The Waterhorse
Encyclopedia
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a 2007 American family fantasy-drama film directed by Jay Russell
. The screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs
, is an adaptation of Dick King-Smith
's children's novel The Water Horse. It stars Alex Etel
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 film also stars Emily Watson
, Ben Chaplin
, and David Morrissey
.
The Water Horse 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.
In 1942 Scotland a boy called Angus MacMorrow lives in a large manor house on the shores of Loch Ness
with his mother Anne (housekeeper), his sister, a cook, a maid and an old game keeper. Later they are joined by Lewis Mowbray, who comes to work as a handyman in the manor. Angus' father — a sailor in the Royal Navy
— is missing since his ship has been sunk in the war. However, Angus is unable to accept that he may be dead.
One day, while looking for seashells in the tidepools (in the movie the loch is saltwater), he discovers what appears to be a large mysterious egg. He leaves it in his father's shed and returns later to check on it. An unknown creature hatches from it whom he calls 'Crusoe' after Robinson Crusoe
, that becomes the fabled Loch Ness Monster
. Angus keeps the creature a secret, but eventually tells his sister and (reluctantly) Lewis about it. Lewis explains to Angus that it is a 'Water Horse
' and that it could be a boy or a girl, that it lays one egg, then dies before it can see it hatch. The next day troops of the 12th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery arrive at the house. They are commanded by Captain Thomas Hamilton a friend of Lord Killin, the owner of the house who is serving with the Royal Air Force
. An artillery battery is set up near the lake as defence against possible attacking or hiding German U-boats and the troops set up camp on the grounds of the house. An anti-submarine net
is also raised at the mouth of the lake to prevent the entrance of German U-boats into the lake. Meanwhile, Crusoe grows so fast that hiding him becomes impossible and eventually Angus has no other option but to allow Lewis to bring it to the lake.
Captain Hamilton persuades Angus' mother to allow him to teach Angus some discipline and make a soldier out of him. She agrees but after a few days Angus escapes and returns to the lake where he left his friend. Crusoe lets him ride on its back. After some time, it begins to dive underwater, coming to the surface from time to time for breathing. Angus, scared of the water, loudly protests that it should stop diving, but later enjoys himself, perhaps even overcoming his phobia for the sea. The peaceful setting doesn't last long; Crusoe suffers from shell shock after almost getting shot by "Victoria" (a cannon; originally meant to stop submarines) aimed at the lake during a firing demonstration.
Angus in the meantime trying to stop the firing to save Crusoe from getting hurt makes Hamilton and the officers mad at him and is locked up in his room by his mother for a month at six at every night as a punishment for disobeying Hamiltons orders to stay back
Two people who previously saw Crusoe while fishing on the lake attempt to take a photo of it in order to become rich. When they realize that they won't be able to photograph the real thing due to the bombardment test, they decide to create an imitation, which results in the real-life faked picture of The Loch Ness Monster, also known as "The Surgeon's Photo".
The photo, however fake, piques the interest of a few soldiers who venture out on the lake at night to kill it. The surprise attack proves futile for the soldiers, as Crusoe easily capsizes their boat. Angus attempts to calm Crusoe down and wades into the lake where he loses his footing and sinks. Crusoe comes to Angus' rescue and saves his life. After much coaxing from Angus, Crusoe decides to leave the loch for shelter and safety. However, guns from the nearby Artillery battery open fire upon Crusoe, mistaking it for a German U-Boat. Crusoe attempts to jump over the anti-submarine net but instead crushes it with its weight and escapes from the lake. It is implied that Angus finally accepts that his father may never return home while he sees Crusoe's departure from afar, along with Lewis and his family. (The story ends with the fact that, while several people claim to have seen Crusoe over the years, Angus never saw it again and yet never doubts that it was real.)
After the story was told (it is revealed that the story teller is Angus himself), a mother calls out to her son, who is walking down the beach and spots a rock. The rock looks similar to the egg that the water horse, or 'Nessie' as known in modern times, had hatched from. The last thing that is heard in the film is a crack from the egg, hinting to the viewers that Crusoe has died, but not before leaving a descendant behind to be the next Nessie.
