Young Black Stallion

National Velvet meets Hidalgo in this belated prequel to 1979's The Black Stallion. Shot for presentation in IMAX theatres, the 45-minute drama follows Arab girl Neera (Biana G Tamimi) as she secretly trains a wild colt in preparation for a hazardous desert race. In the process, the film shows why IMAX's super-sized screen system is better suited to "educational" shorts as opposed to full-blown drama. It looks great, with the desert locations and overhead race shots especially stunning, but the short running time - optimal for IMAX - affords director Simon Wincer precious little opportunity for development of character or plot. Young Black Stallion may be fine for kids with a passion for horses, but accompanying adults could find it drifts past with precious little registering, except for the scenery.