Rent War Horse (2011)

Over sentimental, over-pretty, predictable and generally unsatisfying - War Horse review by RP

I've waited quite a while before writing a review of this film because I'm honestly in two minds: is it a sentimental pile of old horse manure, or is it a masterful adaptation of a well-loved children's book + successful stage play?

Well, it's certainly emotional and I'm not ashamed to say that it brought a slight tear to my eye at the end when Joey the horse is auctioned. The majority of Steven Spielberg's films tread a fine line between good family entertainment and outright schmaltz and this one is no exception. A broad streak of sentimentality runs through the film and in many ways it is just so predictable: father buys horse, boy rears horse, boy is parted from horse, both have bad experiences, boy is reunited with horse, they live happily ever after.

The film is populated by a host of well known British acting talent from Peter Mullan (who seems to make a habit of playing drunks, from his own 'Neds' to Paddy Considine's 'Tyrannosaur'), through Benedict Cumberbatch to the always excellent Eddie Marsan (who has a small part near the end) to name but a few. Spielberg manages to portray both the futility and horror of World War I via a cavalry charge against machine guns (starting out brave and optimistic, ending with riderless horses) and via a futile advance across no man's land. Unfortunately it also includes a very clichéd scene where an Englishman and a German co-operate to free Joey the horse entangled in barbed wire, a scene too silly for words. Add to this the fact that the Germans speak English with silly faux-German accents and I think I'm coming down on the 'horse manure' side of the verdict.

The film is well acted but clichéd, well photographed but over-pretty, the dialogue is trite and while it is well directed it is simply over sentimental. Yes, I enjoyed it but found it generally unsatisfying and that is perhaps reflected in the fact that it was nominated for 6 Oscars and 5 BAFTAs but won none. I'm sure many people loved it, but I can only rate it at 3/5 stars.

Expect better of Spielberg - War Horse review by aw

O.K it's for kids.

The violence of the Great War is much too dumbed down and it's a bit like "Black Beauty goes to war".

Some of the scenes take a little believing. Good special effects, though.

I had hoped for better than this from all the hype over it, but I'm left very disappointed.

Soppy and sentimental - War Horse review by Pete W

Black Beauty meets Blackadder Goes Forth - in fact the storyline is very little more than an updating of Black Beauty to the early part of the twentieth century. This was really too soppy and sentimental for my taste. Hardly a proper memorial for the millions of horses killed in the Great War and I'm afraid I didn't shed anything like a tear at any part of the film. It was just too unbelievable.