''The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep'' (stylised on-screen as simply ''The Water Horse'') is a 2007
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
film directed by
Jay Russell
Jay Russell (born January 10, 1960 in North Little Rock, Arkansas), is an American film director, writer and producer.
Biography
He graduated from Columbia University in 1985 with a MFA in screenwriting and directing, having studied with produ ...
and written by
Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on
Dick King-Smith
Ronald Gordon King-Smith OBE (27 March 1922 – 4 January 2011), was an English writer of children's books, primarily using the pen name Dick King-Smith. He is best known for ''The Sheep-Pig'' (1983). It was adapted as the movie ''Babe'' (1995 ...
'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
A water horse (or "waterhorse" in some folklore) is a mythical creature, such as the , , the and kelpie.
Name origin
The term "water horse" was originally a name given to the kelpie, a creature similar to the hippocamp, which has the head, n ...
" (loosely based on the
Celtic water horse) which later becomes the fabled
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...
. The film also stars
Emily Watson
Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar War ...
,
Ben Chaplin
Ben Chaplin (born Benedict John Greenwood; 31 July 1969)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in films, including '' The Truth About Cats & Dogs' ...
and
David Morrissey
David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...
.
The film was produced by
Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios Distribution Company, LLC is an American motion picture and television studio headed by Chief Executive Officer Scott Hemming.
The company focuses primarily on the distribution, remake and sequel rights to titles in its librar ...
and
Walden Media
Walden Media, LLC or Walden Media is an American film investor, distributor, and publishing company. Its films are based on children's literature, biographies or historical events, as well as documentaries and some original screenplays.
The corpo ...
, in collaboration with
Beacon Pictures
Beacon Pictures (aka Beacon Communications, LLC) is an American film production and international sales company founded in 1990 by Armyan Bernstein, who is also its chairman. The company produces motion pictures for studios such as Walt Disney S ...
, and was distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
.
Visual effects
Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of
a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production.
The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
were completed by the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
-based companies
Weta Digital and
Weta Workshop.
''The Water Horse'' was released in the United States on 25 December 2007 and in the United Kingdom on 8 February 2008.
This was originally the last film to be released by Revolution Studios until 2017's ''
XXX: Return of Xander Cage''.
Plot
In present-day
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, a couple of American tourists meet an old man who, upon request (after seeing
the surgeon's photo), tells them about the
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...
and why the photo is a fake.
In 1942 during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a boy named Angus MacMorrow lives in the manor house of Lord Killin on
Loch Ness
Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...
with his mother Anne MacMorrow and his sister, Kirstie. Lewis Mowbray comes to work as a handyman there. Angus' father Charles, the former handyman, is a sailor in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
, missing since his ship was sunk in
the war a year ago; Angus is unable to accept that he won't return.
One day, while collecting seashells, Angus discovers a large, mysterious egg in the sand, and an unknown creature hatches, which he calls 'Crusoe' after
Robinson Crusoe
''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
. He decides to keep the creature a secret, eventually telling his sister and Lewis. Lewis explains that it is a
genderless
Genderless may refer to:
*Agender, an identity for people who do not identify with any gender
*Gender-neutral pronoun, a pronoun not associated with a particular gender
*Genderless fashion in Japan, a Japanese fashion subculture
*Genderless langua ...
"
Water Horse
A water horse (or "waterhorse" in some folklore) is a mythical creature, such as the , , the and kelpie.
Name origin
The term "water horse" was originally a name given to the kelpie, a creature similar to the hippocamp, which has the head, n ...
" that lays one egg, then dies before it hatches.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
troops arrive at the house, commanded by Captain Thomas Hamilton – a friend of Lord Killin. An artillery battery is set up near the lake to defend against German
U-boats
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare rol ...
while the troops set up on the grounds. Meanwhile, Lewis decides Crusoe is so big they have to free it in the loch.
Captain Hamilton proclaims Lewis to be a bad influence, and Angus' mother allows him to teach Angus some discipline. After a few days of training, he escapes, returning to the lake and a full-grown Crusoe, who gets Angus to ride on its back. After some time, it begins to dive. Angus protests diving, later enjoys himself and finally overcomes his phobia.
The next day, Captain Hamilton takes the MacMorrow family to a hill overlooking Loch Ness; Crusoe is almost hit by an exploding shell during a firing demonstration. Angus interrupts to save Crusoe from injury or death, enraging Hamilton and irritating his mother, who is unfamiliar with Water Horses and won't believe him. He is punished, having to be in his room at six every night for a month.
Two fishermen who had seen Crusoe, try to take a photo of the creature for fame and fortune. When they can't photograph the real thing due to the bombardment, they create an imitation. (The result is the real-life faked photo of The Loch Ness Monster known as "
The Surgeon's Photo".) It interests a few soldiers, who go out to hunt it.
