Best movie of this year hands down!

Expected more

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Why are all the horse movies about girls now? Sure, more girls than guys like "ponies," but boys like horses too! The bond between a man and his horse is one as old as time! From conquistador to Cowboy, horses are a part of history, and, more often than not, it was men who rode them! The only real exception to the "girls like horses" I've seen lately is War Horse- It managed to blend both guys and girls, as it should be, as it is in real life! Now to step off of my soap box and get on with a real review... Flicka was a good movie, in some ways better than the original, but in others inferior. Tim Mcgraw did well, as did the actress who played Katie. But all credit goes to the horse and the beautiful scenery for this movie! It's definitely a movie any horse lover can enjoy! I've probably rambled on a bit much and babbled on like an idiot, but once again, the movie was enjoyable, and I would recommend it.

I completely fell in love with this movie! I think the cast of characters were real and believable. Tim McGraw was fantastic of playing the Dad who's caught between protecting his children and setting them free to live their dreams. The whole cast was wonderful and even more so was the story of Flicka itself. Being raised in the city, but a country girl at heart, this film resonated with me. If you're just looking to escape from the harsh, cruel, destructive ways of the city, and lose yourself amongst the way the world was meant to have been, then go see Flicka! An absolute wonderful movie about dreams, family, and a friendship that saves us all.

I have trained un-broken horses and instructed young riders for a few years. Currently I am a Mounted Patrol officer. Please take what I say very seriously. I am very concerned about children endangering themselves based on "lessons" they might learn from this movie. As an officer on horseback I am used to having children literally run up to my horse. A normal horse, without special training would have injured/run away from these children. It bothers me that parents usually stand back and laugh as their children run at our horses. I believe both children and parents are getting the wrong idea about horses and the way they act based on movies like this one that continue the mis-notion. This movie teaches: 1) That if you get on a wild mustang's back, that has never had a rider it will miraculously understand! Oh, you may fall off a time or two, but that's alright!REAL LESSON: It takes weeks, months to even "green" break a horse (walk, trot, canter) Even the process of adding weight to a horse's back and riding equipment is done slowly and gradually. The young girl here goes against the horse's natural nature and defies all safety/acts bratty towards her Father when he tries to correct her.2) It's okay to steal/run away with a horse in the woods/rainstorm!REAL LESSON: I think you understand this one.other things that are just wrong: Galloping a horse in the rain, "talking" to the horse as if its a human instead of using riding cues, not wearing a helmet (Many Western riders do not, but on a green-broke horse this is just asking for trouble).I'm worried that someone's young daughter is going to wander into a neighbor's pasture and approach a horse thinking it will "magically" become her friend. I've seen a little boy injured because he hid into a strange horse's stall believing it was his "friend." This movie does not at all encourage realistic, safe relationships between horses and riders. If you do let your children watch this version of Flicka, try to explain to them that horses are animals and Katy's behavior is wrong. If they want riding lessons after this movie talk to your instructor about how to act around a "real" horse. Encourage them to read books such as "Pony Pals" or "The Saddle Club" which usually encourage safer practices/life lessons. It will be better for your family, I assure you.

"Flicka" (2006) bridges several sub-genres, unfortunately it is one of the weakest examples of each. It's a horse movie (the original is better, as are "National Velvet", The Horse Whisperer" and for that matter most episodes of "The Saddle Club" and "Spin & Marty"). It's a "wild mustangs as a metaphor for the changing West" movie ("The Misfits" and "Billy Jack" do it better). It's an overwrought coming of age melodrama (countless other films do this better as well as most of the stuff you find playing on Lifetime). It's also an Alison Lohman film and in all fairness contains one of her best performances. Lohman is always excellent and in "Flicka" she is given a lot to work with and handles it all quite well. However, the scripting and editing assembly work are so weak that her strong performance (and nice supporting work by Maria Bello and Ryan Kwanten) cannot turn this thing into a high quality film. You might notice that neither the two screenwriters nor the director have been involved in any feature productions since the release of the film. "Flicka" was a major release (over 2900 theaters in the U.S.) and turned a profit at the box office. I credit shrewd packaging by the film's producers as they focused from inception on insuring that the project would be bankable. They incorporated elements that pre-sold the film beyond its target audience of pre-teen girls. Tim McGraw was cast to bring in his large fan base, Kwanten was counted on to draw a fair number of teenage girls into the multi- plex, and there were so few live action family films in 2006 that it was able to tap into an under-supplied market. As for Mary O'Hara's beloved children's book (My Friend Flicka-previously adapted into two feature films and a television show, is credited), it would be more accurate to say "inspired by" rather than "adapted from". The original's ten-year-old hero has been changed to a 16-year-old heroine named Katy McLaughlin (Lohman). I normally rant a bit when an older actress is cast as a teenager but Lohman is the Mary Pickford of her day and with her cute face and freckles still looks physically believable playing a teen. Her new look for the film, long curly hair-dyed dark, makes her look a lot like Kari Russell (insert "very Irish" here). In this remake it's totally Katy's story (in the original the parents had a more central role) and is told from her point-of-view. She even does a short voice-over commentary to begin and close the film. Normally this POV stuff leads to viewer identification and connection, but the scripting and directing works against Lohman and you stay distanced from her character. Katy is mega-headstrong, uncomfortable and bored at her boarding school but at one with the wilds of her family's horse ranch in Wyoming. Her father is grooming Katy's older brother Howard to eventually take over the ranch, clueless about Howard's desire to escape and about Katy's affinity for the place. She is the chip-off-the-old-block, not her brother. The title character is a two-year old black mustang mare that is a source of conflict between Katy and her father for most of the film. While the movie looks pretty the thin plot, the poor sequencing, and absence of "genuine" emotion" doesn't add up to a particularly satisfying viewing experience. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.