When a lonely young boy named Angus discovers a large, mysterious egg along the shores of Loch Ness, no one is prepared for what lies within. He soon discovers that the strange, mischievous hatchling inside is none other than The Water Horse, the loch’s most mysterious and fabled creature! But with the Water Horse growing ten times its size every day, Angus finds it increasingly difficult to keep his new friend a secret. Two-time Academy Award(r) nominee Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey and Brian Cox star in this heart warming tale from director Jay Russell (Tuck Everlasting) and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs.
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,” i.e., 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.
If you can’t think of three more endearing recent family movies than “My Dog Skip,” “Babe” and “Millions,” then here’s another title to add to the list. “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep” is based on a book by the author of “Babe,” made by the director of “My Dog Skip,” and stars the hero of “Millions” and it fully lives up to its linage. – Roger Ebert
Starring Alex Etel, Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox.