‘The Water Horse’ features digitally rendered cute pet

The story about a lonely boy and his special friend takes place during World War II.

By ROGER MOORE

ORLANDO SENTINEL

“The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep” is a children’s fantasy built around an adorable, puppyish digital rendering of the Loch Ness monster.

The baby Nessie, named “Crusoe” here and in the Dick King-Smith book “The Water Horse” is based on, is so realistic and the setting, World War II rural Scotland, is so vivid that it more than makes up for a story that seems silly if not over-familiar.

This is “Free Willy” with a wee accent, y’see.

It’s about the son of a housekeeper and groundskeeper on a Scottish estate who finds a barnacle-encrusted egg on the seashore, sees it hatch and then tries to raise the cuddly reptile as his own.

Dad’s off fighting the war. Mom (Emily Watson) is busy running the house. Little Angus (Alex Etel, very good) needs a friend. And Flipper isn’t available.

He tries to keep his secret, but fortunately, he tips the replacement groundsman (Ben Chaplin in full burr) that he’s keeping something in the tub. Louis is the fellow who has heard “the ancient Celtic legend” of “The Water Horse.”

Why water horse? Because you can ride them. Or him. There’s only one water horse in the world at a time, Louis tells Angus.

Other adults aren’t in on this because they wouldn’t understand. An artillery regiment has been stationed there to guard against submarine incursions into the Loch. When Crusoe graduates from the tub, he’s going to need even more protection from their shelling.

The tale is pointlessly told in flashback. Brian Cox plays a present-day Scots coot who regales American tourists with the “true” story of this “monster,” the famous faked photograph, the reason we haven’t heard from Nessie lately.

It’s all harmless and sweet in a retro “E.T.” sort of way, with nice period settings (actually New Zealand, which looks like Scotland), good actors not given nearly enough to do, and one very special digital effect.