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Water Horse (The): Legend Of The Deep: 2-disc Special Edition
R1 - America - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Rob Fields (2nd April 2008). |
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The Film
 There have been many such legends that have been heard by many countries worldwide. One such legend is 'Bigfoot'. I could give you a description, but it would only be one among many. Supposedly, he is this big mountain man who lives in wooded areas, mostly in the northwestern part of the United States and into Canada. Another such legend is called the 'Chupacabra', which is supposed to come primarily from Mexico and some of the southern parts of the United States. Then, of course, there’s Transylvania, where supposedly 'Count Dracula' had inhabited. But the subject of this film in review is in the 'Loch Ness' area, located in a region of Scotland. The 'Loch Ness' monster was supposedly sighted at various times. Of course, so were the others listed previously. However, how many of these sightings have actually been confirmed? Zero! Zip! Zilch! As far as anyone knows...this film is only a STORY about the possible 'Loch Ness' monster. This is not one of the supposedly actual events. Also, when I saw the trailer for the film in other reviews and saw that Alex Etel from “Millions” (2004) was starring in it, that made me want to watch it that much more. I saw “Millions” at the 29th Cleveland International Film Festival and liked it very much. Unfortunately, I missed seeing “The Water Horse” when it came to the big budget Hollywood multiplexes. Now that I’ve got an advanced copy of the DVD for review, let’s see how it holds water. “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep” (1:51:41) – When a lonely young boy named Angus (Alex Etel) discovers a large, mysterious egg along the shores of Loch Ness, no one is prepared for what lies within. He soon discovers that the strange, mischievous hatchling inside is none other than the Water Horse, the loch’s most mysterious and fabled creature. But with the Water Horse growing ten times its size every day, Angus finds it increasingly difficult to keep his new friend a secret. Two-time Academy Award nominee Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey and Brian Cox star in this heartwarming tale from director Jay Russell and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs. One of the plus sides to this film is Alex Etel. I enjoyed his performance in “Millions”. This kid definitely has the potential to become a great actor as long as he continues to work at it. His performance in this film is just as good. I also liked the creature effects. The CGI effects don’t LOOK CGI. I also liked how the story was played out. Most of it is through flashbacks. The Brian Cox character is the one who tells it in real time. The actual scenes in which Etel is featured are the flashbacks. I’ve seen many movies and TV shows were flashbacks are used to tell the story, and there has never been an issue. If anything, they are quite useful in telling the story. The same is true here. The downsides? None that I could find. The closest I have would be in the Video part of my review. My final word: This will definitely be a great movie for you and for the kids. What more can I say? Etel has made two great movies. I think if he sticks with acting, he could go far.
Video
The film is presented in two options. The first is in anamorphic widescreen format (2.40:1 ratio). Selecting this option will allow you to view the film in its original theatrical aspect ratio. This is the wise choice for those of you with 16 x 9 televisions or diehard film buffs who want to see the picture the way it was meant to be seen. The second is in full screen format (1:33:1 ratio). Selecting this option will allow those of you with 4 x 3 televisions, as well as those of you who just hate the widescreen format to no end, to view the film without the black bars. However, the disclaimer before this version of the film states ‘This film has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit this screen.’ Yes, this version will fill a 4 x 3 television, but you will lose about fifty percent of the original picture for this option. Like most major studio DVD's, a scene selections option is available. The picture itself looks great. On the back cover, it says that the film is ‘Mastered In High Definition’. It certainly shows at how crisp the image looks. Okay, it’s not Blu-Ray, but for DVD it’s pretty good, especially when using it in a player that upconverts Standard Definition to High Definition. Mine will convert as high as 1080i. Imagine what it may look like in 1080p (supposedly this is True HD). As for defects, the closest that I’ve found some pixelation in the darkness. They are almost totally unnoticeable. The extras are also 16 x 9 enhanced.
Audio
The film features your choice of two audio tracks. The first is the original English audio in a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack. The second is dubbed French audio in a Dolby Digital 2.0 surround. For this review, I am obviously using the English audio. The mix is very well done. The speakers come to life when needed, such as the scenes when the creature is out in Loch Ness. The music and dialogue are evenly mixed between the 5.1 setup. There are optional English and French subtitles available.