, Scotland
and at Miramar Studios in Wellington
. Most of the film was shot in New Zealand, with Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu
doubling for a Scottish Loch. The filmmakers found that some of the landscape and geography there was similar to Scotland. However Russell said, "There was no way I was going to make a movie about the Loch Ness monster and not shoot at least part of it in Scotland."
The scenes in and around the MacMorrow family's house were shot on the 100-year-old Ardkinglas Estate
on the shores of Loch Fyne
in Scotland. The owners of the estate continued to live in the house while the crew was filming there.
visual effects specialists Weta Digital
and Weta Workshop
who mainly did Crusoe
. Most of the roughly 600 effects shots in the film involved Crusoe. And many of those shots involved the creature (Crusoe) interacting with water, which, in terms of the history of computer graphics
, has always been a particularly difficult substance to deal with.
In terms of the design of the creature, Weta Digital tried to not humanize him but instead based some of his expressions on real animals such as a dog. "We wanted to create something which seemed familiar, but was unique at the same time," said Russell. "As a result, Crusoe’s face is a combination of a horse, a dog, an eagle and a giraffe." When creating his movements and body shape at various stages of growth, the animators referenced animals ranging from baby birds to seals to whales.
and Kung Fu Panda
. Another poster that features Etel's character with Crusoe on the loch during the daytime was released in October 2007.
Two teaser trailers were released in quick succession in June 2007. The first was a teaser created specifically for the Rock Ness Music Festival on June 9 and 10, but was leaked onto the internet and later pulled. A different trailer was released to Yahoo.com on 22 June 2007 and became the official teaser.
Internet promotion includes several different official different websites in the English (with individual websites for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia), Spanish, French and Russian languages. They were launched by Sony in early November 2007 and feature photos, video clips, a video blog, games and information on the film's plot and production. Another website was created by the film's production companies, asecretthisbig.com, and is dedicated to the examination of the Loch Ness Monster
's existence in reality. Additionally, the film has a YouTube
account which features the video blogs from the official website, as well as additional video content.
Two sweepstakes were created for The Water Horse. The first, "See It To Believe It," awarded the winner with a family trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific
. The second, "Unloch the Legend" awarded the winner with a family trip to Scotland.
A 15 metre "water screen" was used to project a moving image, with sound, of the Water Horse in Tokyo Bay
.
and Mexico
on Christmas
day of 2007. The MPAA rated the film PG for some action/peril, mild language and brief smoking.
Multiple release dates spanning January and April 2008 have been set for worldwide audiences including France
(8 February), the United Kingdom
(13 February), Russia
(6 March) and India
(4 April).
The Water Horse was released on DVD
and Blu-Ray on April 8, 2008.
reported that 73 percent of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 56 reviews, classifying the film as "Certified Fresh". Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Pete Hammond of Maxim magazine gave the film 4 stars out of 5, saying "It's not only the perfect holiday movie, but perhaps the most wondrous film of its kind since E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
touched down." Hammond said the character Angus is "expertly played by Alex Etel," said the film was "skillfully directed by Jay Russell", and said the special effects were "stunning" and "rival the year's best."
The film also has some chronological inconsistencies:
Jay Russell
Jay Russell , is a film director and also executive producer and director of the film My Dog Skip.His other directing credits include Tuck Everlasting, Ladder 49 and The Water Horse...
. The screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs
Robert Nelson Jacobs
Robert Nelson Jacobs is an American screenwriter. In 2000, he received an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay for Chocolat.-Biography:...
, is an adaptation of Dick King-Smith
Dick King-Smith
Ronald Gordon King-Smith OBE, Hon.M.Ed. , better known by his pen name Dick King-Smith, was a prolific English children's author, best known for writing The Sheep-Pig, retitled in the United States as Babe the Gallant Pig, on which the movie Babe was based...
's children's novel The Water Horse. It stars Alex Etel
Alex Etel
Alexander Nathan "Alex" Etel is a British child actor.-Early life:Alexander Nathan Etel was born at 3:33AM on September 19, 1994 in a hospital on the outskirts of Manchester. Etel is the middle child of his family, he has a younger brother and an older sister.-Career:Etel was born in Manchester...
as a young boy who discovers a mysterious egg and cares for what hatches out of it: a 'Water Horse
Water Horse
A Water Horse is a Celtic mythical creature, such as the Ceffyl Dŵr and Kelpie, as well as other water dwelling cryptids.-Name origin:The term "water horse" was originally a name given to the kelpie, a horse like creature similar to the hippocamp that has the head, neck and mane of a normal horse,...
