Based on 126 reviews collected by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , '' Spirit : Stallion of the Cimarron '' has an overall approval rating of 70 % and a weighted average score of 6.4 / 10 . The site 's critical consensus reads : " A visually stunning film that may be too predictable and politically correct for adults , but should serve children well . " Review aggregator Metacritic gave the film a score of 52 based on 29 reviews , indicating " mixed or average reviews " . Critic Roger Ebert , said in his review of the film , " Uncluttered by comic supporting characters and cute sidekicks , '' Spirit '' is more pure and direct than most of the stories we see in animation – a fable I suspect younger viewers will strongly identify with . " Leonard Maltin of '' Hot Ticket '' called it " one of the most beautiful and exciting animated features ever made " . Clay Smith of '' Access Hollywood '' considered the film " An Instant Classic " . Jason Solomons described the film as " a crudely drawn DreamWorks animation about a horse that saves the West by bucking a US Army General " . '' USA Today '' s Claudia Puig gave it 3 stars out of 4 , writing that the filmmakers ' " most significant achievement is fashioning a movie that will touch the hearts of both children and adults , as well as bring audiences to the edge of their seats . " Dave Kehr of the '' New York Times '' criticized the way in which the film portrayed Spirit and Little Creek as " pure cliches " and suggested that the film could have benefited from a comic relief character . The film was screened out of competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival . Rain was the first animated horse to receive an honorary registration certificate from the American Paint Horse Association ( APHA )
2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron