The journey to adulthood can often be earmarked by disappointment and rage.  It’s difficult to accept that magic and possibility generally gives way to boundless ignorance, death, and hatred.  There are no mystical creatures and people will not always act in the best interest of others.  It’s sad really; not to mention difficult for a parent who can see their child struggling to grow up, but wanting to have them hold onto that innocence and idealism for just a little bit longer, as it will never return.

The Water Horse is a genuinely likeable film.  Resembling children’s films of twenty years ago more than the hipster entertainment headlining multiplexes of late, it explores childhood wonder and the harsh realities of this world while ushering a boy into adolescence. The film doesn’t shy away from thematically difficult material in the condescending way that so many children’s films of today do.  It’s refreshing and entirely engaging.

Set in Scotland in the era of WWII, young Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel) finds a mysterious egg on the beach one day.  Bringing it to the workshop of his recently deceased father (a casualty of war), he discovers that the egg contains a mystical asexual creature with whom he develops a bond.

In the meantime, Angus’ mother Anne (Emily Watson) hires a handyman (Ben Chaplin) to pack away the belongings of her departed husband.  This is much to the distress of Angus, as he believes his father to be alive and returning in the near future.  Anne also finds herself being wooed by Captain Thomas Hamilton (David Morrissey), who feels her son needs to learn the harsh lessons of the world.

The Water Horse is a mature children’s film.  It handles parental loss with insight and care, while maintaining an air of childhood wonder and whimsy.  There is also a surprising amount of character development throughout the film.  Angus is painted as a rather depressed child who has essentially retreated into a fantasy world.  His frustration and disappointment is captured well as the film guides him towards maturity.  Each moment feels true, and are ameliorated by the genuine motivators of the adults around him.  These aren’t two-dimensional villains forcing an innocent child to deal with a crappy world, they’re very realistic adults doing what they feel is best for him. 

Jay Russell’s direction is quite remarkable.  He handles the material with maturity and grace, never embellishing in unnecessary flourish or talking down to the audience.  The only weak spots in direction (and soundtrack) are the unfortunate sequences involving a dog chasing the water horse.  They’re incongruous at best.  Cinematography throughout is also worth note, as the sheer aesthetic of the film is impressive. 

Acting throughout is fare.  Ben Chaplin and David Morrissey handle the material most effectively, translating quite a bit of depth to their potentially thin characters.  Emily Watson is decent, but conveys instability throughout that is somewhat offputting.  The biggest issue with performance is sadly the lead child, Alex Etel.  He doesn’t have a great deal of expression and often stands around looking like he’s soiled himself.

The Water Horse will likely impress adult audiences who are forced to watch it with their children.  In fact, they will likely find more to connect with in this film than the new generation of consumer saturated tots, who are accustomed to instant gratification and oversimplifications.