' (loosely based on the Celtic water horse
Kelpie
The kelpie is a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland; the name may be from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach or colpach "heifer, colt".-Description and behaviour:...
) which later becomes the fabled Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
. The film also stars Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
, Ben Chaplin
Ben Chaplin
Ben Chaplin , is an English actor.-Early life:Chaplin, the youngest of four children, was born in London, the son of Cynthia , a drama teacher, and Peter Greenwood, an engineer. He took his stage name after his mother's maiden name. He was raised in Windsor, Berkshire, England and attended Hurtwood...
, and David Morrissey
David Morrissey
David Mark Morrissey is an English actor and director. Morrissey grew up in the Kensington and Knotty Ash areas of Liverpool, and learned to act at the city's Everyman Youth Theatre. At the age of 18, he was cast in the television series One Summer , which won him recognition throughout the country...
.
The Water Horse was produced by Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios is an American production company founded in 2000 by Joe Roth, a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox. Revolution was formerly a strategic partner of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributed and marketed Revolution's films. The company's film division...
and Walden Media
Walden Media
Walden Media is a children's film production and publishing company best known as the producers of The Chronicles of Narnia series. Its films are based on notable classic or award-winning children's literature, compelling biographies or historical events, documentaries and some original...
, in collaboration with Beacon Pictures, and was distributed by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. Visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
, which included the computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
of the water horse (named "Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
" by Etel's character) were completed by the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-based companies Weta Digital
Weta Digital
Weta Digital is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for Heavenly Creatures. In 2007 Weta Digital’s Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Joe Letteri, was...
and Weta Workshop
Weta Workshop
Weta Workshop is a special effects and prop company based in Miramar, New Zealand, producing effects for television and film.Founded in 1987 by Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger as RT Effects, Weta Workshop has produced creatures and makeup effects for the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
— visual effects companies who worked with Walden Media before on the productions of The Chronicles of Narnia films
The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of English fantasy films from Walden Media that are based on The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of novels written by C. S. Lewis...
. The Water Horse was released in the United States on December 25, 2007 (Christmas Day) and in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2008.
Plot
In present-day Scotland, an American tourist couple go into a bar where they meet an old man who tells them a story about the Loch Ness Monster.In 1942 Scotland a boy called Angus MacMorrow lives in a large manor house on the shores of Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
with his mother Anne (housekeeper), his sister, a cook, a maid and an old game keeper. Later they are joined by Lewis Mowbray, who comes to work as a handyman in the manor. Angus' father — a sailor in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
— is missing since his ship has been sunk in the war. However, Angus is unable to accept that he may be dead.
One day, while looking for seashells in the tidepools (in the movie the loch is saltwater), he discovers what appears to be a large mysterious egg. He leaves it in his father's shed and returns later to check on it. An unknown creature hatches from it whom he calls 'Crusoe' after Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
, that becomes the fabled Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
. Angus keeps the creature a secret, but eventually tells his sister and (reluctantly) Lewis about it. Lewis explains to Angus that it is a 'Water Horse
Water Horse
A Water Horse is a Celtic mythical creature, such as the Ceffyl Dŵr and Kelpie, as well as other water dwelling cryptids.-Name origin:The term "water horse" was originally a name given to the kelpie, a horse like creature similar to the hippocamp that has the head, neck and mane of a normal horse,...
' and that it could be a boy or a girl, that it lays one egg, then dies before it can see it hatch. The next day troops of the 12th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery arrive at the house. They are commanded by Captain Thomas Hamilton a friend of Lord Killin, the owner of the house who is serving with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. An artillery battery is set up near the lake as defence against possible attacking or hiding German U-boats and the troops set up camp on the grounds of the house. An anti-submarine net
Anti-submarine net
An anti-submarine net is a device placed across the mouth of a harbour or a strait for protection against submarines.-Examples of anti-submarine nets:*Lake Macquarie anti-submarine boom*Indicator net*Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign...
is also raised at the mouth of the lake to prevent the entrance of German U-boats into the lake. Meanwhile, Crusoe grows so fast that hiding him becomes impossible and eventually Angus has no other option but to allow Lewis to bring it to the lake.
