war horse?

[SKY]

Well what you all think of it, i loved it. just seen it tonight. it's class.

 

[nadinek82]

I just saw it tonight aswell. I'd already read the book and was really looking forward to it but in all honesty i was a bit dissapointed. The book was so much better

 

[maisie06]

Big disappointment compared to the book.

 

[tallyho!]

Didn't read the book... but saw the film. I enjoyed it and I cried at the end...

 

[Potato!]

loved it. I saw it again for the 2nd time last night. I was lucky enough to meet the author who was at the cinema last night. IMO people who read the books first are usually generally disappointed as they are always comparing the film to the book. Due to copy right they are not allowed to follow the book excatly and have to have some changes. I always read the books but then always try to distance myself from them as your always expecting stuff that might not happen.

 

[dorito]

Very very disappointed, not having read the book or seen the stage production but both very well reviewed, I had high hopes of the film, directed by Spielberg.
Unfortunately it reminded me of old-style stuff like National Velvet, Mr Ed, Black Beauty - the sort of things they don't make any more...thankfully...except Mr S has just done it.

 

[Adeer]

I saw the film and loved it. Didn't cry I expect because I knew it had a happy ending! Have also read the book. I think what you need to remember is that the film is taken from a book that was written especially for children.

Would happily go and see it again.

 

[mushroom]

from a book that was written especially for children.

I didn't know that ... probably why I enjoyed it!

I haven't seen the film.

 

[_MizElz_]

Not impressed - the film is nothing compared to the play, and does not do the book justice in my opinion. There are too many cliches, too many 'heroic' Joey moments (eg. when he tosses his head and canters up, free of will, to take Topthorn's place pulling the gun) and too much wooden acting. And what on earth was Spielberg thinking with all that weird orange/black/red stuff at the end? I was expecting Tom Cruise and the cast of War Of The Worlds to march in at any moment.

I was expecting to be blown away, and am gutted that I was not. I didn't even cry, and for me not to cry at anything involving animals is practically unheard of!

I wouldn't say don't go to see it - and for all my ranting, I will buy it (albeit not at first release price ) when it comes out on DVD. But it is nowhere near as good as I'd hoped it would be.

 

[bumblelion]

I hadn't planned to go to the pictures to see it as I don't fancy the idea of crying throughout it in public! Plus my OH would be cringing if I did!! However, I'm generally a strong person so may be able fight them back if it's not that bad! I read the book weekly as a child, so I suppose I expected it to be the same. Who knows I may go now!

 

[Faithkat]

I really enjoyed it but I have seen the play too and got the book. The criticisms about "heroic Joey" moments are a bit harsh, IMHO; the book is so short and so shallow that to just film that, the film would only have been about a hour long so Spielberg had to pad it out quite a bit. I was pleased that he kept the goose (from the play) given that no goose figures in the book!!!

 

[milesjess]

I loved it

 

[SKY]

omg, i LOVED IT. cant waut to see it again, i really enjoyed it and even my non horsey friend loved it, and was saying go joey in it. i wanted to go riding as soon as i got out of cinema only was night time, but has a lovely gallop to day and my johney got a extra carrot and treats this morning, as was in great form. i never read book and hadn't heard about film, till last week. so was really open minded. but give me a horse in any film and i love it never mind one that is the main character in it. 5 stars from me *****.

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I haven't yet seen it. I cried buckets at the theatre performance, during the parts where the scraggly puppets portrayed the thin, exhausted horses! I'm no good watching heart wrenching animal films either. e.g. I can't even watch Black Beauty

Do you think I'll be able to cope with it?

 

[_MizElz_]

I haven't yet seen it. I cried buckets at the theatre performance, during the parts where the scraggly puppets portrayed the thin, exhausted horses! I'm no good watching heart wrenching animal films either. e.g. I can't even watch Black Beauty

Do you think I'll be able to cope with it?

Yeah you will! It really isnt as harrowing as it could have been. I obviously don't want to spoil it for anyone who doesnt know the story, but I feel, for instance, that the Topthorn aspect of the story was dealt with very weakly. And Joey looked in far too good condition at the end to have been a war horse for four years!! I blubbed like a baby all through the play, but didn't even have a tear in the film.

 

[SarahRicoh]

Im.going to watch it in.an hour!! Hope its good

 

[Fools Motto]

I'm abandoning the kids with OH and going to watch it tonight with my mum! Looking forward to it (a night out AND watching a 'horsey film' = bonus!!)

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

Thank you for your reassurance. There's a yard trip planned to see it at the cinema, so I might put my down down now.
I'll be the one covering my eye's through any traumatic scenes.

 

[BSJAlove]

I cried from start to finish. But I do that anyway even my OH had a little moment. However, the accents were awful, I agree with the joey hero moments. And thanks to HHO, i read a post before going about annoying things in horsey films, so I was noticing all the neighs and things! But worth a watch, as I said, i bawled my eyes out!

 

[lannerch]

Found it dissapointing and I havn't read the book!
Was hoping it would show more of the conditions the horses and soldiers at war had to endure.
That said all 14 horses that played joey were fabulous.
Did not find it sad enough to cry .

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I haven't yet seen it. I cried buckets at the theatre performance, during the parts where the scraggly puppets portrayed the thin, exhausted horses! I'm no good watching heart wrenching animal films either. e.g. I can't even watch Black Beauty

Do you think I'll be able to cope with it?

I cried practically from beginning to end during the theatre production and hardly cried at all at the film which I saw last night. There were plenty of nice and funny moments too.

It was a nice film worth seeing but because it is aimed at a wider audience especially a young one I think it lost some of the raw realism it might have had if it were aimed at an older audience. The theatre production I felt was bizarrely more real and more shocking.

Still worth seeing though.

 

[Nosey]

Play def more moving...got through few tissues there but no tears at all at cinema. Found the puppets presented a far more harrowing portrait of war than well fed joey & topthorn in film. Suppose you couldn't have really poor horses in the film but that amongst other things made it less believable IMO.

 

[debsg]

I enjoyed it and cried! It was anthropomorphic but it's geared up for a mass audience, including kids, and that's what puts bums on seats. You have to suspend disbelief and just see it as a good couple of hours entertainment, lovely horses, beautiful Devon scenery and try not to over-analyse it too much

 

[tallyho!]

I enjoyed it and cried! It was anthropomorphic but it's geared up for a mass audience, including kids, and that's what puts bums on seats. You have to suspend disbelief and just see it as a good couple of hours entertainment, lovely horses, beautiful Devon scenery and try not to over-analyse it too much

Wha...?????!!!!

I thought it was all genuine!!!! You've completely ruined it now *sobs*

 

[9tails]

I was underwhelmed. The play was much better and very harrowing. All the horses in the film were in very good condition albeit a bit muddy and everyone was nice to the horses, which I'm sure wasn't the case during war. I didn't feel any affinity to the characters in the movie either, they were all rather wishy washy. No tears from me, thought the banner scene at the end was the best scene.

 

[Fools Motto]

I enjoyed it.
BUT, there were plenty of 'don't believe that happened' moments.
Thought Joey was a good horse-actor!
I leaked eye water a teeny bit, my sleeve came in handy for dabbing the moisture!!

Thought the goose was splendid - well done to the 'goose trainer' on that one.