Review: Buffalo Kids is a kid-friendly revisionist Western with a huge heart

Tom and Mary, recently orphaned siblings from Ireland, arrive in the US accompanied by an air of celebration. The Statue of Liberty is being unveiled, with lots of fanfare and fireworks. It feels like a hopeful sign, a good sign, that things are going to be okay for them here in the so-called Land of the Free.

But things hit a hitch pretty quickly, when their uncle from Sacramento fails to materialize, leading the siblings to wonder if he forgot, or something happened to him to delay his arrival. They decide to make their way to him instead, accompanied by their newly-found dog Sparky (who is extremely cute, a very Good Boy). Train fare is pricey, so the siblings hide amongst a group of orphans who are traveling West to unite with new families who are waiting for them.

Buffalo Kids starts by saying that this story is inspired by the relationship of real-life siblings, referring to the kids of one of the film's directors, Pedro Solís (who directed alongside Juan Galocha). That grounded heart really shines through here. This is such a lovely movie, one that is so textured and empathetic and down-to-its-bones sweet, and the historical setting gives it a unique hook. It's not often we get a revisionist Western aimed at kids, but that's exactly what we have here. It's an unexpected, but very welcomed, package.

One of the first things you notice with Buffalo Kids is how beautifully rendered the world is. Especially as the kids travel west, and we see the mountains, valleys, plains, forests, and rivers of the US. There's so much natural beauty on display, and it's brought to live vividly, realistically, and with fantastic framing. The whole film has this hearty Americana slant to it without feeling like it's rah-rah patriotic (which makes sense, as this is a Spanish-made movie). It kind of reminded me of when you go to the frontier-themed land of an amusement park, from the swelling music to the great period detail.

And, of course, we're treated to all the classic tropes and characters you'd expect from any good Western: the bandits, the American military, Native Americans. The latter is especially interesting, as the film takes on (in true Western revisionist fashion) harmful tropes of Native characters. Tom and Mary are wary of the Cheyenne tribe when they first meet them, expecting them to be violent savages, as depicted in Tom's book that he reads on the train. But instead, they're friendly, heroic, and empathetic people, fully-rounded characters who are more than just a plot device or set dressing. (There are Cheyenne consultants of various types in the film's credits -- the filmmakers wanted to depict these characters right.)

But I've certainly buried the lede in what makes Buffalo Kids such a rousing success, which is the character of Nick, one of the orphans that Tom and (especially) Mary befriend. Nick is mostly paralyzed, uses a wheelchair, and doesn't speak. But he's so kind-hearted, curious, and full of life, expressing so much with just his eyes, smile, and the noises he makes. He and Mary become fast friends, and he becomes a traveling companion to her and Tom when things take a turn for the worse.

The depiction of Nick is so wonderful and nuanced. Obviously, it's sometimes difficult to move a wheelchair around the plains and mountains of the unsettled frontier, but Nick isn't shown as being a hindrance to his friends. He's often helpful, clever, and heroic in his own right, and Tom and Mary find ways to include him in their various plans. Not only does this inclusion make things easier for them in a lot of cases -- it also makes a lot of situations more fun. It's such a thoughtful depiction of a disabled character, and one of the best I've ever seen in a film. 

In fact, my main complaint with Buffalo Kids is that Nick recedes into the background a bit in the final act, when we get a kind of groundswell of new/returning characters as the kids finally face off with the film's villains. It all makes sense, and Nick is still always around, but I guess I just loved the middle of the film so much that I was bummed when the focus broadened a bit to set the stage for the action-packed finale (during which, yes, Nick is included in the action).

Buffalo Kids works on so many levels: as a fun adventure, an interesting period piece, and as a landmark in disability representation in animation. It's one of the best movies Viva Kids has distributed, and I'm so glad it's finally made its way to the US.