The Waterhorse: Legend of the Deep

Despite the fact that this film features a Loch Ness monster and the threat of Nazi invasion, there is little excitement to be had. Several scenes, which may be attempting to add dramatic tension, instead seem as if they are drawn out and extended in order to fulfil the time requirements of a feature-length movie. In an attempt to appeal to both parents and children, The Waterhorse ends up dividing the story’s focus, leaving this fairy tale flat, lifeless and devoid of the magic necessary to inspire the imagination. After Angus (Alex Etel) finds a strange egg on the shore of Loch Ness, he becomes the surrogate parent of a Water Horse, a creature better known as the Loch Ness monster. Angus must hide his strange new pet but the arrival of a legion of British soldiers, sent to protect the shores from a non-existent Nazi invasion, makes it difficult to conceal his secret. Though not the main focus of the story, the portrayal of the British military works as a good barometer of the strange tone set by the filmmakers. Despite the fact that the film is set during the height of WWII, when soldiers were seen as brave protectors of freedom, the soldiers in the film are portrayed, for no good reason, as creepy, mean spirited, sneering jerks. In addition to the odd characterisation of the military personnel, the Waterhorse (aka The Loch Ness Monster) transitions from being a cute, cuddly pet into a violent, almost rabid beast who poses a danger to young Angus and never fully redeems his status as a friendly sea monster. The double disc DVD set is unwarranted, with the second disc containing the usual assortment of "making of” features that will most likely not interest the film’s target audience.