SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Am I Missing Something?

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Jacob is a veterinarian who drops out of Cornell university during his final exam due to his parents unfortunate death. With nothing left for him in his home town, he plans to board a train to the city to pick up any available job.Aboard the train, he is caught by some fellows who are part of the circus. They welcome him in, giving him a chance as a circus hand. They ultimately decide to keep him when they discover he is good with the animals, and he becomes the new bull man for the newest attraction... a female elephant named Rosie!Although he is adored by the crew, he finds himself in deep water when the circus leader discovers his affections towards his wife. The ringleader is also incredibly hostile towards the circus animals, beating them when they don't listen. Eventually Jacob realises he must leave with his new girlfriend in tow, but surely he can't leave the elephant behind? Well, the story is beautiful and the ending is lovely. The film is narrated by an elderly Jacob who is attempting to runaway with the circus once again, away from the carehome which he now lives in. I highly reccomend a watch!

I doubt that any movie made today could look much better than "Water for Elephants'" Cinematography, direction, sets, performances, editing - all combine to tell a surprisingly powerful and ultimately humane tale of hardship, loss and of finding oneself - amid the wreckage of humanity at its worst and best. While not so sure I'm comfortable with the Elephants crucial contribution toward the finale (no dispersions towards Rosie she was superb!) just the timing of it all. (that's personal of course) The idea of the old man telling his compelling life story to the young Circus manager is inspired and well worthy of several viewings. An excellent drama with an accent on human adventure and endeavour - easily recommended to a wide ranging audience, covering all ages.

I re-watched this movie on DVD many years after seeing it in a theatre. I remembered its general plot but not the details. Contrary to the rating by 'the reel reviewers', I found the movie interesting in both its plot and in its acting. Yes, I would retain the movie for 'my collection' but also know that it may be a difficult watch for some. The violence against animals and others is disturbing and all too real for the history of our humanity, even to this day. But, there is a message of hope that makes the moment of difficult watching worthwhile to an extent. However, I ended up asking if the fairy tale ending makes this movie honest to the human nature that continues around this world. It can be a movie that should cause us to ask if we might ever start to recognize the moments when we should rise above base animal instincts to act like caring human beings, when it really matters and against the brutes who see fear as a right to exert power. Over humans or animals..

The movie is in overall just another cliché of a hero's tale, saving the girl in distress and vanquishing the evil man. But the touch of inserting the animals and circus elements are very nice. Those give the old classic story concept a fresh new take to see. The background story elaboration feels nice yet it takes a bit too long for me. One problem for me is that the elephant, which is specifically mentioned in the title, appears quite late in the movie. Also the movie feels like it lacks a bit in depicting the connection to the actual title. It's because there's only one elephant seen on the entire movie, and there's just a few scenes really involving the elephant and water. The elephant and water don't even get mentioned in the same sentence anywhere in the dialog. The acting looks decently okay for me. Robert Pattinson can really handle the age and experience gap in his performance here. I remember when he was only Cedric Diggory while Reese Witherspoon had already done Legally Blonde. Reese Witherspoon did quite okay here providing the romance angle for the story. Christoph Waltz performed just like how we would expect from him, although I'd say that this here is not his best acting job.