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The Water Horse (2007) 6.5
Ratings:
6.5/10 from 30,028 users
Metascore: 71/100
Reviews: 87 user | 96 critic | 24 from Metacritic.com A lonely boy discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Scottish legend. Director:Jay Russell |
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Title: The Water Horse (2007)
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6 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Bruce Allpress | ... | ||
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Geraldine Brophy | ... |
Gracie
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Eddie Campbell | ... |
Hughie
(as Edward Campbell)
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| Ben Chaplin | ... | ||
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Peter Corrigan | ... |
Jimmy's Buddy #1
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| Brian Cox | ... | ||
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Carl Dixon | ... | |
| Alex Etel | ... | ||
| Nathan Christopher Haase | ... | ||
| Craig Hall | ... | ||
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Ian Harcourt | ... | |
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Rex Hurst | ... |
Jimmy's Buddy #2
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William Johnson | ... |
Clyde
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Megan Katherine | ... | |
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Elliot Lawless | ... |
Beach Kid
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
A boy finds an interesting egg. His curiosity leads him to protect it and want to figure out what will come out of it. He didn't realize that it would turn into something magical. The boy and the Water horse grow a strong relationship together in this wonderful story. Written by kcquail
Taglines:
How Do You Keep A Secret This Big? See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG for some action/peril, mild language and brief smoking | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
25 December 2007 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Mi mascota es un monstruo See more »Box Office
Budget:
$40,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
$2,385,644 (USA) (21 December 2007)Gross:
£4,409,870 (UK) (7 March 2008)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Female Tourist: What is that?
Male Tourist: It's a famous picture of the monster. But it's fake.
Female Tourist: How do you know it's fake? It looks real.
Old Angus: Oh, it's fake alright.
Male Tourist: Of course it's fake. Everyone knows that.
Old Angus: We'd know, son. There's more to that photo than meets the eye.
Male Tourist: Oh ho, really.
Old Angus: Well, if you'd like to know the real truth.
Female Tourist: Yeah, I wanna know. Come on, it'll be fun.
[...]
See more »
Written by Milton Ager, Benny Davis and Lester Santley
Performed by Oscar Rabin and His Big Band
Courtesy of Acrobat Licensing Ltd.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
In traditional Scottish mythology, 'The Water Horse' aka 'Kelpie' is a terrifying people-eating "boogeyman." This beast appears in a pleasing form to lure unsuspecting victims (usually children) to play with it. Once the unfortunate soul had mounted the Kelpie, it would trap the victim with glue excreted from its skin, and drag him or her down to a watery death. Another kind of Kelpie took the form of a handsome man who targeted young women, analogous to the Dracula and Nosferatu of Eastern Europe. Society used these legends to protect young people by teaching them to be wary of adult strangers and dangerous natural formations. Kelpie stories come from all over Scotland, and are not exclusively associated with Loch Ness. It was only in the 1930s, after the popularity of early stop-motion dinosaur films such as The Lost World (1925) and King Kong (1933), that the standard image of Scottish lake monsters was revised to be shaped like a dinosaur or a plesiosaur. Their nature was subsequently changed to become docile, cute and cuddly, because this image is more convenient for creating a tourist attraction. The association of these monsters with Loch Ness specifically, only came about because the first published photo of such a "creature" was made there, around 1933. After that picture (called the "Surgeon's Photo" and seen frequently in this film) became world-famous in 1934, several similar monsters were "sighted" in various locations across Canada, and given names such as Ogopogo and Cadborosaurus. During the Great Depression, happy novelties in the news were popular, so they were covered extensively. The fact that these "sightings" are so convenient for entertainment culture and the tourist industry, suggests that the phenomenon is commercial rather than biological. See more »Goofs
In an early scene, Angus pulls out a first aid kit, and the bandage on top is labeled 'Telfa'. The film is set in 1942, but Telfa bandages weren't marketed by the Kendall Company/Curity until 1954. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Female Tourist: What is that?
Male Tourist: It's a famous picture of the monster. But it's fake.
Female Tourist: How do you know it's fake? It looks real.
Old Angus: Oh, it's fake alright.
Male Tourist: Of course it's fake. Everyone knows that.
Old Angus: We'd know, son. There's more to that photo than meets the eye.
Male Tourist: Oh ho, really.
Old Angus: Well, if you'd like to know the real truth.
Female Tourist: Yeah, I wanna know. Come on, it'll be fun.
[...]
See more »
Crazy Credits
No Sea Monsters were harmed during the making of this film. See more »Soundtracks
I'm Nobody's BabyWritten by Milton Ager, Benny Davis and Lester Santley
Performed by Oscar Rabin and His Big Band
Courtesy of Acrobat Licensing Ltd.
See more »
It is reassuring to see more and more family-oriented films being issued without everyone having to rely on the Disney and Pixar folks to carry all the weight. That said, it would have been interesting to see what Disney might have done with this story. In the end, I would highly recommend this for family viewing - it has laughs, thrills, beautiful scenery, and a heartwarming storyline that offers opportunities for family discussion.
As with most things, there are good and bad sides to this film. On the plus side, the acting is above-par by all the actors(the adult male leads look startlingly like a young Liam Neeson and a Gaelic Antonio Banderas), the location footage is gorgeous, the period "feels right", and the title namesake is very well executed and most believable. Major kudos to the special effects teams, they did a magnificent job.
On the downside, the denouement is telegraphed well in advance and comes as no surprise, and there are some unanswered questions and several plot lines end without resolution. I have a feeling a "directors cut" would probably restore studio-mandated cuts and resolve these issues. The Director, Jay Russell, has helmed other very successful films (including a little-known but personal favorite "End of the Line") which were also obviously "fiddled with" by studio decree. Such is the business of film-making.
In the end, I greatly enjoyed this film, and plan to add it to my vast collection when it is released for home viewing.