orlandoblooms-140-414927 This movie is ridiculous. 1 I have seen Pinto COLORED horses in the Hunter Ring. Not all hunters are Thoroughbreds. You need better trainers too! Heels were not down and they consistently hit the horses in their mouth with the bit by not releasing their hands over the fences. They didn't go into two point, were not moving with the horses' head at the canter and even locked up their arms when coming into the fence. The main character wasn't on the correct diagonal when trotting either. By the way there's no way someone is going to learn and show a 3ft hunter course in 1 mth without having any jumping experience. That's utter nonsense. Get better trainers the next time you wish to produce a horse movie like this so you can get the actors better equitation. Also rubber boots would not be allowed in a hunter ring either since they are not acceptable show boots. They're muck/field boots. She would not have won with those on since they get judged on appearance as well as equitation.

Roland E. Zwick 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?

Jay Raskin This is a naturalistic and realistic movie that shows contemporary young teenage girls as sensitive and strong human beings. There are very few films that do this. Over the last four years, "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" is about the only one that comes to mind.Parents who want to watch a DVD with children 10-14, who are tired of Disney Punch and Judy, over-the-top, throw-in-the-kitchen-sink, satirical fantasies for kids, will appreciate the calm and gentle approach and atmosphere that this movie creates.The acting is delightful. Lori Loughlin and Don Johnson shine, and Kay Panabaker glows as Moondance. The writing is believable, and the film moves quickly. The movie provides smiles, not laughs. If you're looking for laughs, try a T.V. sit-com. If you're looking for warm and endearing, and a feel-good/feel great family film, here it is.

TxMike 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.