One That Slipped Away: The Water Horse

The Kids’ Movie is in a troubled state. In recent years too many seem to be filled with sarcasm, pot shots, and hyperbolic performances. It is hard to find a trace of sincerity or gentility in these pictures. The effect of this work can be seen at any amusement park or shopping mall in America. In this setting you will see kids roll their eyes in an exaggerated fashion at their parents, snarl snappy comebacks for simple requests, put their hands to their hips and whine in kewpie doll tones. In my non-professional opinion all of this can be traced back to watching Surf’s Up on endless repeat in the back of the family Suburban.

The Shrek franchise is the current standard bearer of this vile form of entertainment (though Aladdin should be seen as the grandfather of the genre). With pop-culture addled scripts filled with the cheapest of laughs, these movies aim for the same tone as a teen comedy. This constant snarkiness has a jading effect on our youth. Kids should not feel like they are too cool for fairy tales. They should be enjoying them and using them as a springboard for their own imaginations.

A personal story serves the current purpose nicely: I had the pleasure of working with 5th graders the year that Shrek came to DVD (kids do not truly internalize these movies until they own a copy). Let me just say that no one needs to hear a class of white 11 year olds proclaim “I’m makin’ waffles!” in their best Black English accents ad nauseam. No one.

It is because of all of this that The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a welcome surprise. This Celtic King Kong story (in which a boy inadvertently raises the Loch Ness Monster in his bathtub) keeps it tongue out of its cheek for the entire film. In place of sarcasm and insults is a story that deals with loneliness, friendship, grief, and the Second World War from a child’s perspective. All of this is conveyed by a solid (not cute) young actor named Alex Etel (Millions). Though the story relies on a few well worn clichés, it also trusts its young audience to be able to handle some serious issues. It is that understanding of the complexity of the young mind that is lacking in Shrek and its ilk.

The Water Horse is based on a book by Dick King-Smith who also wrote the source material for Babe. These films share a similar mentality. A more recent movie that should also be seen by children is Akeelah and the Bee if only because it proves that spelling (and studying) is cool.

The truth of the matter is that kids will watch anything, so why do we adults subject them (and ourselves) to such terrible dreck? There are quality kids’ movies out there; true some are foreign and others are many years old but they exist. Find movies that promote love, sensitivity, and curiosity. Find movies that help kids deal with the realities of life. Most importantly find movies that don’t insult their intelligence.

When The Water Horse comes to DVD on April 8, watch it with a child in your life. They might be a bit scared at points, they may even cry but, I guarantee, they will be positively affected. I also guarantee that they won’t run around the house screaming some ridiculous catch phrase.