'Water Horse' works for all members of family

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By Linda Cook | Thursday, January 3, 2008 6:13 AM CST | () comments

This undated photo provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment shows Alex Etel in a scene from "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep." (AP Photo/Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Tis a great beastie, and not a wee pig, this time around.

And still “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep,” is a fun family romp, with multi-layered storylines and incredible CGI imagery.

The show opens, naturally, near Loch Ness, where a couple of American travelers are drawn into a story told by a local fellow (Brian Cox). The story is told in flashback, beginning in 1942, when a boy named Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel, “Millions”) is leading a solitary life. Angus dearly misses his dad, who has gone off to war.

But now he has something with which to occupy his time. He finds an egg-shaped object that turns out to be a real egg. And when it hatches, an adorable sea creature that he names Crusoe becomes both his best pal and a cause for constant concern. The little flipper critter can’t seem to stay out of mischief, much less stay hidden as Angus would like.

Angus’ suspicious mom (Emily Watson) doesn’t have a lot of time to figure out what her son is hiding in the shed because a group of soldiers are billeted at the family’s expansive home. About the same time the captain (David Morrissey) arrives, so does a mysterious handyman (Ben Chaplin).

The handyman befriends Angus and his sister and helps keep the soon-to-be-gigantic Crusoe from prying adult eyes.

The show is better than the average kid-and-his-animal fare because, just as the same author’s “Babe” did, the script works on several levels. We see a boy working through his isolation, the way war affects those who are not directly involved and the way people react to what they cannot understand. The script contains a good bit of humor that blends easily with the drama of the war-focused scenes.

Crusoe is computer-generated, of course, but it’s easy to forget that the star of the movie doesn’t exist. This is the way CGI is meant to look — a seamless part of a live-action film — and you’ll be amazed at how cuddly and, eventually, how ferocious, Crusoe appears.

The human actors are all capable and convincing. Alex is a fine actor, so natural and appealing that he’ll warm your heart in every scene.

This is the kind of high-quality, intelligent family entertainment that will make a splash with both children and adults.

Linda Cook reviews movies for GO! and KWQC-TV6. Contact her at (563) 383-2400 or lcook@qctimes.com. Comment on these reviews at qctimes.com.

movieguide

“The Water Horse:

Legend of the Deep”

*** (out of four)

Running time: One hour and 45 minutes

Rated: PG for dangerous situations

Stars: Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, Emily Watson, David Morrissey, Priyanka Xi and Brian Cox

Director: Jay Russell

Screenwriter: Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on the book by Dick King-Smith