Captain Hamilton persuades Angus' mother to allow him to teach Angus some discipline and make a soldier out of him. She agrees but after a few days Angus escapes and returns to the lake where he left his friend. Crusoe lets him ride on its back. After some time, it begins to dive underwater, coming to the surface from time to time for breathing. Angus, scared of the water, loudly protests that it should stop diving, but later enjoys himself, perhaps even overcoming his phobia for the sea. The peaceful setting doesn't last long; Crusoe suffers from shell shock after almost getting shot by "Victoria" (a cannon; originally meant to stop submarines) aimed at the lake during a firing demonstration.
Angus in the meantime trying to stop the firing to save Crusoe from getting hurt makes Hamilton and the officers mad at him and is locked up in his room by his mother for a month at six at every night as a punishment for disobeying Hamiltons orders to stay back
Two people who previously saw Crusoe while fishing on the lake attempt to take a photo of it in order to become rich. When they realize that they won't be able to photograph the real thing due to the bombardment test, they decide to create an imitation, which results in the real-life faked picture of The Loch Ness Monster, also known as "The Surgeon's Photo".
The photo, however fake, piques the interest of a few soldiers who venture out on the lake at night to kill it. The surprise attack proves futile for the soldiers, as Crusoe easily capsizes their boat. Angus attempts to calm Crusoe down and wades into the lake where he loses his footing and sinks. Crusoe comes to Angus' rescue and saves his life. After much coaxing from Angus, Crusoe decides to leave the loch for shelter and safety. However, guns from the nearby Artillery battery open fire upon Crusoe, mistaking it for a German U-Boat. Crusoe attempts to jump over the anti-submarine net but instead crushes it with its weight and escapes from the lake. It is implied that Angus finally accepts that his father may never return home while he sees Crusoe's departure from afar, along with Lewis and his family. (The story ends with the fact that, while several people claim to have seen Crusoe over the years, Angus never saw it again and yet never doubts that it was real.)
After the story was told (it is revealed that the story teller is Angus himself), a mother calls out to her son, who is walking down the beach and spots a rock. The rock looks similar to the egg that the water horse, or 'Nessie' as known in modern times, had hatched from. The last thing that is heard in the film is a crack from the egg, hinting to the viewers that Crusoe has died, but not before leaving a descendant behind to be the next Nessie.
Cast
- Alex EtelAlex EtelAlexander Nathan "Alex" Etel is a British child actor.-Early life:Alexander Nathan Etel was born at 3:33AM on September 19, 1994 in a hospital on the outskirts of Manchester. Etel is the middle child of his family, he has a younger brother and an older sister.-Career:Etel was born in Manchester...
as Angus MacMorrow - Emily WatsonEmily WatsonEmily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
as Anne MacMorrow - Ben ChaplinBen ChaplinBen Chaplin , is an English actor.-Early life:Chaplin, the youngest of four children, was born in London, the son of Cynthia , a drama teacher, and Peter Greenwood, an engineer. He took his stage name after his mother's maiden name. He was raised in Windsor, Berkshire, England and attended Hurtwood...
as Lewis Mowbray - David MorrisseyDavid MorrisseyDavid Mark Morrissey is an English actor and director. Morrissey grew up in the Kensington and Knotty Ash areas of Liverpool, and learned to act at the city's Everyman Youth Theatre. At the age of 18, he was cast in the television series One Summer , which won him recognition throughout the country...
as Captain Thomas Hamilton - Priyanka XiPriyanka XiPriyanka Xi is a New Zealand actress. Xi is attending Priyanka Xi is a New Zealand [[actress]]. Xi is attending...
as Kirstie MacMorrow - Craig HallCraig Hall (actor)-Film:* Siren as Soldier* Savage Honeymoon as Dean Savage* The World's Fastest Indian as Antarctic Angel* King Kong as Mike* Perfect Creature as Dominic* Knife Shift as Shane...
as Charlie MacMorrow - Brian Cox as Old Angus
- Erroll Shand as Lt. Wormsley
- Joel TobeckJoel TobeckBorn in 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand, He is a well known actor in New Zealand and Australia with over 20 years acting experience.He comes from an acting background, his mother Liddy Holloway was a well known theatre and TV actress in New Zealand...
