The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)

74% of critics liked it
(88 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(46,844 ratings)

A lonely young boy vows to protect the rapidly growing hatchling that emerges from a mysterious egg found on the shores of a Scottish loch in My Dog Skip and Tuck Everlasting director Jay Russell's screen adaptation of writer Dick King-Smith's popular children's novel. Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel)… More A lonely young boy vows to protect the rapidly growing hatchling that emerges from a mysterious egg found on the shores of a Scottish loch in My Dog Skip and Tuck Everlasting director Jay Russell's screen adaptation of writer Dick King-Smith's popular children's novel. Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel) has made a most unusual discovery, and he's about to find out just how one innocent boy's greatest fantasy can also be a frightened adult population's greatest threat. Unable to identify the egg that he found while walking the sandy shores, Angus is even more perplexed about the discovery and the creature that emerges resembles what comes to be known as a Water Horse, which Angus names Crusoe. As the bizarre new life form begins to grow at an alarming rate, it soon becomes obvious that Angus will not be able to keep it a secret for very long, and the young boy will have to do some seriously quick thinking if he is to keep his new friend safe. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: Jay Russell
Written By: Robert Nelson Jacobs
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Dec 25, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Apr 8, 2008
Studio: Sony Pictures/Columbia

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
[A] disappointing mixed bag.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
A rich, mostly tender fairy tale.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
A tepid, CGI-enhanced family movie that should delight 6-year-olds with a lap full of popcorn.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
The film is a triumph of empathy.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Maybe the best thing about this cute pet movie is that the kids won't be able to talk you into picking one up on the way home from the theater.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
It's a little corny and somewhat overlong, but a sweet sensibility and stirring adventure scenes make The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep a welcome gift for anyone looking to keep kids entertained over the holidays.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
The Water Horse is an extremely charming little children's film of the type that we unfortunately have been seeing less and less often, with just enough weight to truly earn the title 'a film for the entire family.'
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter
... we are able to sit back and enjoy the fun without ever losing sight of the sadness underneath.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
The large selection of extras is dominated by a bunch of behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
The story nicely interweaves the legend of the Loch Ness monster with a tale of childhood angst, wartime drama and adventure.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Pleasingly evokes the days when Roddy McDowall frolicked with Flicka and Lassie, [but] it must be said that a CGI pet is not quite so easy to love as a flesh-and-blood performer, animal or human.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
One of the best family films to come out in 2007.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Mal conseguindo ocultar o fato de ter sido claramente inspirado em "E.T.", é um filme terrivelmente irregular que traz personagens esquemáticos e um monstrinho tão "simpáticos" que jamais temos certeza se este irá devorar seu amigo humano ou não.
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
'Tis a great beastie, and not a wee pig, this time around.
Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly
The only reasons to stay awake are the nature porn shots of the Highlands impossibly green hills and gray skies, and a nimble bit performance by a bulldog named Churchill
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
It doesn't condescend to kids; its themes and narrative structure are fairly sophisticated.
Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Although it's a fantasy, 'The Water Horse' makes us believe we're actually seeing 1940s Scotland on the big screen.
M. K. Terrell, Christian Science Monitor
An intelligent and family-friendly variation on the boy and his dog story in which the 'dog' is a cuddly little creature that turns into the Loch Ness monster.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Alexander D

Lackluster
Luke B

A real family that deals with friendships in a realistic fashion. The Water Horse isn't just a cute little creature. It starts off that way, with a number of comical scenes involving a baby monster. It soon turns a lot darker, where the monster is truly a wild creature and… More
A real family that deals with friendships in a realistic fashion. The Water Horse isn't just a cute little creature. It starts off that way, with a number of comical scenes involving a baby monster. It soon turns a lot darker, where the monster is truly a wild creature and capable of great harm. The film holds up as we wonder if the friendship between Angus and monster will hold up. A lot of the film was rather slow, as it took a while to get anywhere. We are given some repetitive scenes, such as baths for the monster, and at least 2 chases involving the monster and dog. I also wasn't a fan of the movie being told as a story. It gave off a creepy vibe from Brian Cox, like he just sits in the pub all day rambling on. The CGI creature is very consistent, and the action scenes do have some dread to them. A nice watch for families, that doesn't patronize nor embarrass.
Michael E

it was a wonderful film, with great story, effects, characters, and drama.
KJ P

Great kids classic that I will remember for a long time! I saw it for 2 dollars at some cheap holiday special screening, but I would have paid full price for this wonderful film!
Wahida K

Scottish Legends are the best ones. In a Scottish Legend you ll find everything. A love story, a Nessie, a Ghosts..etc just about everything. It was a sweet Movie.
Phil H

Lovely film for the younger viewer about a possible Nessie. Sure its a kind of 'Free Willy' set in Scotland with a monster instead of a killer whale, and the final sequence is basically a rather obvious rip from the final sequence in Free Willy haha but it is a decent film… More
Lovely film for the younger viewer about a possible Nessie. Sure its a kind of 'Free Willy' set in Scotland with a monster instead of a killer whale, and the final sequence is basically a rather obvious rip from the final sequence in Free Willy haha but it is a decent film with a good heart. the effects are good,especially the baby nessie,looks very lifelike....as it grows up i didnt agree with the design of the creature....looks alittle bit too babyish but it is for kids i suppose. great cast,great surroundings and as its set during WW1 u do get a nice old fashioned disney feel about the whole thing,like films of old,sweet. very nice film,worth seeing.
jay n

