Review: War Horse

[ameliah203]

There were parts of War Horse that were utterly beautiful and some of it did make me cry, like the scene in no man's land. However there were some really REALLY bad bits that were quite cringy to watch (French girl I'm looking at you!)

[MoonIightGraeme]

This film would have been better if the horse was voiced by Robin Williams.

[mikeboy0001]

How can a film critic not like Schindler's List?

Not only is a great movie, but has it the only one where Spielberg transcends himself, looking and autor movie, not a Hollywood movie

[RonsterRoo]

Less War Horse, more Bore Horse

[SuperMediachannel]

I don't know why,but this didn't make me cry

[frogtastic1000]

speilberg is a genius and i love jaws/ET....i will however avoid this film like the bubonic plague

[RonsterRoo]

The boy seemed a bit too friendly with the horse for my liking, the scene where they have a roll in the hay and make a mess all over the stable wall, was thankfully left on the cutting room floor.

You never got the redemption at the end of them settling with the bastard landlord either, the whole reason the horse ended up going to war... And the girl that was thrown into the car/horse race scene and then talked about in the trench, she was then forgotten.

[MsBkirk]

@RonsterRoo Do you think the scene of them rolling in the hay would have caused a mass singalong of 'Roll, roll, roll in ze hay' from the fans of Mel Brooks's 'Young Frankenstein' in the cinema?

[Dougtheslugmcdoug]

Well some of the shooting of the film reminded me of old westerns, especially the shooting of the Devon countryside. Personally I felt the film was beautifully shot. Loved the film.

[frankiekl87]

i love cheese, edam leerdammer and lets not forget the staple chedder

[BigBoss7777777]

He's only giving it a positive review 'cos he has to interview Spielberg afterwards.

[rosalindjoanne]

@BigBoss7777777 he's been in the situation before (where he needs to interview an actor/director after reviewing their work) and hasn't been positive about the film. so no.

[G666leSh666le]

Steven Spielberg IS SO LAME

[shadowssorrow]

It's a horse...

[einsteinnothandsome1]

the film is shit, a cross between Lassie and ET

[Aroreiel]

So apparently any film that makes you cry, is manipulative right? You can't just single War Horse out then. I didn't even notice the score to this film, so it definately wasn't that playing over the scenes that made me cry.

[metfilmguy2009]

@shadowsmessage The film IS an adaptation of the book, which I have read, AND I work as an usher for the play in the West End. I'm not arguing that maybe the book's author was inspired by 'Au Hasard Balthazar' but the film is an adaptation of the novel as is the play.

[seriouslyent]

LOVED this film :) seen it twice, read the book too.

[orkavorn]

Oh please, Kermode cries at everything. Mama Mia, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Shrek 3...

He seems to have a weaknees for schmaltz, for example preferring Silent Running (ugh!), over 2001! Get a grip!

[CraigSips]

Watched it yesterday but I dont know what part I was supposed to cry at (and I cried at the Muppets Christmass Carol). meh... average.

[thekingofcorsairs]

@CraigSips me too. that caine bastard always gets me teary-eyed.

[fleischwolferl]

You've heard it Mark: Jaws is a film about a shark and TTSS is most likely a film about spying. Drop your pretentious interpretations.

[owdl114]

If someone doesn't refer to Mark and Simon as 'War Horse and Tail', I'll be very disapointed.

[Spoonerism2501]

manipulation can be a good thing... when you don't know it's happening. Movies do it all the time, but when you do know then thats where I have to disagree. Still, I am thinking of seeing this film, but not sure whether it'll be for me.

[skinwalkerxxx]

ah ha ha ha Kermode is such a woman

[ThisVideoGetsMeMoist]

The best scene in War Horse is where the hero cuts the rope bridge and the German soldiers fall into the gorge, eaten by crocodiles.

[Joelaroc7]

@ThisVideoGetsMeMoist That was the funniest comment I've seen in a long time.

[lucklessluke]

I thought it did look like devon, although I did recognise the tors

[frogtastic1000]

i wonder if kermode reads these you tube comments lol (especially thefagmenaceanish's)

[bennyboyjones]

@frogtastic1000 Lol, every regular Kermode viewer knows themenacecuntish, we should try and contact his parents to see if he's available for an interview after he's come home from his "special education" classes.

He's stated in the past that Transformers 3 is one of the best films ever made, so it should be interesting.

[frogtastic1000]

@bennyboyjones buhhaahhhaa he's special ed no doubt...his parents are not amused

[woofalot13]

so why would i want to watch manipulative schmaltz agian ?

[frogtastic1000]

i've never cried watching a film even after bambi's mother died...shame on you mark kermode

[rick694uk]

@frogtastic1000 Really? ET on the goodbye scene? Secretatariat? Hachi: A Dog's Tale? Really?

I am biased towards animals, guilty! :D

[SethHesio]

Volume sounds fine to me.

[modplugrad]

Heres my take Mark: Most reviewers see schmaltzy and manipulative movies as bad movies unless they're made by the infallible Spielberg (hah!). Its bias and its dumb. I will avoid this movie like the plague.

[SethHesio]

@modplugrad Stephen Spielberg has never been schmaltzy or manipulative. He's a gritty controversial director who makes Gaspar Noe look like Roald Dahl.

[fatboyslim142]

@SethHesio Ha Ha Very Funny.

