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Studio:Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Director:Jay Russell

Cast: Alex Etel, Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox

Running Time:112 minutes

Amazon.co.uk

Based on a novel by Dick King-Smith, author of The Sheep Pig (from which Babe was adapted), the touching and often spectacular The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep ingeniously presumes to explain the truth behind "Nessie," , the Loch Ness Monster. The story, told in present day to a couple of American tourists by a kindly gentleman (Brian Cox) in a pub, begins with a lonely boy, Angus (Alex Etel), pining for his father, who is serving in the Royal Navy during World War II. Angus, along with his sister (Priyanka Xi) and mother (Emily Watson), live on an estate that has been billeted by soldiers in the Scottish Highlands, near Loch Ness. The troop's commander (David Morissey) has an eye for mom, suspicions about a mysterious handyman, Lewis (Ben Chaplin), who is also a war hero, and an absurd contention that the Highlands are the real frontline in the war against Germany.

Into this intriguing drama comes a completely different element, a fantastical creature of Celtic mythology that befriends Angus and is, in fact, the sea-beast who will eventually be known as the Loch Ness Monster. Trying to hide the dinosaur-like fellow, nicknamed Crusoe, Angus enlists Lewis to transfer it to the lake, where boy and serpent have extraordinary adventures together until human stupidity threatens Crusoe's existence. A true family film, there is a lot for adults to like about the grownup story in The Water Horse. Meanwhile, the wistful relationship between Angus and Crusoe--each of whom helps the other move past obstacles toward their individual destinies--will leave children feeling both happy and melancholy in the best possible sense. Directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip), The Water Horse is the best of a mini-genre of films about or inspired by old Nessie. --Tom Keogh.

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Reviews

- Absolutely magical!

I saw this wonderful movie at the cinema and loved it - I will definitely be grabbing a copy when it comes out on dvd. Set in the time of WW2 it's the tale of a young boy who finds an egg which hatches into a strange little beast known as a water horse - the boy then has to find ways to hide the endearing and curious creature from not only his family but the army who are using their house as a temporary base. The relationship between the boy and his rapidly growing nautical friend is heart warming, and the uncertainty of the beast's future will have you biting your nails. The waterhorse is so realistically animated you do forget that he's not real. And the climax of the film almost had me in tears. This is perfect family viewing that can be watched again and again, I would highly recommend it to both adults and children - a really lovely tale of friendship between man and beast that you can become completely absorbed in.

- An absolutely beautiful film - Highly reccomended

This is such a wonderful and moving film. It brought a tear to my eye. I actually had never heard of it before but upon reading the storyline and looking at reviews I thought that it sounded like a film that I would enjoy. I am amazed that this film is not more widely known about.

Great family viewing and a thoroughly enjoyable film even if you haven't got any kids (like me!)

Truely magical.

I can't reccomend it highly enough.

- Wonderful

This is one of those heart warming wonderful films that can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike.

I will not go into the synopsis of the movie as you will find it on this page. However, if you are someone who is thinking of purchasing this title and have a Blu ray player then this transfer is superb. In fact, this was one of the first Blu ray titles I bought shortly after receiving my Blu ray player. The opening scenes depicting the Scottish countryside are absolutely crystal clear. We even noticed that during a scene where we see the hands of a fisherman we could see the hairs on them!

Audio is also fantastic, with amazing depth and clarity and deliver punchy performance during action sequences. The CGI work in this movie is also first rate and is shown off to great effect in this Blu ray transfer.

I can recommend this title without reservation and for the price it's a must-buy for your Blu ray collection.

Simply wonderful!

- One of the best films of 2008

It's such a shame that this film didn't receive the recognition and media attention it deserves. It's a film that caters for all ages, at the same time amusing, heart-lifting and sombre. The special effects are absolutely fantastic, and that's saying something given all the special effects floating around the film industry nowadays. Crusoe the Water Horse looks more life-like than any other CGI creature I've seen on screen. This is a film with great re-watchability, and I recommend it to all.

- A thumbs up!!!

Me and my son have been meaning to watch this film for ages and finally managed to watch it the other day. I can safely conclude that it was worth the wait as we both thoroughly enjoyed it from begining to end.