Sneaking out of his room with his sister's help, Angus visits the lake, calling for Crusoe. Crusoe rises, still in shock and fear from the earlier bombardment, nearly bites off Angus's hand before sinking back into the loch. Hamilton's dog Churchill, having smelled Crusoe from the shore, alerts the soldiers of its presence before being eaten by Crusoe. Crusoe then surprises the soldiers, capsizing their boat but not before one of them sends out an SOS to Hamilton, who thinks the Germans are attacking. At the loch, Angus calls out to Crusoe, who is attacking Strunk. In his attempt to calm Crusoe, Angus wades into the lake, slips and sinks.
Crusoe rescues Angus. When his mother arrives, she finally believes him when she sees Crusoe, though at first she accuses Lewis of filling Angus's head with nonsense. The nearby artillery battery soon opens fire upon Crusoe, mistaking it for a German U-Boat. Angus, Hamilton, Anne and Lewis lead Crusoe to safety at the net, who escapes into the sea.
At sunrise, Angus finally accepts his father has passed before they watch Crusoe go. It is implied that Anne is also ready to move on, having fallen in love with Lewis. Over the years, several people claim spotting it but Angus never sees Crusoe again while others say that it returns, seeking Angus.
The tourists thank the old storyteller and ask for his name, which he reveals to be Angus MacMorrow. Outside the pub, a mother calls out to her son William, who is walking down the beach. He spots a large 'rock', which has an iridescent blue shell just like Crusoe's, hinting that Crusoe has left a descendant behind to become the next Water Horse.
Cast
*
Alex Etel as Angus MacMorrow
**
Brian Cox as Older Angus MacMorrow
**Louis Owen Collins as young Angus MacMorrow
*
Emily Watson
Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar War ...
as Anne MacMorrow
*
Ben Chaplin
Ben Chaplin (born Benedict John Greenwood; 31 July 1969)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in films, including '' The Truth About Cats & Dogs' ...
as Lewis Mowbray
*
David Morrissey
David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...
as Captain Thomas Hamilton
*
Priyanka Xi
Pri Xi is a New Zealand born actor. She was born on 28 July 1991 in Wellington.
Xi began her professional acting career as a teenager in the first series of ''The Killian Curse''. Her first movie role was as Kirstie MacMorrow in the film ''The ...
as Kirstie MacMorrow
*
Marshall Napier
James Marshall Napier (22 October 1951 – 14 August 2022) was a New Zealand-born character actor, playwright and graphic artist. He is known for a succession of strong supporting roles in Australasian films and television shows. He has also h ...
as Sgt. Strunk
*
Joel Tobeck
Joel Tobeck (born 2 June 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand) is an actor known for his roles in the television series ''Tangle'', ''The Doctor Blake Mysteries'', ''Xena Warrior Princess'', ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and '' Young Hercules'' ...
as Sgt. Walker
* Erroll Shand as Lt. Wormsley
*
Craig Hall as Charles MacMorrow
*
Geraldine Brophy
Geraldine Brophy (born 1961) is a New Zealand television, film and stage actress, theatre director and playwright.
Biography
Brophy was born in Birmingham, England to Irish parents. She and her family emigrated to New Zealand in 1972, when she ...
as Gracie
* William Johnson as Clyde
* Ian Hancourt as Jimmy McGarry
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 Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and at Miramar Studios in
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
. Most of the film was shot in New Zealand, with Queenstown's
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu ( mi, Whakatipu Waimāori) is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori nam ...
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
Loch Fyne ( gd, Loch Fìne, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...
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 Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
visual effects specialists
Weta Digital and
Weta Workshop who mainly did
Crusoe Crusoe may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Crusoe'' (film), a 1989 film by Caleb Deschanel based on the novel ''Robinson Crusoe''
* ''Crusoe'' (TV series), a 2008 television series based on the novel ''Robinson Crusoe''
* Crusoe the ...
. 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 deals with generating images with the aid of computers. Today, computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. A great de ...
, has always been a particularly difficult substance to deal with.
[Barbara Robertson, Casting Crusoe, Computer Graphics World, January 2008, Volume 31, Number 1]
In terms of the design of the creature, Weta Digital tried to not humanise 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
The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...
." When creating his movements and body shape at various stages of growth, the animators referenced animals ranging from baby birds to
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
s to
whale
Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...
s.
Soundtrack
The score was composed by
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American film composer, music producer and keyboardist. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards. His film scores ...
.
Sinéad O'Connor
Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want What ...
contributed to the soundtrack with "Back Where You Belong".
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, Canada and
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
on Christmas Day of 2007.
The
MPAA
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
rated the film PG for some action and peril, mild language and brief smoking.
Many release dates ranging from January 2008 to April 2008 were set for worldwide audiences including the United Kingdom (8 February), France (13 February), Russia (6 March) and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
(4 April).
