The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a 2007 fantasy film directed by Jay Russell. The screenplay, written by screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, is an adaptation of Dick King-Smith's children's novel The Water Horse.
It stars Alex as a young boy who discovers a mysterious egg and cares for what hatches out of it: a 'water horse' (loosely based on the Celtic water horse) which later becomes the fabled Loch Ness Monster.
The movie also stars Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, and David Morrissey.
The film was produced by Revolution Studios and Walden Media, in collaboration with Beacon Pictures, and was distributed by Columbia Pictures.
Visual effects, which included the computer-generated imagery of the water horse (named "Crusoe" by Etel's character) were completed by the New Zealand-based companies Weta Digital and Weta Workshop — visual effects companies who worked with Walden Media before on the productions of The Chronicles of Narnia films. The Water Horse was released in the United States on December 25, 2007 (Christmas Day) and in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2008.
2007 Review of The Water Horse by RottenTomatoes.com
Based on the novel by Babe author Dick King-Smith, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is set in Scotland during World War II, and focuses on Angus (Alex Etel), a young boy who discovers an unusual egg at Loch Ness.
When the egg hatches to reveal a dinosaur-like creature, Angus finds that he has a unique pet, a mythical "water horse," which he names Crusoe.
Complicating matters are Crusoe's fast growth rate and soldiers stationed near the lake, factors that make it very tricky to keep the friendly beastie a secret.
A thoroughly likable family film directed by Jay Russell (Tuck Everlasting), The Water Horse provides an intriguing spin on the classic boy-and-his-dog tale.
While Etel, who won over audiences in Millions, ably carries the movie, he is supported by a topnotch ensemble that includes Emily Watson as his mother, newcomer Priyanka Xi as his sister, and Ben Chaplin as a good-natured handyman.
Primarily sharing the screen with Etel, however, is the Loch Ness Monster-in-the-making, which is wonderfully rendered by Weta, the company behind the digital effects for The Lord of the Rings films.
Both cute and, in his larger state, intimidating, Crusoe strikes up a surprisingly believable relationship with Angus, providing the heart of this beautifully photographed story.
RottenTomatoes.com 2007
Director:
Jay Russell
Writers (WGA):
Robert Nelson Jacobs (screenplay)
Dick King-Smith (book)
Robert Bernstein - producer
David Brown - line producer: UK
Charlie Lyons - producer
Charles Newirth - executive producer
Barrie M. Osborne - producer
Douglas Rae - producer
Jay Russell - executive producer
Original Music by
James Newton Howard
Cinematography by
Oliver Stapleton
Film Editing by
Mark Warner
Studio: Revolution Studios,
Walden Media,
Beacon Pictures
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
