Be careful when you’re looking around tide pools because they’re a magical place and you never know what you might find. A young boy named Angus discovers a strange egg in one. He takes it home and soon the egg hatches giving birth to a new Loch Ness monster - or so this enchanting fable would have us believe.
Two American tourists are in Scotland and happen into a pub at Loch Ness. They spy the only know photograph of the infamous monster hanging over the mantel, and declare it a fake. A local man (Brian Cox) overhears them and happens to agree that the picture is a fake but offers to tell them the true story of the beastie that lives in the loch.
In the 1940s when the country was at war, Angus (Alex Etel) was a boy in the town who was anxiously awaiting the return of his father - who had gone off to war. He scours the tide pools near the loch because his Da always said that they were magical places and you can find interesting things in them (even though he has a fear of water).
He spies a large round stone that has something shiny underneath and takes it back home. His mother, Anne (Emily Watson), is the head housekeeper at the laird’s mansion and he lives there with his sister Kirstie (Priyanka Xi). The laird has send work that a contingent of soldiers is to be billeted in the mansion and their commanded by Capt. Thomas Hamilton (David Morrissey). Angus brings the strange object back to the house and puts it in his father’s workshop.
Later in the night, he hears strange noises in the shed and finds that the stone has hatched a strange sea creature. He names the creature Crusoe because Robinson Crusoe was trapped on an island as this tiny beastie is as well. His sister and the new handyman, Lewis (Ben Chaplin), find out about the creature and help Angus keep the secret from his mother and the soldiers.
However, the soldiers firing of the large anti-submarine guns into the loch will start off a series of events that will but both Crusoe and Angus in grave danger.
The Water Horse is a family friendly fable. Young Angus is played extremely well by Alex Etel and Crusoe is rendered in cuddly CGI. There’s a fabulous scene in the middle of the film where Angus rides the much larger Crusoe through the loch that is cinematic magic.
I should say cuddly to begin with about Crusoe since towards the end of the film there are some scenes where he’s driven a tad mad by the pounding of the big guns; snaps at Angus; and appears to want to eat some soldiers. This may be a bit frightening for the wee lads and lassies.
I’ve greatly enjoyed the Water Horse both times that I’ve watched it, the kids drug me to the theatre and we had to watch it once more when they knew I had the title to review - no doubt I’ll like it the third time around.
What’s interesting is that the film is based on the legend of the kelpie. A kelpie is a Scottish sea beastie that would come out of the loch and disguise itself as a horse. When a weary traveler would see the horse and try to grab its mane to try and get a ride it would turn back into the lizard-like, fanged kelpie, snatch the traveler’s hand in its jaws, and drag them down to the bottom of the loch to eat them up.
A one armed man who cut off his entangled arm and lived to tell the tale told the legend of the kelpie. Wherever the tale sprang from I’m sure that the kids will enjoy this great little film (though you might want to not mention that kelpie stuff, but beware the odd horse by the loch young traveler. Beware! [thunder crashes]).
The Water Horse is presented in both fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1 enhanced for 16x9 televisions) on disc one. You’ll be asked which version you want to view when you hit the play button.
Disc two features seven minutes of deleted scenes and a seventy-seven minute expansive making of feature. Of course, they begin by relaying the legend of the kelpie. Finally there are previews for other Sony DVDs.
The Water Horse is a fine family film that children of all ages can enjoy. I know my family was enthralled with it.
The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep (Two-Disc Special Edition) is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a June 30th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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