The War Horse: Legend of the Deep
(C or 2/4 stars)
In 'The Water Horse', a family/fantasy flick directed by Jay Russell, a lonely boy, Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel, of Millions), discovers a mysterious egg that hatches what eventually becomes a sea creature of Scottish folklore ... the Loch Ness Monster. The New Zealand/Scotland landscapes make for some beautiful imagery. The monster (in baby form) is awfully cute. The recreation of WWII (details) is evocative. But the story did nothing for me. The plot layout is almost identical to that of Free Willy (a superior film). The acting is flat. And except for the last 3 minutes (which brought tears), I was utterly bored. The film opens in a Scottish pub where a man (Brian Cox) is telling a young American couple the origin of the Loch Ness Monster.
He sets the stage, 1942: Young Angus is in denial over the supposed death of his father. Searching for a friend by the sea one day (he's terrified of it, but knows kids hang out there), he stumbles upon the egg that eventually hatches back at home. Angus feeds the creature, nurses it to health, & tries to keep it secret from his loving, but distant mom (Emily Watson). Luckily, he can share knowledge of the monster with his trusting sister, & the new handyman on the estate (Ben Chaplin). With time, Crusoe (the name given to the monster by Angus) grows too big to be kept in the bathtub & Angus is forced to release him to the Loch.
Because the film is set during WWII, the army is in Scotland to thwart the Germans (who sit in their submarines some 100 miles offshore). Captain Hamilton (David Morrissey) & his soldiers have set up camp at the MacMorrow residence (thanks to their huge estate & mansion), and are ready to employ their bombs into the Loch Ness on 1st sighting of an enemy submarine. As you can guess (with Crusoe's long neck, and all), a good deal of the plot involves bombs being hurled at assumed subs, when it's really Crusoe! The climax is absurd; yet, oddly rousing, as well. Angus tries to free Crusoe from the Ness before the 'bad guys' (army) accidentally kill him. Can Crusoe jump the net that leads to the Sea? Will we all cry, regardless? I think you know the answers.
So, I get that this is to be a family/kids movie; it has all the standard, cliched elements lined-up: lonely child makes friends with vulnerable animal ... a parent is missing or dead ... animal helps child overcome grief ... most grown-ups don't believe in sea monsters ... war is bad (no matter which side you're on), etc. It's interesting how a plot was created around the actual Loch Ness Monster fable. But the execution of this film had NO ENERGY. With exception to the last 3 minutes of the film, which raised it from a 1.5 rating to a measly 2, I couldn't believe how lifeless 'The Water Horse' was (I hadn't anticipated disliking it, at all).
Call it heartwarming; I suppose it worked for some, the audience clapped as the credits rolled. But I just sat in complete disengagement. Whenever Crusoe popped on the screen (as a youngen), the audience chuckled in delight. That said, he was probably onscreen for no more than 25 minutes out of the 110. I was bored with the adult story, & I'm sure most of the kids were, too. What I 'did' like in the film was the steady usage of CGI-effects. Crusoe is realistically cute when young, & very scary in adulthood. All in all, the movie is nothing more than a 110 minute diversion. The film moved from one insignificant scene to the next.
He sets the stage, 1942: Young Angus is in denial over the supposed death of his father. Searching for a friend by the sea one day (he's terrified of it, but knows kids hang out there), he stumbles upon the egg that eventually hatches back at home. Angus feeds the creature, nurses it to health, & tries to keep it secret from his loving, but distant mom (Emily Watson). Luckily, he can share knowledge of the monster with his trusting sister, & the new handyman on the estate (Ben Chaplin). With time, Crusoe (the name given to the monster by Angus) grows too big to be kept in the bathtub & Angus is forced to release him to the Loch.
Because the film is set during WWII, the army is in Scotland to thwart the Germans (who sit in their submarines some 100 miles offshore). Captain Hamilton (David Morrissey) & his soldiers have set up camp at the MacMorrow residence (thanks to their huge estate & mansion), and are ready to employ their bombs into the Loch Ness on 1st sighting of an enemy submarine. As you can guess (with Crusoe's long neck, and all), a good deal of the plot involves bombs being hurled at assumed subs, when it's really Crusoe! The climax is absurd; yet, oddly rousing, as well. Angus tries to free Crusoe from the Ness before the 'bad guys' (army) accidentally kill him. Can Crusoe jump the net that leads to the Sea? Will we all cry, regardless? I think you know the answers.
So, I get that this is to be a family/kids movie; it has all the standard, cliched elements lined-up: lonely child makes friends with vulnerable animal ... a parent is missing or dead ... animal helps child overcome grief ... most grown-ups don't believe in sea monsters ... war is bad (no matter which side you're on), etc. It's interesting how a plot was created around the actual Loch Ness Monster fable. But the execution of this film had NO ENERGY. With exception to the last 3 minutes of the film, which raised it from a 1.5 rating to a measly 2, I couldn't believe how lifeless 'The Water Horse' was (I hadn't anticipated disliking it, at all).
Call it heartwarming; I suppose it worked for some, the audience clapped as the credits rolled. But I just sat in complete disengagement. Whenever Crusoe popped on the screen (as a youngen), the audience chuckled in delight. That said, he was probably onscreen for no more than 25 minutes out of the 110. I was bored with the adult story, & I'm sure most of the kids were, too. What I 'did' like in the film was the steady usage of CGI-effects. Crusoe is realistically cute when young, & very scary in adulthood. All in all, the movie is nothing more than a 110 minute diversion. The film moved from one insignificant scene to the next.