War Horse

Spielberg has been ridiculed for shooting his actors from below against impossibly Spielbergian skies and a denouement that lays the love on copiously. But there's nothing simpleminded about how he uses movie magic, as a spell to dispel nihilism, to save us from the worst of ourselves by summoning up the best.

This is a beautifully built, classically framed movie, shot with the unshowy natural expressiveness of a John Ford Western by Spielberg's great cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski.

Pieces of War Horse that may charm some eyes might well bore others to tears.

There are extraordinary and beautiful things in War Horse, enough of them to make the movie a pleasure and a worthwhile experience, though not enough to trick the eye or get you believing this movie hangs together.

Whatever its missteps, this is a film that kids, middle-aged adults and grandparents can all see -- together or separately -- and get something out of in their own ways. There are precious few films that fit this description today and hats off to Spielberg for making one.

It's almost a great war movie in one direction, and almost a piece of irredeemable cheese in the other, and there you have it.

Director Steven Spielberg doesn't have a steady grip on War Horse's careening tone, but he'll be damned if there's not 15 minutes in there for everyone.

[10/10] Pros: 1. Story of a brave, strong, handsome horse. 2. Situation of a war and its effect on a country is well depicted. 3. Full of Emotion. 4. Awesome direction by Steven Spielberg. Cons: Nothing.

A pretty good war film though very long, the cast is okay and some of the plot is silly but it looks great.

The film basically tells the story of a horse that participated in World War I, like thousands of others. Contrary to many people, I think this movie is not just the story of a horse nor is it focused for people who are fond of horses. It spite of that, it uses the story of a particular horse to focus on a subject we rarely think about: the horse's indispensable help to humans. The horse was essential to our society over the centuries, both at peace and at war. He has been man's best friend, much more useful and important than the dog itself, and the film shows this very well, just like the affective bond that can be built between man and animal. I also liked the way the trenches and the war scenario was rebuilt. Everything seemed quite realistic and according to the historical truth, so I was able to ignore any hypothetical inaccuracies in the details. Jeremy Irvine did very well on the main human character, perfectly up to the challenge, as well as most of the supporting cast. It has been nominated for six Oscars and, although it hasn't won any of them, this is already a prize in itself, it's not?

War Horse is a tepid Spielberg epic that is both boring and depressing. The history contained within this movie is skimmed so vapidly that it holds no insight whatsoever, and most of the characters don't hang around long enough to forge an attachment to. War Horse was a chore to sit through.

Spielberg's sappy and way over the top production created in a movie which was barely watchable. Knowing the story , I was ready for some sap and suspension of reality, but his approach almost turned it into a farce. What a disappointment!