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VIDEO
It's 'War' out there Man's inhumanity to man is examined through a boy's mystical connection to a horse in "War Horse," Steven Spielberg's stirring, expertly manipulative adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel.
The plucky steed is named Joey, a spirited colt admired from a distance by an English farm boy named Albert. When Albert's father, Ted, unexpectedly buys Joey, at first the boy is overjoyed. When Ted's landlord demands funds he's due, it looks as if the family will have to sell Joey -- until Albert coaxes him to plow an entire rocky field. When World War I dawns, Ted sells the horse, this time to the British forces, a stint that will send the steed on a punishing odyssey through the war's bloodiest battlefields.
With its bucolic vistas, soaring music, high-keyed lighting and magical plot convergences, "War Horse" would be too grandiose and simplistically fablelike to take were it not for Spielberg's masterfully constructed set pieces and the consistently steady human performances. More crucially, Joey proves to be a thoroughly charismatic protagonist.
The DVD (Disney, $30) includes two featurettes, while the Blu-ray ($40) adds two more and a four-disc set ($46) even more.
WASHINGTON POST
Also out Tuesday:
Movies: "Being Elmo," "A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures," "We Bought a Zoo."