Netflix And Chill: The Water Horse (2007)

Directed by Jay Russell, who doesnt have too many titles standing out from his filmography, and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs, who has a similarly thin selection of memorable features under his belt, The Water Horse is perhaps best sold on the name of the author of the book it is adapted from, Dick King-Smith. King-Smith was a prolific and successful writer of children's books, and gave us the source material for what would become the wonderful Babe.

There is another major selling point here though, the gorgeous scenery of Scotland, but maybe that's my own bias showing through. I don't know though, it's hard to think of anyone looking out over Loch Ness and not being at least slightly awe-struck.

Yes, this is a Loch Ness story, and the titular creature is the Loch Ness "monster". The year is 1942, and a young boy named Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel) is struggling with the fact that his father doesn't seem to be returning from the war. Angus lives in a large house with his mother (Anne, played by Emily Watson) and sister (Kirstie, played by Priyanka Xi), and they are soon joined by a large number of soldiers who have been allowed the use of the house by the Lord who owns it. They're also joined by a new handyman on the estate, Lewis (Ben Chaplin). All of this makes things more difficult for Angus as he tries to keep secret the fact that he is looking after a creature that hatched from a large egg he found on the shore of the loch. The creature, named Crusoe, grows at a rapid rate, meaning Angus soon enlists both Kirstie and Lewis to help him, and the sneaking around soon arouses the suspicion of Captain Thomas Hamilton (David Morrissey).

Cute and sweet would be the two words I would use to describe this movie. Framed by a sequence in which a twinkly-eyed Brian Cox relates the tale to a couple of tourists visiting Scotland, it's perfect family entertainment that aims for satisfaction and some tugging on the heartstrings. There are no surprises here, but most viewers won't want any. This is all about a magical feeling, and watching one young boy outwit most of the adults around him as he shows a degree of compassion and belief that many of them lack.

The screenplay by Jacobs is decent enough, and fairly straightforward, but the direction from Russell is complemented by some excellent special effects (both practical and digital), a lovely score by James Newton Howard, and acting from a selection of performers who all pitch things perfectly as they deliver something that manages to be quite innocent and moving without ever feeling too pandering.

Etel is easily able to carry the film on his young shoulders, helped by the fact that he has a number of scenes in which his energy is matched by Crusoe, and not only does everyone else do excellent work, but a number of the main co-stars (Mortimer, Chaplin, and Xi) do well enough at delivering their dialogue in a Scottish accent that didn't hurt my ears or have me wondering if they'd even heard of Scotland before taking on their roles. Morrissey is as good as ever, and becomes more stern and menacing as things come to a head in a finale that will force people to choose where they want to stand in relation to the sense of hope offered by some magic or the cynicism of the ongoing wartime conditions.

Although slightly held back by the lack of any real edge or risk, that also helps to make it the sweet treat that it is. It's not one to recommend as an essential viewing, but I cannot imagine many people checking it out and being disappointed that they gave it 112 minutes of their time. A perfect choice if you're stuck indoors with kids on a dreary day.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share

Babe (1995)

Amazingly, as I rewatched it recently, I realised that I hadn't seen Babe in about twenty five years. I'd rented it when it was a major home release, and remember it being an enjoyable, if very cutesy, time. Based on a novel (The Sheep-Pig) by Dick King-Smith, it actually holds up as one of the best live-action family movies of the past few decades.

Babe (voiced by Christine Cavanaugh) is a pig won at a market fair by Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell). Destined to be a centrepiece of the Christmas dinner table, Babe instead finds itself helping out around the farm, helping to look after the sheep alongside, and sometimes in place of, the sheepdogs. Developing quite the talent, thanks to some special knowledge delivered by a caring sheep, Babe is seen by Farmer Hoggett as a chance to excel at the upcoming Sheepdog Trials.

There's no place here for grouchy cynics, Babe is a film of absolute sweetness and joy throughout, and it feels all the more refreshing for it. We're more used to modern family movies having sly gags for adults, moments of darkness to make the lighter scenes shine brighter, and a scattering of little details that have become part of the fabric of modern cinema. Babe is very old-fashioned in many ways, absolutely earnest and optimistic throughout, and that heart complemented by the excellent film-making techniques on display (the animatronics, the trained animals, the voice cast) make it a rewarding viewing experience.

Cromwell is a kindly adult figure, almost the lone main character, despite others having some screentime with him, but he's secondary to the animal stars, all of them feeling like very real characters. Babe itself is a curious and polite child, even in the middle of some sequences that are set up to make the poor piglet look like a trouble-maker, and Cavanaugh has a great voice for the role (as does E. G. Daily, who voiced the character in the strange, darker, sequel). Hugo Weaving voices a god, Russi Taylor is a scheming cat, Danny Mann has fun as a mischievous duck named Ferdinand, and you have solid turns from Miriam Margolyes, Miriam Flynn, narration by Roscoe Lee Browne, and some people providing the voices of three little mice who pop up to introduce each main segment of the story.

Director Chris Noonan, who also co-wrote the script with George Miller, hasn't done many other movies that I have felt the urge to seek out, but he can happily hold on to this as the shining star in his filmography. It's hard to think of anyone really hating it, and I can only assume that it's the hardest and coldest hearts that stay that way by the time the end credits roll.

Truly delightful, and an easy one to stick on whenever you want to feel a bit better about the world, Babe is a film that deserves your time. Watch it with kids, watch it with elderly family members, watch it with anyone you can make sit down and watch it with you, watch it on your own. Just watch it, and let it put a big grin on your face.

9/10

https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews