A Treat for the Whole Family

8-year-old Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel) is counting the days when his father will return from the war (WWII). While spending time by the local lake (Loch Ness), he discovers a large shell-encrusted stone in a tidal pool. The stone turns out to be an egg which subsequently hatches into a strange little creature, which Angus promptly dubs Crusoe.

Meanwhile, the manor house in which Angus and his mother and sister are living has been requisitioned by a local regiment, headed by Capt. Hamilton. In-between making eyes at his mother, Hamilton tells Angus that the soldiers are stationed there to watch out for Nazi ships infiltrating the loch--an unlikely circumstance that does not sit too well with those who have fought or have loved ones fighting on the real front lines.

At first, Angus manages to keep Crusoe in his father's workshop, but a mysterious handyman, Lewis Mobray (Ben Chaplin), is taken on by his mother and asked to tidy up the workshop. Upon catching a glimpse of the creature, Lewis recalls the legend of the water horse, a creature of Celtic lore. As the water horse grows by leaps and bounds, it becomes more and more impossible for Angus to keep him a secret from his family. With Lewis's help, he takes the water horse to the lake and sets him free. But when the local regiment decides to test their fire-power by bombing the lake, Crusoe's safety is at stake.

Will Crusoe be maimed or even killed by the bombing? How can Angus get him to leave the lake for the safety of the ocean, when the army has installed a net at the inlet to trap enemy vessels and, unbeknownst to them, a water horse as well?

Based on the novel by Dick King-Smith, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a well-told tale that blends recent history with ancient lore, giving the audience an intimate look at one boy's rite-of-passage during a significant point in history. There is poignancy in Angus's yearning for his departed father (who may or may not have perished in the war), and there is light-hearted relief in the water-horse's antics when he's young, as well as thrilling action sequences of Angus riding the grown monster in the depths of the lake.

Alex Etel (Millions) is a gifted young performer and is surrounded here by a mostly strong supporting cast (notably Priyanka Xi as his sister, Ben Chaplin as Lewis Mobray, and a younger Angus who's every bit as sombre and angelic-faced as his older self). Superb CGI (courtesy of Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, responsible for Lord of the Rings and King Kong) ensures seamless special effects, with special mention for the hatchling monster that any child will take to be real, and will surely melt the most cynical of adult hearts. Comic relief is also provided by the baddest dog in town, with several exciting chase sequences that will make you laugh and gasp at the same time.

A wholesome family movie that will appeal to all ages, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is about the bond that can develop between a youngster and his animal friend, and how we can overcome our fears if we want to or need to badly enough, and how sometimes we have to let go of something...or someone...we love very, very much. Highly recommended for all ages.