Perfectly adorable

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

My summary line, voiced by the picture's title character, was meant to relate to the general community of horses, but I'm not so sure it couldn't apply to us humans as well. At least up to a certain point; for a good part of lives we're all 'stuck' with family or acquaintances that might not have made the cut if we had anything to say about it.In deference to and with all due respect to other reviewers for the picture here who absolutely loved it, I have to say I just couldn't get very invested in the story. Alan Cumming, the voice of Black Beauty was very monotone in his delivery and along with the pacing of the picture I found myself drifting away every so often, unable to concentrate on the story. I was watching with my granddaughter and even she reverted to playing with some object or other that kept her more occupied.What I did pick up on though was a valuable idea that families watching together could share with their own youngsters. Black Beauty lived through a variety of experiences, some happy and some sad, and those events could serve as important life lessons moms and dads could discuss with their kids as a way to bridge the ups and downs of a variety of relationships, be it family, school or community. Individual vignettes in the story can be useful in helping young kids understand that life has it's trials and tribulations and that unhappy times eventually pass. And perhaps most importantly, as Black Beauty understands - "It's good people that make good places."

Black Beauty was so beautiful and moving. I recently saw it again - had not seen it for years. It makes me cry. It is so sad and moving. It even made my husband cry. And if you love horses as much as I do, it's the absolute best horse movie. So much more realistic than the other horses movies, even Secretariat. It was wonderfully authentic and so REAL - what a wonderful job these folks did of making a horse movie that I can believe. The scenes of Beauty and Ginger and Merrylegs and amazing and I loved them - my husband did too. If this movie doesn't get to you, then no movie can. The scenes of the countryside and I assume England are lovely. It's just a great movie. Thank you for this heartwarming movie.

There are so many things to love about Black Beauty. It is a truly beautiful, moving film, and do I think it is underrated? Yes I do and unjustly so. For one thing, Black Beauty is just amazing to look at. The cinematography was just tremendous throughout and the scenery was magnificent. The costumes were lovingly designed, and on the whole the period detail was flawless. Caroline Thompson's screenplay also deserves credit. The book is a timeless literary classic, and out of the numerous adaptations of the book, this is the truest. The screenplay itself is enough to evoke tears, Black Beauty's inner thoughts especially were so beautifully written. And she does a remarkable job directing as well. Danny Elfman is one of my favourite film composers, his score for Edward Scissorhands is still one of the most beautiful scores I have ever heard in a film. His score here is just as effective, it never affects the quiet composition of the film, as a matter of fact the tone of it is just right. The acting from Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Peter Cook and Eleanor Bron is all top notch, but the real star of the show is Black Beauty himself, though all the horses look superb. I also thought that Alan Cumming's voice for Black Beauty was perfect, very sensitive and melodious as it should be. The film is so beautiful and has a lot of poignant moments and an unexpected soft centre. If I had one minor quibble, and it is ever so minor, it is that the film is too short. Other than that beautiful; I remember sort of liking the 1971 film, but it didn't have the emotional impact that this adaptation did on me. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This movie is the poignant story of the horse named Black Beauty. You follow him through his life, from the time that he was a young colt (and the darned cutest thing you ever did see) until his old age. The narrator of the story is Black Beauty himself. He will open your eyes to the treatment that animals receive at the hands of their masters -- a problem that is not unique to writer Anna Sewells' time. Spoilers for the book and movie: Some may complain that movies based on books always stray far from the original plot. In most cases, this is extremely true. In the case of "Black Beauty," the greatest and most irritating change, I found, was the fact that the horses could not communicate with each other. They whinnied and neighed, but they never spoke English. In Anna Sewells' book, Beauty held conversations with nearly every horse he met. However, I liked this change in the movie. It is fine to hear Beauty narrate, but I found the movie much more convincing without the horses talking. An adult is most likely not going to jump at the chance to watch a movie with live horses communicating like that, never mind watch long enough to get the message of the movie. I think that this was a change for the better, even though it then cut out some of the characters and a few heart-rending lines (my favorite: Captain's speech about war -- it gets me every time). End SpoilersThis movie is never found wanting in any way. Be warned: This is not an action movie. Those with short attention spans will probably not enjoy it. While Beauty goes through some terrifying moments, remember that a horse is narrating. However, it is my personal opinion that even when there is a decrease in action, the movie absolutely wonderful -- maybe even better than some action scenes. You may also need a box of tissues. Because (I suppose) I grew up watching it and practically had it memorized by age five, I never cried, but it is still a tear-jerking movie. There are few people who don't get teary at moments.As a child, I loved the film. When I was four years old, I'd sit and watch it repeatedly. Even now, the movie still enthralls me and is considered one of my favorites. It is a classic that I will treasure forever and pass down through generations. Spoilers:The casting could not have been better. Alan Cumming has the perfect voice for Beauty -- mellow and world-weary. You can feel his excitement at those moments when Beauty is reliving his first run and his fear when the barn catches fire. You sympathize with his wariness and confusion when (I believe) Reuben Smith tries to ride him drunk. Alan Cumming put his heart and soul into Beauty. He was perfect for the role.Eleanor Bron is a fantastic Lady Wexmire. She is great at playing those cruel characters (as seen in "A Little Princess" as well) and she is very convincing. While I like her as an actress, I absolutely despise her in the film, which is the point of her character. She was like Cruella de Vil from another time.The rest of the cast was wonderful as well. Everyone was extremely gifted in the acting department and were great in their roles. This movie is highly recommended! It is a must-see. Do not discard it as PETA propaganda or a child's story -- it is so much more than that. It is a masterpiece in its own right.