| The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep (Two-Disc Special Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Jay Russell
Actors: Alex Etel, Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox
Studio: Columbia Tri/Star
Category: DVD
List Price: $28.96
Buy Used: $5.80
You Save: $23.16 (80%)
New (62) Collectible (2) from $7.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  83 reviews
Sales Rank: 878
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Running Time: 112 minutes
Number Of Items: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: 18456
UPC: 043396184565
EAN: 0043396184565
ASIN: B0012IWO0I
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 2007
Release Date: April 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Ships Within 24 Hours - Satisfaction Guaranteed!
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| Customer Reviews:
 OK As A Family Movie. May 31, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
UNEVENTFUL is the single word that describes this movie. It is however, a family movie that can be watch by all, and that is where it earns it's stars.
an easy recommendation May 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
a friendship between a huge animal and a boy? It's not the 1st time. A nice story to follow with interesting human characters to interweave. As a bluray experience without hesitation I give 8/10 to both audio and video. I had a good time watcing it with my 8-years old son.
Good family fantasy! May 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It is a movie you can share with the whole family and not be afraid of bad language, unnessary violence, and sex. There are many good morals and themes to be discussed.
 A well done fantasy that is much more than the Monster May 22, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
What is unusual about this story is that while it involves a magical monster, the movie is really about the family, the situation, and involves the monster - the Water Horse - almost incidentally. The story we see is a visualization of a story told in a pub by an older man in response to a young couple's comment about the famous picture of the Loch Ness Monster. The story begins during World War II in Scotland at and near Loch Ness. It is about a boy, Angus MacMorrow, who is terrified of the water and yet is drawn to it. He finds a strange egg and when it hatches into a strange creature much like a miniature sea dinosaur with funny looking horn like knobs on its head, he befriends and cares for it.
Angus lives on a huge estate because his mother, Anne, runs the staff of servants for the absent Lord. Her husband was lost at sea when his ship was torpedoed and while she realizes she is a widow, Angus keeps his father's workshop as a shrine and is determined he will return. The army comes to the estate and sets up camp ostensibly to protect Scotland from an invasion of the German Navy from the North Sea into the Loch. In reality, someone in power gave the commander this assignment to protect him and keep him out of the way. The commander seems to be the only one oblivious to the silly nature of his mission and he treats it with a dangerous seriousness. He also takes a shine to the widow Anne, and while she is flattered she has her son's troubles and running the estate on her mind.
Angus tries to keep the growing monster hidden and has to enlist his reluctant sister and the new handyman, the stranger Lewis Mowbray. Eventually, the Water Horse has to be put in the Loch and Angus says good-bye. But the connection between the two is too strong to be denied. This is where the magical adventure begins and has a big part in transforming and saving young Angus. However, the military inadvertently gets on the monster's last nerve and some very bad things ensue. Of course, no one in the military takes Angus seriously, but it is up to Angus to aid the Water Horse and open his mother's eyes.
I will let you find out what happens in the story, but it is all quite well done. Nothing that happens is too shocking, but is often quite touching. The movie's effects are also quite well done and even impressive. But I will point out again how impressed I was that they used the Water Horse well, but not as the consuming focus of the story.
While it is a family film, kids below eight may have trouble following the story unless they are quite bright. The story has a number of threads that you have to keep track of. Maybe little kids will get enough out of the effects and the slapstick with the dog and the military guys that they won't care that they aren't able to put everything together.
The acting is all quite well done and a cut about what we usually get in these kinds of fantasies.
Enjoy!
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
 5 stars? Come on people. May 21, 2008
2 out of 7 found this review helpful
The Waterhorse isn't a terrible movie. But it definitely fancies itself much grander and more important than it really is. The movie is quite simply a Free Willy rehash with window dressing. (I won't insult E.T. by putting them in the same sentence).
Kids will love The Waterhorse, no question. But for adults, it will overstay it's welcome. The CG effects start out pretty good but once the creature reaches full size, the CG goes from passable to terrible. That's forgivable in a movie like this. But what isn't forgivable is that the plot overstays it's welcome and moves in slow motion the entire time. There is no real peak or emotional summit. It's one big flatline interrupted by the occasional cutesy boy and his dog scene.
5 stars? I think not. Not even close.
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