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Created Dec 25, 2011 04:15PM PST • Edited Dec 25, 2011 04:15PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   Remember family movies like they used to make them? Where sentimentality rules the roost? Spielberg dishes up some of this old-school corn with War Horse. And you know what? Corn is a great dish at times, and the holiday season of 2011 was a perfect time to serve it. Come for a ride along with the horse Joey and his owner Albert. After a dramatic separation, the two of them are pressed in to service during WWI and its devastating violence. Be inspired as both persevere through adversity, carrying hope for reunification. War Horse tugs at your heart-strings and unexpectedly gives you an action packed glimpse of WWI France. I think that you will enjoy War Horse, even if yellow vegetables normally turn you off.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Jeremy Irvine was fine as the protagonist, but he needs more time to mature. The acting from his movie mom and dad Peter Mullan and Emily Watson was much more seasoned. The real star was Joey – can they really train horses to do all that?

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

    Spielberg mixes together two things that get at our emotions: war and noble animals. Mixing the two, although it has been done before, was a bit of genius. Ok, there might be a few times where you will roll your eyes, but in the end, the formula works.

11. Direction Very Good 3.5

12. Play Very Good 3.5

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.8

    Some scenes of brutality remind you that this is no Disney movie.

17. Sex Titillating 1.8

18. Violence Fierce 1.8

19. Rudeness Salty 1.8

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.2

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.2

23. Biological Surreal 2.2

24. Physical Surreal 2.2