Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep Captures Hearts Of Children
“The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep” – based on a children’s book – is possibly one of the best children’s movies that we have seen in a long time. It is a wonderful movie that is set in the country of Scotland. Surprisingly enough it was actually filmed on location in New Zealand.
The movie tells the story of a 12-year-old named Angus (Alex Etel) who finds a curious egg on the beach, brings it home and is astonished to see it hatch a cute little creature with a big appetite. He names it Crusoe and conceals his new pet in the work shed, where it doesn’t remain a secret for long, particularly since it seems to double in size every day or so. One day it’s terrified by the family bulldog, and a day later the bulldog is terrified by it.
Like most British family films, “Water Horse” doesn’t dumb down its young characters or insult the intelligence of the audience. It has a lot of sly humor about what we know, or have heard, about the Loch Ness monster and various frauds associated with it, and fills the edges of the screen with first-rate supporting performance. Imagine a family film with actors the caliber of Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin and Brian Cox as an old-timer who spins stories in the local pub.
Will younger kids be a little scared as Crusoe approaches the dimensions of a whale? Maybe, maybe not. Kids seem harder to scare these days, although I’m afraid some of them will find themselves taken to “Sweeney Todd,” which is definitely not for under 13s. What kids will love is Angus’ thrilling bareback ride on Crusoe. And viewers of all ages will appreciate that “Water Horse,” despite its fantasy, digs in with a real story about complex people and doesn’t zone out with the idiotic cheerfulness of Alvin and his squeaky little friends.