Missing his soldier father, a Scottish boy seeks comfort in a new friend in this WWII-set adventure. But Angus (Alex Etel) doesn't find just any new friend: this one hatches from an egg and turns into The Loch Ness Monster. As he strives to hide his find from his housekeeper mother (Emily Watson) and the resident regiment (lead by David Morrissey), Angus befriends handyman Lewis (Ben Chaplin) and has various enjoyable adventures. Part family melodrama, part knockabout kiddie romp, The Water Horse injects its loss-of-innocence story with frequent chase scenes. The little CG Nessie is quite a handful - especially as he grows at an alarming rate - and is given to escaping from his hiding place (first the shed, then the spare bathroom) and lolloping around the mansion. Kids should enjoy watching Angus and his sister scramble around after their new pal, especially when he's chased by the cook's slavering bulldog.
Adults, meanwhile, may find this family flick more bearable than most, thanks in part to Emily Watson's sensitive portrayal of Angus's mother. A repressed, secretly grieving woman, she fails to notice Angus's problems, and has her eyes gently opened by Lewis, implicit love rival to Morrissey's bullish army captain. The narration - a modern-day Brian Cox reminiscing in a local pub - is too sentimental, and the film is too long. But this is still a decent old-fashioned fantasy that should entertain anyone who's ever dreamed of stumbling across a mythical beast.
