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| 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 New: $5.94
You Save: $23.02 (79%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $5.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  (98 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1518
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD
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: COLD18456D
UPC: 043396184565
EAN: 0043396184565
ASIN: B0012IWO0I
Release Date: April 8, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Eye-catching,sensitive,beautifully rendered "Water Horse" February 9, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
If this film had been made in 1980 like E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (Widescreen Edition),throngs would be going to see it; but alas the cynicism of a jaded 2008 audience will relegate this film to a "good family flick" because of the lack of cussing,sex and violence.Jay Russell has always known how to construct a good film and he has always hand-picked the very best in the business to be on his crew;"The Water Horse: The Legend of the Deep" is one such film,eye-catching,sensitive,beautifully formed narrative,gorgeous cinematography and lighting and superb performances from the likes of Emily Watson,Ben Chaplin, Brian Cox and a talented newcomer Alex Etel shouldering the majority of this film.There is an enormous amount of the finest of cast and crew available to the film industry that has assembled this outstanding movie.
Special kudos go to the art department and model-people who constructed the Loch Ness Monster,Crusoe, who comes off as real as any human actor in this picture.The underwater photo sequences are brilliant, and the editing is first rate,capturing the ride that Crusoe gives his young friend,Angus.
As far as plot,it is 1940 Scotland,WW2 is raging,British troops are engaged and young Angus' father has gone to War leaving him as a quiet,lonely child along with his Mother (Emily Watson) and older sister (odd name which I missed!).The British troops garrison the home as a lookout for German U-boats entering Loch Ness.At this time, Angus, finds an odd "egg" buried in the stones of the shoreline.Lo,it cracks open,and this engaging little sea creature of sorts appears;he is adorable.Angus names him Crusoe, and attempts to raise him with no one knowing.Crusoe thinks that little Angus is his Father and looks to him for food. This is where the fun really begins in this film.Up to this point, things have moved rather slowly to set up all that is to come.Now, the story breaks wide open to everyone's delight.It impossible to not remember other sea creature films such as Triple Feature: Free Willy/Free Willy 2 - The Adventure Home/Free Willy 3 - The Rescue and Flipper,but neither of those films can compare in breadth to "The Water Horse."
James Newton Howard's soundtrack, by Richard Lancaster and Andrew Kitchen,top film score actualizers,along with the vocal assistance of Sinead O'Connor and the Celtic Wonders,"The Chieftains", make this a complete and satisfying adventure.If you relegate this film to "family status" you will do yourself an adult injustice.A
Wonderful Family Movie February 8, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Our family found this movie to be wonderful. Not only was it engaging enough to be very entertaining for adults, but all of the children in the theater were enthralled. Instead of going into "sugar shock" or falling asleep, I was just as captivated as the children who happily clapped for Crusoe.
"He can't live in the toilet bowl forever!" February 3, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Director Jay Russell knows how to put a film together,there's no doubt about that;his films comtain some wonderful and reliable crew,notably Tony Burrough whose set design is, as per usual magnificent; and the uncredited lighting expert,Dick Pope,whom we, in the film industry,seek to emulate."The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" is really at it's core an adult film;children will love and laugh at the sea creature in all his stages of development;and they will cheer for him as eludes those who wish to harm him as he attempts to leave the Loch;but with it's theme of Royal British Navy occupying Highlands Scotland during World War 2 and the danger of German U-boats invading the Loch,"The Water Horse" lands solidly on adult ground for deepest understanding of the back story.
As an adult,I was charmed and delighted with Jay Russell's latest gem;after My Dog Skip and Tuck Everlasting, Russell takes us to Scotland Lochs and New Zealand to recreate the story of the Loch Ness Monster Fable and his "father", the lonely Angus, who keenly feels the loss of his own Father to the War effort.Angus discovers the egg that hatches,names the creature Crusoe, and attempts to raise him as a parent would raise his own child.In fact, this really is the theme of the picture: losing a parent and growing up,and being a parent and letting go.
It was refreshing to see Ben Chaplin as the handyman speaking in a perfectly clipped Highland Brogue.The radiant as ever Emily Watson plays the mother.Alex Etel, though,portrays the young Angus with true heart.a hallmark of all of Jay Russell's films.He finds a wonderful child actor,then touches the child in all of us.
No child can stay at home forever, and no monster "can live in a toilet bowl forever." A very compelling and beautifully visual film.
Much better than the trailers January 22, 2008
26 out of 27 found this review helpful
The legend is only one water horse lives per generation. When the old one is ready to die, they lay an egg from which the new water horse is hatched and must grow up on its own as an orphan.
In this case, a young boy named Angus McMurrow found the egg and helped the waterhorse hatch and grow. That's not a mean feat, considering this is World War II and a cadre of British soldiers are staying in the manor house where Angus' family lives. But if any kid is in need of a friend, it's Angus. You see, his father went off to war--and Angus still believes he's going to come back despite being told to the contrary. Angus finds a surprising ally in Lewis Mowbray (Ben Chaplin), a returning soldier who still believes in the old myths and is in need of a dream as much as Angus is.
Of course, the complication is the British soldiers led by a toff commander who's noble father probably stuck him in Scotland to keep him out of the action. They think that the Germans are going to come down Loch Ness and they've got the guns and ammo to take care of the problem if they do. Not a healthy environment for a baby water horse to grow up in...
"Water Horse" is beautifully filmed. It captures the rugged beauty of Scotland amazingly. The soundtrack, by James Newton Howard (of Toto fame and too many soundtracks to name) is gorgeous. The music is perfect--as always.
Warnings:
Kids younger than five had problems with some of the scenes and a couple had to escort their frightened parents out into the lobby
3 Great reasons to see this film;the director,the cameraman and the composer January 15, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Don't dismiss this film as a kid's flick folks.You will do yourself a disservice.(Read other reviewer's plot synopses...this is not my reason for review!)
In 2001 I had the privilege to work for director Jay Russell when he was here in Baltimore to film his second feature film Tuck Everlasting.His first film had been a sleeper hit,My Dog Skip (Keepcase).Russell is a very exacting individual and things will change and change and change until they are what he wants! I admired this in him,and consequently both of his films,very "G" to "PG", are beautifully and wonderfully tender and sentimental and really have staying power.So, though Russell generally aims for wide appeal to all audiences,I knew that THE WATER HORSE would require Kleenex and a huge cheer.I was right.The story is really quite simple as all of his films are...the "truth" behind the fantasy of The Loch Ness Monster of Scottish lore. BUT, there are two other reasons that this Jay Russell film should be viewed by film buffs who can see beyond that this is potentially a "Family Film" only.Russell was able to secure Oscar winning cinematographer Dick Pope (The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Widescreen Edition),Topsy-Turvy,Nicholas Nickleby etc) (see my Listmania ) who in my opinion is unrivaled in camera work in current cinema; and the next reason to view THE WATER HORSE is for top soundtrack composer James Newton Howard's amazing Celtic score (Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep with the help of Ireland's #1 group "The Chieftains" and singing sensation Sinead O'Connor.Russell,Pope and Howard take this film way beyond "just for children" and delight the artist's eyes and ears.There is more to a film than just the story.It is all about the packaging and delivery that makes 'em enduring and endearing.Young and old,artist or not,THE WATER HORSE is a first class trip into excellent film making.
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