Nappaland's MovieBlog
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THE WATER HORSE (PG)
Plot Summary: A young boy finds an egg that hatches into a legendary water horse, otherwise known as the Loch Ness Monster.
Reason for the Rating: Some action/peril, mild language and brief smoking.
Have you ever wanted to know the real story of the Loch Ness monster? It all begins in Scotland, when a young boy, in denial of his father’s death in the war and with a paralyzing fear of water, finds a mysterious egg…
Young Angus hurries the egg home and hides it in a work shed. The egg hatches into a surprisingly animated and lovable little sea monster. The monster enters awkward Angus’ life at a key moment. In the thick of World War II, the British army has taken over his family’s estate, his father is never coming home, he has no friends, and he never has any fun.
Angus begins to break out of his own hard shell through his friendship with Crusoe, as he christens the wee beastie. Despite being a monster, and eventually turning into something more Jurassic Park than Disney, he’s a cute and precocious little fellow. Naturally, trouble ensues as the creature grows too large and develops an antagonism with the resident bulldog. Angus’ friend, Lewis the handyman, convinces him he must set Crusoe free in Loch Ness. There the monster ends up in greater danger than ever thanks to money hungry photographers and trigger happy armed forces. And, as it turns out, it’s harder to sneak a seagoing monster the size of a submarine past a naval blockade than you would think.
A
Scottish mix of Free Willy and King Kong, this movie is
predictable and a bit long, but is nonetheless entertaining and even enriching
for the family. The themes of friendship, trust, and sacrifice (and the lack of
crude humor or innuendo) make it a pleasant night out for the family, and the
antics of the young Crusoe are sure to make you laugh.
The movie is certainly visually stunning, with sweeping views of the Scottish lochs and the countryside. The visual effects, by the same team from The Lord of the Rings films, Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, add grandeur and vitality to the movie (although, one critic has likened the newborn Crusoe, not completely inaccurately, to “a raw chicken breast with teeth”).
Raw chicken breast or no, the visual beauty of the film, the endearing
characters, and the sweet story are worth your family’s time this holiday
season.
MOVIEBLOG RECOMMENDS:
Some action scenes may be too intense for the wee ones, but this is a sweet, well-made family movie.
AFTER THE SHOW:
• Lewis is accused of being a bad influence on Angus. What do you think? Is he a good friend? Why or why not?
• Why do you think Angus can accept his father’s death at the end of the movie?
• Angus’ mother wants to protect Angus, but, as Lewis points out, she doesn’t laugh with him anymore. Can you relate to this? Do you spend enough time, not just protecting, but laughing with your family?
AV
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Note: All movie-related graphics in this column are standard publicity/promotional shots and are owned by their respective movie studios.
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