The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep (Two-Disc Special Edition)
When a lonely young boy named Angus discovers a large, mysterious egg along the shores of Loch Ness, no one is prepared for what lies within. He soon discovers that the strange, mischievous hatchling inside is none other than The Water Horse, the loch's most mysterious and fabled creature! But with the Water Horse growing ten times its size every day, Angus finds it increasingly difficult to keep his new friend a secret. Two-time Academy Award(r) nominee Emily Watson (1998, Hilary and Jackie; 1996 Breaking the Waves), Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line), David Morrissey (The Reaping) and Brian Cox (Running with Scissors) star in this heart warming tale from director Jay Russell (Tuck Everlasting) and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs (Flushed Away).
Based on a novel by Dick King-Smith, author of The Sheep Pig (from which Babe was adapted), the touching and often spectacular The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep ingeniously presumes to explain the truth behind "Nessie," i.e., the Loch Ness Monster. The story, told in present day to a couple of American tourists by a kindly gentleman (Brian Cox) in a pub, begins with a lonely boy, Angus (Alex Etel), pining for his father, who is serving in the Royal Navy during World War II. Angus, along with his sister (Priyanka Xi) and mother (Emily Watson), live on an estate that has been billeted by soldiers in the Scottish Highlands, near Loch Ness. The troop?s commander (David Morissey) has an eye for mom, suspicions about a mysterious handyman, Lewis (Ben Chaplin), who is also a war hero, and an absurd contention that the Highlands are the real frontline in the war against Germany.
Into this intriguing drama comes a completely different element, a fantastical creature of Celtic mythology that befriends Angus and is, in fact, the sea-beast who will eventually be known as the Loch Ness Monster. Trying to hide the dinosaur-like fellow, nicknamed Crusoe, Angus enlists Lewis to transfer it to the lake, where boy and serpent have extraordinary adventures together until human stupidity threatens Crusoe?s existence. A true family film, there is a lot for adults to like about the grownup story in The Water Horse. Meanwhile, the wistful relationship between Angus and Crusoe--each of whom helps the other move past obstacles toward their individual destinies--will leave children feeling both happy and melancholy in the best possible sense. Directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip), The Water Horse is the best of a mini-genre of films about or inspired by old Nessie. --Tom Keogh Beyond The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep 
On Blu-ray | 
Paperback Novel | 
CD Soundtrack |
Stills from The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (click for larger image)
The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep (Two-Disc Special Edition) Accessories
 Alvin and the Chipmunks
The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Widescreen)
Enchanted (Widescreen Edition)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Widescreen Edition)
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (Widescreen Edition)
Bee Movie (Widescreen Edition)
Nim's Island (Widescreen Edition)
I Am Legend (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition with Digital Copy)
The Bucket List
The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep (Two-Disc Special Edition) Reviews
Even freeing the monster by having it jump over an obstacle in the water. Overall, this just wasn't a very touching movie - cute at best. Can this be a more blatantly recycled plot. Also, the kid rides the thing's back underwater (somehow holds on) for a long time, and then later on almost drowns just from being in the water. I know it's nitpicking, but come on. Not too great of a movie, mainly because it's the same movie as Free Willy except with the Loch Ness Monster.
The movie is a wonderful design flawless creation, intresting special effects, and overall great handling, the director did a great job at making it look as realistic as possible, highly reccomended to anyone who likes fantasy movies or anything scottish related. Highly recomended Thumbs up A+ movie. very well written and directed.
This movie is great for the family. I watched it by myself and was still rooting for the good guys.
My grandson who at the age of 2 1/2 loves this movie. In fact, the DVD has started skip I'm thinking its nearly worn out. I'm ordering a fresh one cuz this is truly one of my grandson's favorites. It's a wonderful story.
since then we have watched this DVD over and over and over and over. Angus and Caruso. and some how it has captured my grandson's heart.
I couldn't believe a movie of this type would hold his interest. We started to watch it one night and our grandson cried to stay up to watch Caruso. Altho he took it to daycare one day and some of the little children there got bored and said to call his mommy to see if he had any cartoons instead.
Before one dies, it lays a single egg that eventually hatches and the baby Water Horse has to live as an orphan and learn to adapt on its own. Some of the acting is a bit sketchy, mainly due to the smaller characters who only have a few lines of dialogue, but for the most part the cast does a great job. The 2-Disc version of the DVD comes with a Behind-the-Scenes Documentary (77 minutes in length) that covers everything from the myth of the Loch Ness monster, the cast, the production, the acting, and the special effects. He takes it home, and the egg hatches that same night. Like I mentioned before, the story IS predictable but it's well done and puts a different spin on the "boy and his dog" scenario. The way that the Loch Ness Monster (or the "Water Horse" as it's called in the film) is presented in this film is that only one can exist per generation and that they are Asexual creatures. Other than that, there are no other Extra Features that have to do with the film, which is a little disappointing but is still enough to satisfy the Extra Features junkies who purchase this DVD.
Also the fact that Crusoe has a NAME instead of being called "Water Horse", makes it more of an individual and gives it a character. The cast is great and the characters are great. Eventually his sister and a live-in Handyman (an awesome actor named Ben Chaplin from MURDER BY NUMBERS) find out and collectively help Angus keep the Water Horse a secret from his mother (Emily Watson) and members of the Scottish Army who are taking refuge in their mansion of a home and are planning for an impending German attack (supposedly). To Angus, Crusoe represents more than a pet.
Overall, I highly recommend WATER HORSE to fans of Fantasy type of films and to adults who are looking to check out a simple, fun, and innocent movie for a change. And the character of Crusoe is fantastic, thanks to the Special Effects artists who brought it to life. But when Angus realizes that the more the Water Horse (which he names "Crusoe") eats, the more and more rapidly it grows, thus resulting in him having to make a heartbreaking decision by taking him to Loch Ness and parting ways with it so that it can be safe and live on its own. The young boy that plays Angus does a good job and isn't overly annoying like a lot of kids in movies have the potential to be. It has the mannerisms of a curious dog and is a playful creature, even as it grows in size.
By chance, a young boy named Angus finds an egg, thinking it's just a big rock. He tames the Water Horse and raises it without telling anyone. It represents his best friend, it represents his child, and as Crusoe gets bigger, it spiritually represents his father who passed away while serving for the Navy. It's also not so much a children's movie as it as an innocent movie for adults, in my opinion. Maybe a proper documentary about the Loch Ness Monster. Overall, I enjoyed WATER HORSE a lot.
The Cinematography is beautiful and really takes advantage of Scotland's beautiful outdoor scenery. It's very predictable (boy gets attached to a pet and has to eventually say an emotional farewell to it) and has a simple plot, yet it's emotional and, at times, funny. The bond between Angus and Crusoe is a strong one and creates for a more emotional ending. WATER HORSE is your basic "boy and his dog" movie except in the setting of 1940's Scotland in the midst of World War II, and instead of a dog it's the Loch Ness Monster. Also, being familiar with the Loch Ness Monster legend is a plus. Also included are a few Deleted Scenes that have a total run time of only 6 minutes and 54 seconds. 4 stars
With that being said. Essentially, it is a children's movie but in a world of KUNG FU PANDAS, HANNAH MONTANAS, and whatnot, it may not have what it takes to get the attention of that demographic and may appeal more to fans of the HARRY POTTER series, LORD OF THE RINGS, and more Fantasy-based type of films. Plenty of cast and crew interviews. Be warned: the song by Sinead O'Connor during the end credits is a tearjerker.
|