Extras
Sony has included some deleted scenes, 6 featurettes and bonus trailers on this 2-disc 'Special Edition' release. These are explained in greater detail below: DISC ONE: There are no extras on this disc. DISC TWO: The extras featured on this disc have optional English subtitles unless noted otherwise). There are 8 deleted scenes. They are as follows: - "Angus Listens to the Radio" runs for 45 seconds – Angus does this in the kitchen. Then he is in his bed while listening to a radio there. - "Caught In the Workshop" runs for 1 minute – Anne catches Angus in the workshop this time as he is looking for Crusoe. - "Kirstie Smiles at Gunner Corbin" runs for 35 seconds – Kirstie smiles at one of the soldiers outside their house. - "Broken Bust" runs for 46 seconds – Two soldiers lift up a table with a bust on it, and it falls off to Anne’s dismay. - "Thank God We’ve Got a Navy" runs for 26 seconds – As the men are reading their guns, an old man walks past them and utters this line. - "Lewis Helps Angus Escape" runs for 2 minutes 46 seconds – Lewis and Anne talk. She tells him how Angus won’t accept the fact that he’s dead. Then Kirstie frees Angus from his bedroom, saying that it’s Lewis’ idea and she will deny it if he tells who freed him. From there Lewis keeps Anne busy as Angus sneaks past her. - "Angus Blames Lewis" runs for 50 seconds – Angus blames Lewis for Crusoe being shot at by the army. - "Cease Fire" runs for 29 seconds – Captain Hamilton has an argument with one of his men as he keeps ordering him to tell the others to cease fire. The first featurette is "Myths and Legends" and runs 10 minutes and 32 seconds. It starts off with a story of the 'Loch Ness' monster by Duncan Simpson, which is accompanied with non-optional English subtitles. Though he speaks English, his dialogue might not be understandable due to his accent. Then Director Russell takes over and talks a little about the legend. From there, Naturalist Adrian Shine goes further into the legend. Monster Hunter Steve Feltham talks about his first experiences of trying to hunt the 'Loch Ness' monster. The second featurette is "The Story" and runs 11 minutes and 47 seconds. Here, Director Russell talks about how he had first read the script and wanted to make this movie. Then producer Charlie Lyons talks about his involvement with the script. Russell talks about the script and the book from which the script was derived. You also get to hear from Dick King-Smith, who wrote the actual book. There are also interview segments with the actors. The third featurette is entitled "The Characters" and runs 15 minutes and 35 seconds. Director Russell talks about the interaction with actors, and how he was glad to work with the ensemble that he had assembled for the film. There is a great deal of praise for Etel by both the cast and crew. There are interview segments with actors Etel, Watson, Chaplin, and Priyanka Xi where they go into specifics about their characters and of the other actors, including the dog. The fourth featurette is "Setting the Scene" and runs 13 minutes and 34 seconds. Director Russell talks about where he would shoot the movie – Queenstown, New Zealand. You also see some aerial shot of the entire movie camp. Some areas were found here that actually resembled Scotland. Basically, Russell takes you on a tour of the set. Production designer Tony Burrough talks about creating the set. There are interview segments with actors Chaplin and Morrissey. The fifth featurette entitled "Water Work: Creating the Water Horse" runs 11 minutes and 44 seconds. Director Russell talks about how unpredictable water can be and that many scenes would be shot in the water. You get to see all of the special effects used for the creature, especially when Etel was riding it. Stunt coordinator Augie Davis talks about working with Etel in performing the stunts (he did all of his own). Etel also gives his comments regarding his underwater stunts. Actors Chaplin and Morrissey also give their comments. The final featurette is "Creating Crusoe" which runs 14 minutes and 20 seconds. Director Russell explains what went into creating the biggest star of this film – Crusoe. Several visual effects personnel go into explanation on designing the creature and making it work. Actors Watson, Morrissey, and Chaplin also give their comments. There are also bonus trailers available for your enjoyment (not subtitled) and include: - "Surf’s Up" which runs for 54 seconds. - "Open Season" which runs for 2 minutes 32 seconds. - "Open Season 2" which runs for 23 seconds. - "Daddy Day Camp" which runs for 2 minutes 5 seconds. - "Are We Done Yet?" runs for 2 minutes 32 seconds. - "The Final Season" runs for 1 minute 58 seconds. - The Prince and the Pauper" runs for 1 minute 23 seconds. - "Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost" runs for 57 seconds. - "The Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series" runs for 1 minute 34 seconds. - "The Last Day of Summer"/"Shredderman Rules!" runs for 33 seconds. - "Storm Hawks" runs for 1 minute 3 seconds.
Packaging
This 2-disc set is packed in an amaray keep case housed in a cardboard slip-case.
Overall
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