Review of Black Stallion Returns, The

Introduction

It is a year since Alec and `The Black` won the big race and the publicity surrounding that win attracts the attention of the original owners of the horse.
Part of the Berber tribes living in the Sahara the owners wants the horse back. They need `Shetan` to win the horse race that only takes place every five years.
However when they steal the horse Alec does not give up easily. Following them to the ship going to Casablanca, he then stows away onboard an air clipper and treks across the desert to get his horse back.

Alec is again played by Kelly Reno, slightly older and with a breaking voice. Happily there is no sign of Mickey Rooney this time. Woody Strode puts in an appearance as a bodyguard to Raj who reluctantly befriends Alec.

The 1940`s setting is reproduced well with the smooth transition from America to Morocco via a mocked up air clipper that again gives a suitable period feel. The child actors are competent and professional. Kelly Reno certainly gives the appearance of being born on a horse.

Video

The visuals are lush with much of the action-taking place in Algeria. Again this is 18 years old but has survived as a pretty clean print with little dirt and grain.

The picture is anamorphic Widescreen and entirely suited to a large, widescreenTV or home cinema screen.

Audio

This time the audio is in Dolby 5.1 and the soundtrack is a grand matinee affair with exhilarating use of the full orchestra. Think Lawrence of Arabia meets Indiana Jones.

Features

Again no extra on this disc as it has been issued in the budget range.

Conclusion

Set to be a stirring action adventure, this film suffers from the stereotyped, caricatured Arab villains. The sub plot of the evil Uruk tribe is muddy and unsatisfactory but the horses are, once again, magnificent. There is nothing to really frighten smaller children except for some sword waving. A pleasant enough and undemanding film but perhaps not politically correct in these troubled times.