as Sgnt. Walker
Production
Director Jay Russell first read Dick King-Smith's book years before the film was actually made. "With the technology where it was at the time and the cost of that technology, we couldn't get it made then," said Russell. "Technology needed to catch up. It did, and it allowed us to do things I envisioned without it costing $300 million."Location
Filming took place in 2006 in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and at Miramar Studios in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. Most of the film was shot in New Zealand, with Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland.With a length of , it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at , its third largest...
doubling for a Scottish Loch. The filmmakers found that some of the landscape and geography there was similar to Scotland. However Russell said, "There was no way I was going to make a movie about the Loch Ness monster and not shoot at least part of it in Scotland."
The scenes in and around the MacMorrow family's house were shot on the 100-year-old Ardkinglas Estate
Ardkinglas Railway
The Ardkinglas Railway was a narrow gauge estate railway built to serve the Ardkinglas Estate, former seat of Sir James Campbell, 2nd Baronet, of Ardkinglass on the shores of Loch Fyne.The railway ran along the shore of the loch from a boat house at Caspian....
on the shores of Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne is a sea loch on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound of Bute, making it the longest of the sea lochs...
in Scotland. The owners of the estate continued to live in the house while the crew was filming there.
Visual effects
Visual effects on the film were handled by New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
visual effects specialists Weta Digital
Weta Digital
Weta Digital is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for Heavenly Creatures. In 2007 Weta Digital’s Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Joe Letteri, was...
and Weta Workshop
Weta Workshop
Weta Workshop is a special effects and prop company based in Miramar, New Zealand, producing effects for television and film.Founded in 1987 by Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger as RT Effects, Weta Workshop has produced creatures and makeup effects for the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
who mainly did Crusoe
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
. Most of the roughly 600 effects shots in the film involved Crusoe. And many of those shots involved the creature (Crusoe) interacting with water, which, in terms of the history of computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
, has always been a particularly difficult substance to deal with.
In terms of the design of the creature, Weta Digital tried to not humanize him but instead based some of his expressions on real animals such as a dog. "We wanted to create something which seemed familiar, but was unique at the same time," said Russell. "As a result, Crusoe’s face is a combination of a horse, a dog, an eagle and a giraffe." When creating his movements and body shape at various stages of growth, the animators referenced animals ranging from baby birds to seals to whales.
Promotion
A promotional poster for the film, featuring silhouettes of Etel's character and Crusoe on the loch, was seen as early as June 2006 during the New York Licensing Show alongside promotional art for the Disney FairiesDisney Fairies
Disney Fairies is a Disney franchise built around the character of Tinker Bell, whom Disney adapted in their 1953 animated film Peter Pan and subsequently adopted as a mascot for the company. In addition to the fictional fairy character created by J. M...
and Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
. Another poster that features Etel's character with Crusoe on the loch during the daytime was released in October 2007.
Two teaser trailers were released in quick succession in June 2007. The first was a teaser created specifically for the Rock Ness Music Festival on June 9 and 10, but was leaked onto the internet and later pulled. A different trailer was released to Yahoo.com on 22 June 2007 and became the official teaser.
Internet promotion includes several different official different websites in the English (with individual websites for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia), Spanish, French and Russian languages. They were launched by Sony in early November 2007 and feature photos, video clips, a video blog, games and information on the film's plot and production. Another website was created by the film's production companies, asecretthisbig.com, and is dedicated to the examination of the Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
's existence in reality. Additionally, the film has a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account which features the video blogs from the official website, as well as additional video content.
Two sweepstakes were created for The Water Horse. The first, "See It To Believe It," awarded the winner with a family trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific
Aquarium of the Pacific
-External links:*...
. The second, "Unloch the Legend" awarded the winner with a family trip to Scotland.
A 15 metre "water screen" was used to project a moving image, with sound, of the Water Horse in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
.
Release
The Water Horse was formerly scheduled for two different release dates in North America: 21 September 2007 and 7 December 2007. No reason has been given as to why either date was dropped, but the film was released across 2,772 screens in the United States, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day of 2007. The MPAA rated the film PG for some action/peril, mild language and brief smoking.
