Yet another film-adaptation of Anna Sewell's popular 1877 children's book opens with a elderly horse looking back on his tumultuous life--narrating the story himself (with a British accent no less!). What might have been a twee gimmick turns out to be a surprisingly canny stroke of genius, as the screenplay, although prosy, is smart and direct and Alan Cumming's gentle voice-over is very sympathetic. Director Caroline Thompson is sensitive as well, getting terrific "performances" from all the horses involved; her film is a bit heavy on the sad farewells, yet it has lots of heart and works on its audience through pure emotion. Thin at 88 minutes, but beautifully photographed and with a tasteful score by Danny Elfman, fine acting by the humans. A must-see for horse-lovers, the movie is genuinely touching without being too manipulative. **1/2 from ****

There are so many things to love about Black Beauty. It is a truly beautiful, moving film, and do I think it is underrated? Yes I do and unjustly so. For one thing, Black Beauty is just amazing to look at. The cinematography was just tremendous throughout and the scenery was magnificent. The costumes were lovingly designed, and on the whole the period detail was flawless. Caroline Thompson's screenplay also deserves credit. The book is a timeless literary classic, and out of the numerous adaptations of the book, this is the truest. The screenplay itself is enough to evoke tears, Black Beauty's inner thoughts especially were so beautifully written. And she does a remarkable job directing as well. Danny Elfman is one of my favourite film composers, his score for Edward Scissorhands is still one of the most beautiful scores I have ever heard in a film. His score here is just as effective, it never affects the quiet composition of the film, as a matter of fact the tone of it is just right. The acting from Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Peter Cook and Eleanor Bron is all top notch, but the real star of the show is Black Beauty himself, though all the horses look superb. I also thought that Alan Cumming's voice for Black Beauty was perfect, very sensitive and melodious as it should be. The film is so beautiful and has a lot of poignant moments and an unexpected soft centre. If I had one minor quibble, and it is ever so minor, it is that the film is too short. Other than that beautiful; I remember sort of liking the 1971 film, but it didn't have the emotional impact that this adaptation did on me. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I'm not one for kid's films, but I do like my novel adaptations and particularly when they're of classic Victorian literature. BLACK BEAUTY is one such beast, an all-star-cast adaptation of the Anna Sewell novel. I haven't read the book but this wide-ranging and wide-reaching film seems to have the right touch of authenticity to it.

It's a heartfelt and moving story in which the horses of the era are mistreated and put upon by their human owners, although there's still time for a few joyous moments here and there. Elsewhere it's as downbeat and depressing as many a Catherine Cookson adaptation, although the presence of numerous familiar faces (like Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Peter Cook, Peter Davison, Jim Carter, Alun Armstrong and John McEnery) keep it more than watchable.

The film is well shot and the acting honours obviously go to the various horses who do commendable jobs. My only problem really is the Hollywood-ised decision to give the horse a twee and childish voice-over from actor Alan Cumming. As ever, this is entirely unnecessary and slightly mars what could have been a near-classic.