War Horse (2011)
Follows a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, and how their bond is broken when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches of World War One. Despite being too young to enlist, Albert heads to France to save his friend.
Lack of action and slow pace, BUT, if you like sentiment and emotion give it a go.
It was worth watching. I had heard from people that it was a good movie. After watching it I would have to say that it didn't live up to being as good as everyone said that it was. But overall it wasn't bad.
This movie is sold as a war movie but it borders on being a chick-flick. Given that it's directed by Steven Spielberg, the man who brought us Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List - two of the best war movies of the past 30 years - I was anticipating something gritty that showed the horrible grinding insanity of trench warfare. Instead, I found myself looking at my watch after the first hour with the dawning disappointment that this movie is closer to National Velvet than Private Ryan. "Okay. Okay. I get it. The guy loves his horse and the horse is a really nice horse."
The up-sides: The production values are what you would expect from Spielberg. Not a penny was spared in sets and costumes.
The down-sides (and this is not a complete list): The acting was poor and I didn't care one whit about any of the characters. The dialog was strained, predictable and often ridiculous. Having the Kaiser's soldiers talking with forced Sargent Schultz accents just makes them look comic. The plot was lifted from some third-rate Lassie Come Home remake. Every scene was accompanied by a syrup-laced, melodramatic sound track, as if one could make up for all the other shortcomings of this movie laying on thick strings and horns. It's the cinematic equivalent of dousing your over-cooked duck l'orange with ketchup.
I hated this movie. It took $12 and three hours from me and gave me nothing back. I would give it zero stars if I could.
Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man's Land. The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse—an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure. War Horse is one of the great stories of friendship and war—a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is arriving on Broadway next year. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by one of the great directors in film history.
Although this movie involves situations of war, the story line is very well done. A moving story with good moral values. War scenes not appropriate for young viewers. Highly recommend.
you know those times when you wanna cry but you dont want your mascara to run..This movie is full of them!!But a great heart warming movie.It is based on a war...very violent though not intended for young viewers. The movie is great for date night, a romantic evening, or when you want a reason to cry.(must see movie!!)
