Fly Away Home

Fly Away Home

Columbia

September 13, 1996

Children's, Drama

DVD
B-

Unlike Flipper, and some of Ballard's other movies, this finds the right balance of humans and animals.  Corny at times, with some supporting characters barely fleshed out, it does ultimately work, of course helped along by some lovely cinematography.  This is somewhat based on Bill Lishman's autobiography, Father Goose: One Man, a Gaggle of Geese, and Their Real Life Incredible Journey South.

Duma

Duma
Warner Bros.
April 22, 2005
Children's, Adventure
DVD
C+

Too much boy, not enough cheetah.  This is based on How It Was with Dooms, written by Carol Cawthra Hopcraft and Xan Hopcraft.  Carroll Ballard directed, twenty-six years after The Black Stallion.

The Black Stallion

The Black Stallion
United Artists
October 17, 1979
Historical Drama, Children's
DVD
C-

Based on the Walter Farley novel and directed by Carroll Ballard, this starts out on a ship, where a little boy sees an imprisoned horse and watches his father gamble.  Then the ship sinks and I tune out.