Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron

An animated animal tale in which, surprisingly, the four-legged characters communicate not by words but by natural sounds and body gestures. Spirit is a high-spirited mustang whose curiosity gets the better of him when, leaving the herd to investigate a glowing campfire, he's lassoed by a gang of rustlers and handed over to a US cavalry detachment where a Custer-lookalike and others vainly attempt to break him. Escaping, the stallion forges a long, silent friendship with a young Lakota brave and his pretty mare. But his inquisitive instinct and careless attitude continue to lead him into ever more dangerous pastures. This well-animated horse opera is mostly devoid of slush, and it's also a reasonably accurate portrait of the Native Americans' plight in the face of the ignorant racism of early white settlers. True, there's not much of a story, the whole thing's a bit superficial, and there's little to laugh at, but it's still a refreshing change from the norm.