Water Horse is basically a movie about the Loch Ness Monster and the story behind the famous Loch Ness picture. Which I totally loved because some time when I was a kid, I was in this phase where I read and watched everything I could about the Monster.And I still think it's real.
The film is about a boy named Angus who finds a weird looking egg by a lake which will soon hatch into the Loch Ness Monster. This is the kind of Spielberg film where the monster is our friend like E.T instead of War of the Worlds.
So Angus takes care of this cute little monster as it grows bigger and bigger and so does their friendship. But when rumors get out that there is some monster in the lake, their friendship is put through the ultimate test which may jeopardize both their lives.
Water Horse is a fine family film that is worth taking the kids to see more than once. I found it rally enjoyable and it's a great movie to introduce kids to the folklore of the Loch Ness Monster.
The special effects of the film is really great. The little monster is one of the cutest things I ever saw but when it grows big, it ain't that cute no more. The cinematography of the Scottish lakes and mountains are really magnificent and with such a great bagpipe score, it's hard not to get into the moments of the film.
I didn't like the boy who played Angus though but what more can you really expect from young child actors. I just wished they had 11 year old Christian Bale from Empire of the Sun playing Angus. That would have been awesome. The other actors were okay I guess. Not much done ere that is worth mentioning over.
The film does feel like a ripoff of Free Willy. Boy meets monster, boy is scared of monster, monster and boy becomes friends, boy tries hiding monster through some funny scenes, monster get threatened by adults who have no soul, boy risks his life for monster, monster eventually escapes and boy is happy and sad.
Even the big ending of the film is a complete copy of the jumping over the net sequence in Free Willy, which I thought was done much better in this movie cause of the special effects.
Great film, great portrayal of the Loch Ness Monster, funny and charming for the most parts, incredibly scary as well. Check this out if you have the time.
RATING: 7/10
