The only reasons to stay awake are the nature porn shots of the Highlands impossibly green hills and gray skies, and a nimble bit performance by a bulldog named Churchill
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:81
Fresh:59
Rotten:22
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: The Water Horse is a fine family film. It takes a classic tale and infuses it with extra imagination, sly humor, heart, and inventive special effects.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some action/peril, mild language and brief smoking.
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Genre: Childrens
Theatrical Release:Dec 25, 2007 Wide
Box Office: $40,412,817
Synopsis: Based on the novel by BABE author Dick King-Smith, THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP is set in Scotland during World War II, and focuses on Angus (Alex Etel), a young boy who discovers an unusual... Based on the novel by BABE author Dick King-Smith, THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP is set in Scotland during World War II, and focuses on Angus (Alex Etel), a young boy who discovers an unusual egg at Loch Ness. When the egg hatches to reveal a dinosaur-like creature, Angus finds that he has a unique pet--a mythical "water horse," which he names Crusoe. Complicating matters are Crusoe's fast growth rate and soldiers stationed near the lake, factors that make it very tricky to keep the friendly beastie a secret. A thoroughly likable family film directed by Jay Russell (TUCK EVERLASTING), THE WATER HORSE provides an intriguing spin on the classic boy-and-his-dog tale. While Etel, who won over audiences in MILLIONS, ably carries the movie, he is supported by a topnotch ensemble that includes Emily Watson as his mother, newcomer Priyanka Xi as his sister, and Ben Chaplin as a good-natured handyman. Primarily sharing the screen with Etel, however, is the Loch Ness Monster-in-the-making, which is wonderfully rendered by Weta, the company behind the digital effects for THE LORD OF THE RINGS films. Both cute and--in his larger state--intimidating, Crusoe strikes up a surprisingly believable relationship with Angus, providing the heart of this beautifully photographed story. [More]
Starring: Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey
Starring: Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox
Director: Jay Russell
Director: Jay Russell
Screenwriter: Robert Nelson Jacobs
Producer: Robert Bernstein, Douglas Rae, Barrie M. Osbourne, Charlie Lyons
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: Columbia Pictures
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Reviews for The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
It's a mess of a movie, too frightening for the wee ones and a sleeping pill for adults. It's childlike wonder blared at top volume and there's no need for such disorder to steal free time from your holiday season.
The Water Horse features an awkward combination of real-life drama and cutesy physical humor that never blends.
Kids could go with the dino-pet theme pretty easily, and adults won't hate it, but the few E.T. moments do not excuse the predictability and choppiness found throughout the entire picture.
By the end of the The Water Horse...Russell's film has pretty much morphed into Free Willy IV: Lassie Go Home.
It's a movie for kids, and I suppose they will like it well enough, its pedestrian story notwithstanding.
Nessie lays an egg literally and figuratively in this inoffensive, visually attractive but highly derivative family movie about a boy and his beastie.
A tepid, CGI-enhanced family movie that should delight 6-year-olds with a lap full of popcorn.
Despite the occasionally charming or amusing moment, an air of familiarity hangs over the proceedings.
It all moves with predictable deliberation, with a revelation at the end that will be a surprise only to those who have been asleep through the movie.
The star of this Scottish fable, about the mythical Loch Ness monster, looks like a raw chicken breast with teeth when he hatches.
Spends too much time on dull shenanigans by military men and sound effects of the screech-knock-bang variety.
Mal conseguindo ocultar o fato de ter sido claramente inspirado em "E.T.", é um filme terrivelmente irregular que traz personagens esquemáticos e um monstrinho tão "simpáticos" que jamais temos certeza se este irá devorar seu amigo humano ou não.
The Water Horse's fluctuation between wholesome kiddie flick, complete with silly humor, and dark fantasy/coming-of-age drama ultimately proves too unwieldy for the filmmakers to handle, causing the film to sink under the weight of all its well-meaning bu
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