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Bookmark this pageThe Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)
Director: Jay Russell
Movie review
From Time Out London
There’s backbone to spare in this superior family film aimed at the type of kids who like a wee splash of Scotch on their cornflakes. The classic ‘Free Willy’ animal/child union-of-souls template is neatly transposed (with added grit) to the Highlands circa World War II, where young Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel, last seen in Danny Boyle’s ‘Millions’) discovers a crystalline egg on a local beach.
What hatches is a cutesy dragon-like creature he names Crusoe that rapidly expands to the size of a lorry and has to be re-housed in the local loch. When a platoon of soldiers stationed in Angus’s home mistake Crusoe for an enemy sub, this pleasingly non-ironic yarn expands into an angry window on the brutal, inflexible nature of the military. But what pushes the film above its peers is the way that director Jay Russell – like Spielberg – only resorts to syrup when he can fully justify it.
Author: David Jenkins
Time Out London Issue 1955 Feb 6 to 13, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Angela said...
- Posted on Feb 17 2008 13:35 I really enjoyed this film. Great to see a film with an actual decent story line. I went with two boys 7 & 5, although the film was a little scary for them at times, they really enjoyed it. Would recommend it for older children.
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- mynameisnoneofyourbeeswax said...
- Posted on Feb 15 2008 11:08 this sounds AMAZING. i hope it is. im seeing it 2day, hope its good as it sounds.
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- coral said...
- Posted on Feb 13 2008 20:12 i havent seen the film but it looks brilliant my friend jess (below) says its fantastic!
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- jess said...
- Posted on Feb 13 2008 20:09 it was a scary but fantastic film i would love to see it again and definitely buy it on dvd!
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- Sophia said...
- Posted on Feb 13 2008 19:16 It was a fantastic film i would get it on DVD when it comes out
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- shereen Hussain said...
- Posted on Feb 13 2008 13:10 i really liked the film it was amazing so good and it was amazing the way the graphics where also the stories and it was so realistic ! I would recommend it thoroughly to families....
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- phoebe bell said...
- Posted on Feb 12 2008 20:34 i think it was better than any other film in the world i rate it a 10/10
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- jacob bell: said...
- Posted on Feb 12 2008 18:15 the film was great i think i am going to get it on dvd when it comes out ,i rate it a 10/10
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- Amelia said...
- Posted on Feb 12 2008 10:53 amazzing i totally loved it.
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- Harry said...
- Posted on Feb 11 2008 19:42 I thought the film was fabulous one of the best films I have seen for ages. Brilliant!
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- kiera said...
- Posted on Feb 11 2008 18:33 i totally luvved it!!!!!! it was so realistic and i would reccomend it fully!!!
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- abigail said...
- Posted on Feb 11 2008 14:28 it was brilliant and i loved it to bits i am going to see it tomorow LOL i canot wait till it is on dvd it was really funny when the mum was wondering what they were doing .
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- none of your buisness said...
- Posted on Feb 11 2008 12:04 pelase dont swear (not important) brill film would recomend it to any scotch loving perosn lol
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- wolfie said...
- Posted on Feb 09 2008 10:14 its agreat film and i would recemend it to a friend
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Cast & crew
Director: Jay Russell
Cast: Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, Alex Etel, Brian Cox, David Morrissey full cast
Genre(s): Children's, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Duration: 105 mins
US Release: Dec 25 2007
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