The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
By Karen WilsonAverage User Rating:
MPAA Rating: PG for some action/peril, mild language and brief smoking.
Theatrical Release: December 25, 2007
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
Plot Synopsis: Two backpackers in a Scottish pub begin chatting with an older local who knows a great story about the Loch Ness monster. Flashing back to World War II era, he tells them of a young boy, Angus, finding a magical egg that hatches into an amphibious creature. But Angus must keep his discovery secret—whom he's names Crusoe—from his disapproving Mum, the prying eyes of the townsfolk and the Allied soldiers who have camped out in the village to protect the loch.
Sex/Nudity: There's the implication that Angus's mum is caught in a love triangle between the Captain and the new handyman Lewis, but it's not a huge part of the story.
Violence/Gore: Water-phobic Angus has visions of drowning, a mean dog chases tiny Crusoe, the soldiers look scary to Angus, then shoot their guns into the loch nearly hitting Crusoe.
Profanity: Just tame, antiquated British slang comes out of Angus's mouth like "jinx" and "wally" (i.e. an idiot).
Will Kids Like It?
This predictable movie isn't intended for older teens and tweens, unless they're already obsessed with the Loch Ness monster legend. But for young children who love stories about kindly magical creatures, they will enjoy the bond that develops between shy Angus and his amphibious friend. Only take note, the war, soldiers and blazing guns elements may scare sensitive youngsters.
Will Parents Like It?
Though the film's discovery-befriending-then-setting-free storyline isn't the most original, parents should be pleased to sit through holiday family entertainment which features beautiful photography of Scotland and strong acting from Watson, Chaplin and Etel.
Kaboose Review: The mountainous lake region of the Scottish Highlands is some of the most stunning and mysterious-looking landscape on earth, and it's no surprise that legends like the Loch Ness monster have flourished there. The Loch Ness itself is an imposing body of water, nearly 22 square miles across and 750 feet down at its deepest, so it doesn't seem implausible that its depths could hold unknown wonders. Director Jay Russell capitalizes on this stunning natural set in his conventional fantasy film about a young boy raising a water horse from egg to mischievous hatchling to full fledged friendly monster.
Set primarily during World War II, the story of Nessie and that infamous grainy black and white photograph are told through flashback by a kindly pub storyteller (Brian Cox) to two backpackers. During the War, the Allied forces believe German subs might use the loch to launch an attack on Britain so they send a battalion of Navy men to camp at the local manor.
Meanwhile, the housekeeper's son, young Angus (Alex Etel from Millions) discovers a mysterious egg on the shore of the loch. Bringing it home and hiding it in the shed behind the manor seems like a good idea until it hatches into a ravenously hungry, flippered creature. The slimy little thing seems to love water, eating twice its weight in kitchen scraps and getting into mischief in the mansion. Unable to identify his new friend (now named Crusoe after Robinson Crusoe) from an amphibian botany book, Angus shows it to his sister Kirstie and the mansion's new caretaker, Lewis (Ben Chaplin), who explains that it's a water horse. According to Celtic legend, the water horse is a hermaphroditic, solitary creature that only lays one egg then dies, leaving its offspring an orphan.
Angus understands about loosing a parent, since his father still hasn't returned from the front, and so smuggles the vastly expanding and havoc-wrecking Crusoe down to the lake where he'll have room to frolic. But the reality of war times threatens Crusoe and Angus's growing friendship, as the Navy begins shelling Crusoe's new home. As the film builds to its scary climax of friendly monster versus Naval artillery, it becomes an almost gratuitous showdown similar to the government goons chasing E.T. and Elliot through the forest. Parents will know that everything turns out fine because it's just a movie, but this level of intensity—especially as Angus's mum, played by Oscar nominee Emily Watson, starts shouting about war and death and people acting insane—seems unnecessary for the film's target demographic of holiday family fun.
Directed by: Jay Russell
Cast: Emily Watson (Anne MacMurrow), Ben Chaplin (Lewis Mowbray), Alex Etel (Angus MacMurrow), David Morrissey (Captain Hamilton), Priyanka Xi (Kirstie MacMurrow), Brian Cox (storyteller)
Karen Wilson is a freelance writer living in New York City.
