Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
The Water Horse
Metascore
71 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
view
per page
  1. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    90
    Personally, I wouldn't take a toddler (unless he was the son of Tarantino) to this intermittently, legitimately terrifying tale of a boy and his Loch Ness monster. But everyone else should blow off "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and show up for the best kiddie picture of the season -- and, along with "Ratatouille," of the year.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    Like most British family films, Water Horse doesn't dumb down its young characters or insult the intelligence of the audience. It has a lot of sly humor about what we know, or have heard, about the Loch Ness monster.
  3. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    88
    Well-told fanciful tales aimed at children but appreciated by adults are a rarity, and The Water Horse should be savored for the exuberantly entertaining ride it offers.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Stephen Farber
    80
    While it boasts a lower profile than many other Christmas releases, it might catch on with parents who want to take their kids to a movie that the entire family will actually enjoy. Nifty special effects and a first-rate British cast elevate this production.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    80
    An enchanting tale of friendship and evolvingrelationships, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" engagingly grafts coming-of-age movie chestnuts onto Scottish folklore.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Laura Kern
    80
    Ffamily-friendly escapist fare that should enthrall, without insult, fantasy-minded viewers of any age.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Justin Chang
    80
    Though it strikes some predictable coming-of-age notes, this moving, well-wrought adventure should appeal to fans of "E.T." and Carroll Ballard.
  8. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    80
    It declines to take itself seriously, yet manages, sometimes simultaneously, to be exciting, instructive, cheerfully absurd and genuinely affecting.
    All this critic's reviews
  9. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    80
    Combining the best of fantasy and somber reflection, The Water Horse is a lovely ride.
  10. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Steve Winn
    75
    A solidly made wish-fulfillment fantasy set during World War II.
  11. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    75
    The period detail is evocative, Watson and Etel are particularly good, and baby Crusoe -- a computer-generated image seamlessly woven into the live action -- is a slippery little star in his own right.
  12. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    Consider it "Free Willy" with the Loch Ness Monster. It's that kind of family-friendly movie - one that focuses on the friendship between a lonely boy and an animal.
  13. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Rick Groen
    75
    It's adapted with charming dispatch from the Dick King-Smith story, and served up by the same CGI wizards who animated the critters in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Narnia Chronicles."
  14. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    75
    Few kid films manage to assemble this much ambition alongside this much sincere, sweet emotion.
  15. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    70
    Like many fairy tales, this handsome family film concerns a child coming to terms with his fears and the death of a parent.
  16. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    67
    A family film in the best sense.
  17. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: William Arnold
    67
    Predictable but entertaining kid movie.
  18. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Jessica Reaves
    63
    First, a few things The Water Horse is not: revolutionary, controversial or challenging. What it is: a sweet, familiar story, beautifully filmed and lovingly told.
  19. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    63
    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.
  20. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    63
    Emily Watson, looking at home in her '40s frocks, plays Angus' mother - coping not only with her son's obsession with what she believes to be an imaginary friend, but also with her own worry and grief about her husband at war.
  21. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    63
    If you want to take the kids to a cockle-warming tale of humans and computer-generated critters, do yourself a favor: Skip the singing rodents and head for the baby Loch Ness Monster in The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep.
  22. Empire
    Reviewed by: Anna Smith
    60
    Likeable stuff despite being slow paced and rather sentimental.
  23. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    50
    Adults will sniff out a general air of phoniness - the period detail isn't particularly convincing, and the Scottish factor is overcooked to the point where the script starts to resemble the national cuisine.
  24. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Karen Valby
    42
    Parents can trust that none of their wee ones will ask for a stuffed water horse for Christmas. The star of this Scottish fable, about the mythical Loch Ness monster, looks like a raw chicken breast with teeth when he hatches.
prev next
Page:
  • 1

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. heyitsmegrif4
    7
    The film is adventurous, funny, charming, thrilling and visually stunning. And it adds with a few impressive performances. It is definitely one of our times most innocent tales. I give this movie 75%.… Full Review »
  2. MovieLonely94
    6
    not my favorite, but it has the source material and the actors were supportive.
  3. MaryH.
    8
    I saw The Last Mimzy and The Water Horse on two consecutive nights, and now I have forgotten many elements of the former simply through watching the latter. The Water Horse has a few inconsistencies, but overall is the better of the two films. It is not as aimless, nor does it have the presumptive air of the former, either. The CGI is practically flawless. It works, however, in making Crusoe the Water Horse as real as possible: as we watch, we see Crusoe growing from the size of a box turtle (which it resembles early in its development) to that of a true king of the deep, the Loch Ness "monster." Having been fortunate enough to have traveled to Inverness, Scotland and visiting the Loch itself, I was delighted to see some of the places nearby, including Uruquhart Castle (the ruins on the south side of the Loch). Seeing the Loch itself gives one pause to wonder if a creature could exist, and in one of my own personal slides I have a shot with a black rock on it that I always tell people is one of the humps on the real monster. Regardless if one believes the "monster" is real or not, there is something in the air which makes one feel as though there are infinite possibilities no matter how much we think otherwise.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »