Who doesn’t love ponies?  War Horse, based on the Broadway play, which was in turn based on the children’s book by Michael Morpurgo, is a grand and glorious look at what life must have been like for the young stallions and mares that had to give their all in World War I.  Sounds a bit too kiddie for you?  Not by a long shot.  This movie opened during the holiday season for one reason; it’s an enjoyable treat for everyone, from the youngest pony-happy child to the oldest humbug-happy grouch.  There’s something for everyone to like in this movie, no small trick but then with Stephen Spielberg at the helm did you expect anything less?  Hey, I liked 1941.  No you stop it.

A lovely little town in the faraway world of rural England.  A young man sees a newly born horse.  Their eyes meet across a crowded field (okay, not crowded but work with me here), and from then on their lives are intertwined.  The horse, Joey, is a fine thoroughbred, totally unsuited for a life of plowing fields.  The boy, Albert, is chomping at the bit (sorry) to move away from home and start life on his own.  But World War I starts off with a bang (and that’s the last pun I’ll use today I swear) and everyone must lend a hand, or hoof.  When British soldiers come to Albert and Joey’s little village, Albert is promised that Joey will be returned to him.  But when a bond between human and animal is so strong, and a friendship is forged so deeply, if you think Albert is gonna sit around and wait you’ve got another thing coming.

Spielberg knows how to make a good film; keep great talent close by.  Rick Carter’s production design tips a hat to the set design of the play, as well as a few stylistic similarities to All Quiet On The Western Front, but this film has it’s own flavor.  There’s a real-life feel to each scene, and a continuity — Albert’s mother Rose is seen knitting a shawl, which she’s wearing later on, for example — that honors the storyline.  And with the deft touch of cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, this movie itself is gorgeous.  Beautiful, bucolic and filled with so many shades of glorious green that cinematographers surely have apoplexy at the very thought of trying to catch ‘em all on film.  But Kaminski manages to nail it all down, from the country greens to the smokey greys and glorious blues, pinks and reds of sunrises and sunsets, the images are so arresting this film could easily be watched on mute.  But don’t, because the story is a sweet tale of friendship and happy endings that you’ll really want to listen to.  Plus, you’d miss out on another glorious score by composer John “I can crank out awesome in my sleep” Williams.  And every single person that worked with the animals in this movie deserves special credit, as do the special effects wizards that made animatronic horses so lifelike I had no idea where the horse left off and gears began.

The actors are more of an ensemble cast than a list of leads and support.  With the winding road Joey takes to get back home to his beloved Albert, there are many situations the stalwart horse finds himself in, which means many different actors stepping in and out of the picture.  Of course Jeremy Irvine does a brilliant job as Albert, the boy who has to become a man in his quest to find his horse.  Peter Mullan (Braveheart) and Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves) are also excellent as Da and Ma, though this film doesn’t do anything do dispel the “drunken village Da” cliche that’s for certain.  But I loved newcomer Celine Buckens as Emilie, a young French girl that finds Joey and instantly adores the lost, lonesome horse, and Niels Arestrup (Sarah’s Key) as her grandfather who tries to keep her safe amid the horrors of war.

Spielberg knows how to work the feelgood moments, dammit.  And he punches just about every ticket here, from heartstring pulling to flat-out joy.  But I’m a sucker for the little pieces, like the family’s attack goose.  I knew someone who had a goose that also believed he was a real threat, so I’m guessing anyone who has any sort of acquaintance with rural life will get a kick out of that brief scene.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this film will sell a crapload of tickets to the Broadway play.  There will probably be an upswing in the number of families hitting local fairs, petting zoos and equestrian events.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if something else happens with War Horse; repeat viewing.