Multiple release dates spanning January and April 2008 have been set for worldwide audiences including France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(8 February), the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(13 February), Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(6 March) and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(4 April).
The Water Horse was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-Ray on April 8, 2008.
Critical reception
The film received favorable reviews from critics. As of December 26, 2007, the review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 73 percent of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 56 reviews, classifying the film as "Certified Fresh". Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Pete Hammond of Maxim magazine gave the film 4 stars out of 5, saying "It's not only the perfect holiday movie, but perhaps the most wondrous film of its kind since E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
touched down." Hammond said the character Angus is "expertly played by Alex Etel," said the film was "skillfully directed by Jay Russell", and said the special effects were "stunning" and "rival the year's best."
Poetic license
The film does take some liberties with Scottish geography:- The opening shot is of Eilean DonanEilean DonanEilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the village of Dornie. Eilean Donan is named after Donnán of Eigg, a Celtic saint martyred in 617...
Castle which is on the west coast of Scotland, some 35 miles west of Loch NessLoch NessLoch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
. - A panning shot past Urquhart CastleUrquhart CastleUrquhart Castle sits beside Loch Ness in Scotland along the A82 road, between Fort William and Inverness. It is close to the village of Drumnadrochit. Though extensively ruined, it was in its day one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland, and remains an impressive structure, splendidly...
(which is on the banks of Loch Ness) reveals some large islands in the loch, but Loch Ness contains no such islands. - The film plot has Loch Ness opening directly into the sea via a wide channel between high cliffs, making it a saltwater loch. In fact, Loch Ness is a freshwater loch with its surface some 80 ft above sea level, and is connected to the sea (about 5 miles to the north) by the shallow River NessRiver NessThe River Ness is a river flowing from Loch Ness in Scotland, north to Inverness and the Moray Firth. On a hill above the river in Inverness stands Inverness Castle. The river is overlooked by the Eden Court Theatre, one of the largest theatres in Scotland. St. Andrews Cathedral also lies along...
, which flows through the City of InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. For this reason, anti-submarine nets would not have been needed on Loch Ness, as no submarines would have been able to navigate the river, even if there had been important military targets in the loch (which there weren't); the actual operation of the anti-submarine nets shown in the film owes little to reality. - During the underwater sections the Loch has fairly clear waters. In reality the Loch has extremely murky waters, with visibility mostly being less than 5m.
The film also has some chronological inconsistencies:
- The production of the "Surgeon's Photograph" of the monsterLoch Ness MonsterThe Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
is shown as part of the plot, though this photo was originally published in 1934. In the film, the "Surgeon" is unable to catch a photo of the actual monster, and instead rigs up a fake monster for purposes of the photograph. - Angus has a toy ship which is clearly seen and is the SS United StatesSS United StatesSS United States is a luxury passenger liner built in 1952 for the United States Lines designed to capture the trans-Atlantic speed record....
- but this ship was not built until 1952.
Box office performance
The film was a success and grossed about $9 million during its opening weekend. As of October 2010, the film has grossed a total of $103,071,443 worldwide due to gaining about $40.4 million in the United States and about $62.1 million in foreign countries, according to the website Box Office Mojo.http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=waterhorse.htmDVD sales
The DVD was released on April 8, 2008,selling 646,841 in the opening weekend, bringing in $12,678,084 in revenue. So far 1,595,106 DVD units have been sold, translating to $30,417,879 in revenue.See also
- Magic in the WaterMagic in the WaterMagic in the Water is a 1995 family film directed by Rick Stevenson and starring Mark Harmon, Sarah Wayne and Joshua Jackson. It is about a fictional lake monster in British Columbia...
(1995) - Loch NessLoch Ness (film)Loch Ness is a 1996 family drama film starring Ted Danson and Joely Richardson. It was written by John Fusco and directed by Jon Henderson.-Plot:...
(1996) - Mee-Shee: The Water GiantMee-Shee: The Water GiantMee-Shee: The Water Giant is an Anglo-German family film shot in New Zealand and released in 2005. It stars Bruce Greenwood, Rena Owen, Tom Jackson and Daniel Magder....
(2005) - Lake WakatipuLake WakatipuLake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland.With a length of , it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at , its third largest...