Sweet fantasy with a much higher quality cast than usually found in this sort of film.
paul s

I feel compelled to compare this film to Pan's Laborynth as both are fantasies, set during wartime, and coming of age stories. In the case of Pan (see my earlier review), the action was being driven by the same set piece over and over again; the evil captain and his… More
I feel compelled to compare this film to Pan's Laborynth as both are fantasies, set during wartime, and coming of age stories. In the case of Pan (see my earlier review), the action was being driven by the same set piece over and over again; the evil captain and his manipulations, terrorizing the townspeople and the little girl in particular. The waterhorse is similar but a bit more varied in its "villian", using the glory hungry captain, but equally using the "hunter" of the troops as well as a bulldog named "Churchill". Both films had the "eye of the child" point of view, which adds to a sense of wonder more in Waterhorse than I felt in Pan's. Both films made excellent use of CGI, as the Waterhorse's growth seemed seemless. The failing of Waterhorse is that the stiff upper lip attitude of the mother didn't reveal enough of her trying to come to grips with the loss of her husband. If this had been brought more to the fore earlier, then the speach made by the handyman about giving the son a chance to be closer to his mother would have been more poignant. Pan's of course is the darker film, as the Captain in its tale was truly evil, whereas in Waterhorse the "evil" was more simple charactor failings; hubris, greed, envy. So for all that, while it seems the lighter of the two, it is the more intimate. I also enjoyed the "storytelling" aspect by Brian Cox, with that gleam in his eye, as well as the beginning scene showing a timeless town that could indeed be any age, except for the modern car that then drives down the cobblestoned street. This scene is repeated at the end of the film as another generation of Waterhorse is set to begin; but as the old saw says, "that's a tale for another time".
Leigh R

Breathtakingly beautiful.
Sanjaya &

Just some story about some tale about a water horse in Loch Ness, Scotland... The movie itself was good by keeping the cast from the British side, they didn't have an American man because it will kill the movie... The effects for Crusoe, the water horse, was great... It was looks… More
Just some story about some tale about a water horse in Loch Ness, Scotland... The movie itself was good by keeping the cast from the British side, they didn't have an American man because it will kill the movie... The effects for Crusoe, the water horse, was great... It was looks like really live in this world... And it's not a bad story at all for kids, but they need a parenting guide from their parents of course for some scenes...
Roy G

... we are able to sit back and enjoy the fun without ever losing sight of the sadness underneath.
Morgan S

SOOOOO ADORABLE!!!!
Bruce B

Kids or Chick Flix, Nothing More. Not in My collection sorry.
Justin Y

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep does a nice job at creating a family fantasy film out of the Loch Ness Monster.The story for this movie is quite slow and is a bit bland at times, although you do get the Water Horse creature (AKA Crusoe) within the first… More
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep does a nice job at creating a family fantasy film out of the Loch Ness Monster.The story for this movie is quite slow and is a bit bland at times, although you do get the Water Horse creature (AKA Crusoe) within the first 15 minutes of the film. There is a military side to the story, which in turn makes this film more dark and a little less family friendly as the trailers make it look. This is a little disappointing story wise, but it does make for a nice dramatic ending. Another nice aspect of the story is that there are multiple elements. Most of the film takes place around World War II time, but there are segments from a present day storyteller, and past segments right before the current World War II setting. These deal with the father-son relationship of the main character, Angus. On another note, the mini side story of the fisherman is hilarious.The CG is great. Crusoe is adorable and the ladies will love it. Although Crusoe grows up quite quickly and the cuteness factor goes away, the CG improves and makes up for it. The latter scenes with the adult Crusoe include some nice cinematic shots as well.The acting is good and the fact that the actors are from the UK is a definite plus. Other than the main characters of Angus and Crusoe, the character development is a little weak. Angus' sister, played by Priyanka Xi, suffers a lot from this as well as too little airtime.All in all, this is worth the watch. It is a good family film with a dramatic ending and interesting concept.
Douglas W C

A wonderful family movie.
Chris G

Descent family fair about the legend of Loch Ness.
Manu G

It was a good movie but a lil bit boring from my perspective. A lonely boy discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Scottish legend.
A.D. V

Although he was refering to a different movie I have to borrow a quote from my favorite Dr. who so eloquently stated, "Good, clean family fun...if you're into that s***."
Film C

it was ok reli
Mike S

Very enjoyable and beautifully shot family film, that altough falling short of standing out in a crowd, certainly had me well-entertained for two solid hours. I also loved the fact that the story was set during World War II, which for me gave it a significant boost in appealingness.… More
Very enjoyable and beautifully shot family film, that altough falling short of standing out in a crowd, certainly had me well-entertained for two solid hours. I also loved the fact that the story was set during World War II, which for me gave it a significant boost in appealingness. Furthermore, the movie had surprisingly good SFX. The Loch Ness monster looked incredibly life-like, so kudos to the animators for a job well done.