War Horse

War Horse (2011) starring Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis. Directed by Steven Spielberg. A British man buys a horse, paying far too much. His son, Albert (Irvine), takes on the training of the horse, which he names Joey. But World War I intervenes, and Albert's father sells Joey to a cavalry officer. Will Joey survive the war? Will Albert and Joey be reunited? I can't help but describe this movie as "Spielberg Lite." Compared to his other wartime dramas, like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List," he really plays down the violence and the horror of war. Based on a children's book, I would venture to say that this is a children's movie. Maybe not for young children, but for those tweens who love horses, this would be a great movie. For adults, it is somewhat lacking in depth and realism. (The supplied subtitles are good, and closed captions are also available.) Grade: B