[SethHesio]

@fatboyslim142 I could have been a lot funnier there, I'd just got up though... lol

[woofalot13]

@SethHesio hope your being sarcastic .

[SethHesio]

@woofalot13 :)

[woofalot13]

@modplugrad yeah spielberg is the king of schmaltz .

[modplugrad]

all of my volume knobs - hardware and software - are turned to the max and its still too low. Fix the volume please!

[frogtastic1000]

i seriously doubt if warhorse is as good as ET/jaws

[reservoirdog666]

Saving Private Ryan is by far Spielbergs best film in my opinion.

[bamboosa]

sound?

[CleoCaesar]

Why are these videos so QUIET?!

[dinolast]

PARDON! I can't hear you DR Kermode

[GatorM]

Far too quiet!

[petertyson2]

Saw War Horse a few days ago, thought it was a decent film if nothing remarkable. However the sentimental schmaltz failed to hit the spot with me as I didn't well up or shed any tears. Maybe the problem was it was too sentimental and schmaltzy for my tear ducts.

[KajiCarson]

Kermode doesn't like "Schindler's List"? Bli-MEY, any more information on this?

[frogtastic1000]

@KajiCarson it's not a great film tbh

[KajiCarson]

@frogtastic1000 Well, doesn't that just place a fly in my ointment?

[KajiCarson]

@frogtastic1000 I didn't mean THAT kind of information. >_>;;

[Badthoughts90]

@KajiCarson One thing he has said is he thinks there isn't enough ambiguity in the film, that it should have left us wondering about whether Schindler did what he did for selfish reasons or unselfish reasons. I imagine there's more than that but there's one thing.

[KajiCarson]

@Badthoughts90 Well, I imagine Mark'd be astute enough to observe the possibility that Schindler could've done it for BOTH reasons. That's ambiguity.

[Badthoughts90]

@KajiCarson I haven't seen it so can't really give my opinion, just reporting what he's said in the past.

[Regenmacher175]

anyone else think the boy would have committed bestiality eventually? people who watched the film said he kept going on, and on, and on about how fabulously fabulous the horse was. I believe that if i go watch the movie I will cry but only because it sounds sooo awful by the way people are describing it to me.

[petertyson2]

@Regenmacher175 To be fair it's not just the boy (Albie) who comments on how remarkable the horse (Joey) is. Everyone he comes into contact with has something "remarkable" to say about him.

[hoho330]

@Regenmacher175

No

[ZombieWagon]

Good reviews as always from Dr. K - but the audio on these particular videos from 5Live are routinely far too quiet (but this one is exceptionally quiet!) - to those responsible for upping the videos, PLEASE make sure the audio is at a good level before they're uploaded.

[BaronVonPenguin]

Please lads, TURN THE VOLUME UP A FEW NOTCHES!!!!

[frogtastic1000]

kermode cried over warhorse? oh dear lolz

[shadowsmessage]

Everyone do me a favour by watching the great Robert Bresson's 'Au Hasard Balthazar before you watch 'War Horse'. 'War Horse' happens to be a shameless plagiarism of 'Au Hasard Balthazar'.They say its an adaptation of a novel, well it aint!

[frogtastic1000]

ive got a feeling war horse is crappy and im not going to spend £10 to find out either way

[wastedpotential616]

volume seems fine to me

[trentkill]

I don't understand this whole discussion of MANIPULATION. If a movie is sad it's manipulating you? How about shit happens in real life that's sad..and if half of that is played out in a movie..you're going to feel something because we aren't robots. Like ThatFellowCoat said.. every movie is an excercie in manipulation, and if every movie is then every movie isn't.

[raggedbreath]

@trentkill Manipulation isn't always a negative thing. Like you said, every story manipulates the viewer/reader...

[Regenmacher175]

@trentkill if it's deliberately set up to get you to cry by playing a very sad music, whilst someone is shooting a dog then that's manipulative because everything is set up to get you to cry and it is not a natural response.

[adlanth]

@trentkill Well, there's showing things that would make you cry , and making viewers engage properly with the characters and their story... and then there's being lazy with the narrative/characterisation etc. and jus creating emotion artificially (with, say, music...)

[Gnarkade]

best film critic evar

[lordtufty]

kwoliy film

[RedOnChrome]

TURN UP THE VOLUME!

[SethHesio]

@RedOnChrome How do you mea?

[vrooomuk]

And this is why I have utter respect for Kermode as a reviewer...

[simonh505]

Is Mark trying to be Bane? FIX THE AUDIO!

[ekmad]

@simonh505 lmfao nice reference

[Jellyform]

I saw this a few days ago and hated it. Mainly because I simply don't get the same sentimentality towards Horses as I have in the past with films featuring Dogs, Dolphins, Killer Whales etc

[jaket282]

audio is on max and can only just hear it

[aeropagitica]

Is there something wrong with the audio on this video? Far too quiet to be heard clearly.

[ThatFellowCoat]

Excellent review. Also, can't you make the case that every film is manipulative? After all, a comedy wants to laugh, so doesn't that mean a comedy is manipulative? An horror film wants to scare you, which is also an example of manipulating the audience. Same with action films wanting to excite the viewer.

[ehmazin]

Video is extremely quiet

[davidkemp16]

too quiet.. needs more volume

[jcairns111]

yass