Angeles.

GRADE: B-

For some unknown reason those whose profession it is to write reviews didn't think highly of this picture, but I found it amazingly well done. Kelly Reno was superb in his portrayal of a teenager who travels from New York all the way to the desert in Morocco in an attempt to retrieve his horse, kidnapped in New York and taken to Morocco. While the story is implausible, the ACTION and the filming and music are superb. See it, if you can.