Simply Perfect

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Loved the look of the movie, beautiful shots, wonderful characters, actors seemed fine. I'm not much of a horse person, so with me that doesn't carry the movie. Movie was the right length, not too long. The script was just so poorly written, I'd find myself wincing at the dialog. Character names were strange also (Gelsey, Moondance?), as if the author was "putting on airs". The makeup on the young actress bothered me also. First, she's a child and second, she's working in a stable and riding a horse. Those aren't activities where someone would normally be so made up and certainly not a child. If you're looking for a family movie with an interesting story (based on a true story), maybe about second chances, then this would be a good pick.

Why did I want to see this movie? Your guess is as good as mine. I guess that I really want to review things and just watch any movie chosen out of a hypothetical hat just so I can review it regardless. Is this movie about horses worthwhile family entertainment? In my eyes it can be.The plot is that Moondance Alexander (Kay Panabaker) is a 14 year old girl who has trouble fitting in and has to cope with the death of her father. She has a part time job delivering supplies to stables and on the way to her latest delivery she finds a horse who escaped from their stable and they form an instant connection. After the horse is returned she proposes a deal with the owner of the stable, Dante Longpre (Don Johnson), she will work for him over the summer break and she can ride the horse, who she named Checkers. Over time, Moondance (Who names their child Moondance?) bonds with the horse. After finding out Dante was a pretty good horse jumper (I hope that's a correct term!) in his day, she decides to enter Checkers in a contest for jumping horses.So what is there to complain about with this movie? How about THE SOUNDTRACK! I mean every other complaint that will be brought up in this review was at least tolerable but the guy who did the music seemed to have the song selection be from EVERY SINGLE LIVE ACTION KIDS FILM OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. 10 minutes in and it annoyed the crap out of me. It even broke the ice in what was intended to be the most emotional scene in the movie.Another complaint I have with this movie is that Moondance should have been shown grieving over her father's death just a bit more. I know it's meant to be for kids but the scenes where this does happen are too few and far between in this movie.Aside from that everything to complain about is minor. I mean yes - the movie is predictable, yes - the characters intended to annoy succeed beyond their wildest dreams, yes - the story and plot points are slightly contrived. I really don't see a major problem in them because once taken away, this movie can stand on it's own pretty well.Aside from that, I'll go for the compliments. Kay Panabaker can act really really well. Everyone does a decent job (in some cases you have to consider the material they were given - for example the villains) but Panabaker was the stand out.I also like the message of this movie. Basically the message is "be yourself and overcome your obstacles". I know what you're thinking "In your previous review you criticised something for having an unoriginal message, what makes this so different?" The answer is that in my opinion this actually gets the message across in a fresh way that isn't contrived.So aside from those 2 I did enjoy the directing and the writing (although that does get a little weak around the end). They do a good job here getting a rather contrived story about inspiration and the odds being against the heroes but coming out on top while still keeping it fresh.So would I recommend this movie as family entertainment? Yes. I am not in the target audience for this movie (I'm a 17 year old boy) and I found something in it that was complimentary. So if you want some family entertainment for your child (I know I shouldn't be stereotyping but preferably female) which you can also enjoy then pick up Moondance Alexander. For a person like me, call it a guilty pleasure.

If you've already seen "Black Beauty," "National Velvet" or "My Friend Flicka," you might want to take a pass on "Moondance Alexander," a wan girl-and-her-horse saga that doesn't even have the energy or conviction to rise above its own clichés.Moondance is a ninth-grade social outcast who finds meaning and purpose in life when she spends the summer taking care of and learning to ride a horse owned by a cantankerous but lovable Pygmalion played by Don Johnson (think of it as an equine version of "My Fair Lady," minus the songs and quality). The first credibility obstacle we have to overcome is accepting the spunky and attractive Moondance as a girl who can't find herself a single friend (well, the two-legged type anyway).The paint-by-numbers screenplay comes replete with a miraculous horse healing, a bevy of Valley Girl elitists straight out of Central Casting, and a horse-jumping competition that has all the drama and suspense of a Tiddlywinks tournament in Oshkosh.Ah well, at least the movie boasts, in the person of Kay Panabaker, a young actress with a great deal of charm and potential. And, besides, where else are you going to hear a line like, "Moondance, I want you to take Checkers over to the stables," if not in this film? Surely, that ought to count for something, don't you think?

As movies go this one lacks in several areas, especially dialog and acting, which is sometimes amateurish. But you can't find fault with the family story, revolving around a young teen girl who is different, including her first name "Moondance." Kay Panabaker is Moondance. Her dad died not long ago but she still had her artist mom Gelsey, played well by 40-something Lori Loughlin. By her own admission, Moondance has few, if any, friends because fellow students make fun of her name and the way she dresses. The movie starts on the last day of school as summer break begins.She has a small job, using her bicycle to make small package deliveries in the rural area surrounding her home (filmed in the Canadian Rockies and surrounding areas). One day, riding along a dirt road, a Pinto horse appears in front of her, evidently jumping the fence. We later find out this is a habit of the Pinto, whom she names "Checkers", and this later comes in handy in a jumping competition.As it turns out the horse is not lost, but is owned by Don Johnson as Dante, a man of gruff demeanor and few words. We later find out he had been a horse trainer but something happened and he had quit. Moondance doesn't want to be separated from Checkers, so she bargains to work free, starting at 6:30AM each day, cleaning stalls, etc and in return she gets to ride Checkers.It is hard to figure why skater Sasha Cohen has a role, except it seems she has acting aspirations. Here she is Fiona Hughes, a nasty and self-centered girl who won the Junior jumping championship last year, and who takes every opportunity to try and put Moondance down. There is no subtlety to her acting.Overall a good family film, with a good message, and no bad language, no sex, no violence. We need more movies with those characteristics.SPOILERS: Dante agrees to help Moondance and Checkers get ready for the yearly jumping competition. But he warns her not to get her hopes up. But they do well, have a flawless ride, and end up co-champions with the mean Fiona. Proving that "different" can be very good under the right conditions.