 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
- Review Date: April 7, 2008
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Predictable family fantasy not as good as book.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this adaptation of the popular book by Babe author Dick King-Smith has a very different plotline than the original story, escalating the violence within the WWII-era setting. The monster becomes truly dangerous when fully grown (in an old-school King Kong way), lashing out at people with snapping jaws -- which leads the British soldiers to open fire on it. But it's still a kid-friendly film overall.
What's the story?
THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP takes off when Angus (Alex Etel), the lonely, nature-loving son of a Scottish WWII soldier missing in combat finds an egg by the water, and it hatches into a small, mischievous, dragon-like creature. When the family's mansion is commandeered by British soldiers to establish a defense against possible German submarines in the loch, Angus hides his baby beastie with help from his older sister Kirstie (Priyanka Xi) and Scottish handyman Lewis (Ben Chaplin), who identifies the creature as a "water horse" of Highland folklore -- a fabulous, fast-growing, androgynous lake- and sea-monster of which only one exists at a time. Now named Crusoe, the creature grows huge in just a few weeks and the heroes scramble to keep their new pet hidden. But glimpses of the monster create a stir in the area, and Angus and Krista need to think fast when Crusoe becomes the target of heavily armed British soldiers.
Is it any good?
Grade-schoolers are the best audience for this well-mounted, big-budget children's fantasy; for older viewers who are already familiar with the many clichés it trots out, it may be one trip to the loch too many. Just as the soldiers in the film do during roll call, it's possible to sound off -- one! two! -- the movie's many overly familiar elements. Lonely child hero whose father is dead? Here! Amazing, misunderstood monster friend who must be kept a secret? Here! Clueless single mom with nasty suitor? Here! Ending stolen from Free Willy? Here! It's not that The Water Horse is a bad movie -- it's just entirely predictable.
When Angus -- who's got a crippling fear of water -- goes for a stirring ride on through the loch's aquatic wonderland on his monster pal's back, the movie really takes off, but you're still left thirsty for something a wee bit more original. Even Crusoe, as beautifully computer-generated as he is, sorta looks like the creature from the boy-and-his-dragon epic Eragon.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the Loch Ness Monster. Do you think it could be real? Why or why not? How might a story like this have gotten started? Can you think of other movies in which a child forms a secret attachment with an unusual pet or unearthly friend? How is this movie similar to and different from them? Families who've read the book the movie is based on can compare the two -- which do you like better, and why?
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AGE
GREAT!!
We thought it was great - kids loved it, and of course the scenery is wonderful, some dodgy accents but the majority of folk wont notice that, not as good as the book, but is any film as good as the book? We really loved it and I could just listen to "ya' wally" a hundred times over - lol
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Kid, 12 years old
December 28, 2010
AGE
alright
it wasnt bad, its on the alright mark
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AGE
realy good movie
The Water horse was a good movie I would take your kids to see this movie because it was cute and funny.This is the movie that is about a boy named Aungus and a water horse named Crstyl and they loved eachother so very much.
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AGE
An okay movie
There was plenty of action and danger that may be frightening to young children. The language is mild and limited to a couple of "hell"'s and "d@mn"'s as well as several "bloody"'s. There is also lots of smoking, but the movie takes place in a time when it was more acceptable.
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Kid, 11 years old
March 6, 2011
AGE
WOW. Hate it!
I HATE this movie! It was so bad, with all the shoot-up-the-bad-guy movie messages. I mean like the firing the cannons into the loch, and all that stuff. I walked out of the theater wondering why I ever wanted to watch that movie.
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AGE
I took my 4 year old daughter, and she absolutley was glued to her seat for once. The water horse is too scary for the younger children like mine.
The water horse was cute as a baby, but torns into a huge monster later on...
The scenery was excellent, but very military based movie. Great for older kids, but not a sweet feeling movie if that's what your looking for.
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AGE
i liked it
it was pretty good. i cried. cool special effects and good acting.
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AGE
Good but a little scary
My 6-year old enjoyed this movie, though some of the darker scenes were a bit scary (and loud) for him - the water horse definitely was only 'cute' at the beginning and became a scarier creature than the movie trailer suggested. The scenery was beautiful though and the film was well-made.
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AGE
Great Take on Loch Ness Monster
Saw this with my six-year-old on Christmas Day. Very heart-warming and well thought out story. Will absolutely buy for my son when it comes out on DVD.
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AGE
A must see!
This film has a great story and fantastic characters. This film does have some violence and uses of beer and some smoking. But this movie is great and needs to be seen by any type of movie fan.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, book characters, monsters, ghosts, and vampires |
| Studio: | Columbia Tristar |
| Director: | Jay Russell |
| Cast: | Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, Emily Watson |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 113 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 24, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | April 7, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some action/peril, mild language and brief smoking. |
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