The art of Mexican horse dancing provides the backdrop for the formulaic family melodrama of Centurion: The Dancing Stallion. Stables of horse and human performers play out stories like Nicholas Sparks his line like a game with romance across social classes. Antagonists and serious health crises.
The film opens with the refreshing Elysia (Amber Midthunder), the daughter of a rancher (Billy Zane), training to compete in a local horse dance competition. This event may sound like a fun game, but the animals are a crowd pleaser. She found a staunch supporter in Danny (Aramis Knight). Danny is a burly stablekeeper tasked with looking after Elysia’s newest mount, the grumpy white beauty Centurion.
Director Dana Gonzalez seems to embrace the camp vibe at times. A near-constant montage of slow-motion amplifies sequences of action and acting, with a few well-established shots of homesteads, barns, or suburban fields even when the characters barely move from place to place. It seems to be displayed for each scene.
During its climax, Centurion: The Dancing Stallion fairly ambitiously matches the fates of Ellissia and Centurion, interrupting their struggle in the face of a parallel medical emergency. The sequence, similar to that of “ET the Extra-Terrestrial”, briefly demonstrates the interesting idea of a spiritual alliance between the pair. But that moment has passed, and all challenging questions are pushed aside in favor of the mechanics of the third act.
Centurion: Dancing Stallion
Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes. Available for rent or purchase on most major platforms.
