Move over Champion the Wonder Horse - there's a new nag in town. His name is Spirit, the equine star of DreamWorks' latest attempt to corner the market in animated features. But although this epic contains some stirring sequences and looks amazing, it may prove too conventional for audiences whose expectations have been raised by computer-generated capers like "Monsters, Inc." and "Toy Story".

Unlike four-legged forebear Mr Ed, wild mustang Spirit doesn't actually talk. Instead, his thoughts - vocalised by Matt Damon - provide the narration for a movie that is virtually silent in terms of dialogue.

Travelling from the American old west to capture, slavery, and eventual triumph, the noble steed's journey is accompanied by songs from Bryan Adams that bear defiant titles like "Get off of My Back" and "You Can't Take Me".

Along the way he butts heads with a no-nonsense US colonel (Cromwell), who thinks he can tame the wild stallion, and joins forces with a young Lakota brave (Studi), whose sympathetic portrayal is typical of the film's PC, eco-friendly bent.

Stand-out sequences include the opening eagle-eye view of the untouched frontier, some incredibly authentic rapids, and a thrilling set-piece involving a runaway locomotive. Yet it's this devotion to such life-like scenes that's the film's big weakness.

Making our hero so realistic robs "Spirit" of the wit and whimsy of animation that might have made its earnest sentiments more tolerable.

Still, DreamWorks is to be commended for attempting to develop a form that, with the inauguration of the Oscar for best animated feature, can only benefit from such tinkering.