Marketing
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 Fairies
''Disney Fairies'' is a The Walt Disney Company, Disney Media franchise, franchise created in 2005. The franchise is built around the character of Tinker Bell from Walt Disney Pictures, Disney's 1953 animated film ''Peter Pan (1953 film), Peter Pa ...
and
Kung Fu Panda
''Kung Fu Panda'' is an American media franchise that originally started in 2008 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, produced by DreamWorks Animation. Following the adventures of the titular Po Ping (primarily voic ...
.
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 9 and 10 June,
but was leaked onto the internet and later pulled.
A different trailer
was released to
Yahoo.com
Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manage ...
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
The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...
'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 Aquarium of the Pacific (formerly the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific) is a public aquarium on a site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shore ...
. The second, "Unloch the Legend" awarded the winner with a family trip to Scotland. A 15-meter "water screen" was used to project a moving image, with sound, of the Water Horse in
Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous a ...
.
Critical reception
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. As of 2020, the review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported that 74% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 90 reviews with an average rating of 6.7/10, classifying the film as "fresh", reaching the consensus that "''The Water Horse'' is a fine family film. It takes a classic tale and infuses it with extra imagination, sly humor, heart, and inventive special effects."
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
reported the film had an average score of 71 out of 100, based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale.
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." ''
RogerEbert.com'' awarded the film three and a half stars out of four, complimenting the film's "real story about complex people" and the "first rate supporting performances" of
Emily Watson
Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar War ...
,
Ben Chaplin
Ben Chaplin (born Benedict John Greenwood; 31 July 1969)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in films, including '' The Truth About Cats & Dogs' ...
and
Brian Cox.
Differences from reality
The film takes some liberties with Scottish geography:
* The opening shot is of
Eilean Donan
Eilean Donan ( gd, Eilean Donnain) is a small tidal island situated at the confluence of three sea lochs (Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh) in the western Highlands of Scotland, about from the village of Dornie. It is connected to the mainl ...
Castle which is on the west coast of Scotland, some west of
Loch Ness
Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...
.
* A panning shot past
Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle (; gd, Caisteal na Sròine) is a ruined castle that sits beside Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. The castle is on the A82 road, south-west of Inverness and east of the village of Drumnadrochit.
The present ruins dat ...
(which on the shore of Loch Ness) reveals some large islands in the loch, but Loch Ness contains no such islands.
* The film depicts Loch Ness as opening directly into the sea via a wide channel between high cliffs, making it a saltwater loch. Loch Ness is actually a freshwater loch with its surface some above sea level, and is connected to the sea (about to the north) by the shallow
River Ness
The River Ness (Scottish Gaelic: ''Abhainn Nis'') is a river in Highland, Scotland, UK. It flows from Loch Dochfour, at the northern end of Loch Ness, north-east to the mouth of the Beauly Firth at Inverness, a distance of about , with a fall ...
, which flows through the city of
Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
. 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 scenes set underwater, the loch has fairly clear waters. In reality Loch Ness has very opaque waters, with visibility mostly being less than .
The film also has some chronological inconsistencies:
* The production of the "Surgeon's Photograph" of the
monster
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
is shown as part of the plot. The real "Surgeon's Photograph" was published in 1934, eight years before the film is set. 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 as the
SS ''United States''. The real SS ''United States'' was built between 1950 and 1951 and first sailed in 1952, a decade after the events of the film.
Box office
The film was a moderate box office 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.
Home video
The film was released on DVD and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
on 8 April 2008, with 646,841 units sold in the opening weekend for a total of $12,678,084. As of 2012, 1,611,757 units had been sold for a total of $30,598,707.
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep – DVD Sales
''The Numbers''. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
See also
* Loch Ness
Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...
* ''Loch Ness
Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...
'' (1996)
* ''Magic in the Water
''Magic in the Water'' is a 1995 American family film directed by Rick Stevenson and starring Mark Harmon, Joshua Jackson and Sarah Wayne. It is about a fictional lake monster in British Columbia. The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures and pr ...
'' (1995)
* '' Mee-Shee: The Water Giant'' (2005)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
Interview with director Jay Russell about ''The Water Horse''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Water Horse
2007 films
2000s fantasy drama films
American fantasy drama films
British fantasy drama films
New Zealand drama films
New Zealand fantasy films
2000s children's fantasy films
Columbia Pictures films
Films scored by James Newton Howard
Films based on children's books
Films directed by Jay Russell
Films set in Scotland
Films shot in New Zealand
Films with screenplays by Robert Nelson Jacobs
Loch Ness Monster in film
Revolution Studios films
Walden Media films
Beacon Pictures films
Films set in the 20th century
Films set in country houses
2007 drama films
Films produced by Barrie M. Osborne
Giant monster films
2000s monster movies
2000s English-language films
2000s American films
2000s British films