War Horse

He looks as if he emerged from the laboratory of a veterinary Dr. Frankenstein. With haunches that appear to have been stripped from the guts of an amusement park ride, and a thatched torso resembling an unfinished beer barrel, Joey the War Horse doesn't strike one immediately as astoundingly equine. And then suddenly, he does. The legs, the head, the tail cease seeming to be a collection of spare parts. Working in magical concert, they complete, assuredly and uncannily, the bearing of a majestic animal, one you come to believe is...

Of all the triumphs "War Horse" catalogues — of Allied forces in World War I; of a boy's fierce devotion; of an animal's fighting spirit — the most exhilarating is one of engineering. The magnificent equine puppets that rear up and canter and whinny are the bona fide stars of this Tony-winning, British-born play, and the teams of actors who manipulate their ears, necks, torsos and tails are unreservedly its heroes. The creatures, movingly conjured by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones for South Africa's...

Of all the triumphs "War Horse" catalogues — of Allied forces in World War I; of a boy's fierce devotion; of an animal's fighting spirit — the most exhilarating is one of engineering. The magnificent equine puppets that rear up and canter and whinny are the bona fide stars of this Tony-winning, British-born play, and the teams of actors who manipulate their ears, necks, torsos and tails are unreservedly its heroes. The creatures, movingly conjured by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones for South Africa's...

He looks as if he emerged from the laboratory of a veterinary Dr. Frankenstein. With haunches that appear to have been stripped from the guts of an amusement park ride, and a thatched torso resembling an unfinished beer barrel, Joey the War Horse doesn't strike one immediately as astoundingly equine. And then suddenly, he does. The legs, the head, the tail cease seeming to be a collection of spare parts. Working in magical concert, they complete, assuredly and uncannily, the bearing of a majestic animal, one you come to believe is...

This movie opens Christmas Day. 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 (which has already been adapted for a hit Broadway play). As much an homage to cinema at its most old-school theatrical as it is a meditation on the absurdity of war, Spielberg's lush epic spares nothing by way of action, melodrama, historical sweep or unapologetic schmaltz.

Let's get the basics out of the way first: No, it's not hot or claustrophobic in there. Yes, they can see most of what is going on. Sure, they stumble once in a while. And that joke you're dying to make about the back end? He has already heard it. Life as the horse can be exhausting and unpredictable, but Joey's Head, Hind and Heart have become downright comfortable in his transparent skin. "I actually love the anonymity of it," said Rob Laqui, a dancer from Minnesota who brings up the rear...

The 65th annual Tony Awards were held Sunday at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. As expected the irreverent comic musical ‘The Book of Mormon' raked in the most trophies, nine in total. As Peter Marks reported : "The Book of Mormon" inscribed its own chapter of Broadway history Sunday night, winning the Tony Award for best musical as well as eight others — a formidable harvest for the irreverent songfest by "South Park's" Matt...

Best picture " The Artist " " The Descendants " " The Help " " Hugo " " Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close " " Midnight in Paris " " Moneyball " " The Tree of Life " " War Horse " Best actress Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs" Viola Davis, "The Help" Rooney Mara, "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" Meryl Streep , "The Iron Lady" Michelle Williams ...

Complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations announced Tuesday: 1. Best Picture: "The Artist," ‘'The Descendants," ‘'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," ‘'The Help," ‘'Hugo," ‘'Midnight in Paris," ‘'Moneyball," ‘'The Tree of Life," ‘'War Horse. " 2. Actor: Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"; George Clooney, "The Descendants"; Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"; Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"; Brad Pitt, "Moneyball. " 3. Actress: Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"; Viola Davis, "The Help"; Rooney...

There's a stuffed horse at Mount Vernon, a really good-looking white horse that made me wonder: Where did they get the horse that supposedly looks so much like George Washington's horse? Did they raise a horse and then kill it for the display or did they just wait for a matching horse to die? It didn't look old, so could they have killed it just to stuff it? -- Northern Virginia reader When he got the nod to provide the distinctive white gelding on which a forensically accurate...

Let's get the basics out of the way first: No, it's not hot or claustrophobic in there. Yes, they can see most of what is going on. Sure, they stumble once in a while. And that joke you're dying to make about the back end? He has already heard it. Life as the horse can be exhausting and unpredictable, but Joey's Head, Hind and Heart have become downright comfortable in his transparent skin. "I actually love the anonymity of it," said Rob Laqui, a dancer from Minnesota who brings up the rear in one of three...

Best picture " The Artist " " The Descendants " " The Help " " Hugo " " Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close " " Midnight in Paris " " Moneyball " " The Tree of Life " " War Horse " Best actress Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs" Viola Davis, "The Help" Rooney Mara, "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" Meryl Streep , "The Iron Lady" Michelle Williams ...

Complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations announced Tuesday: 1. Best Picture: "The Artist," ‘'The Descendants," ‘'Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," ‘'The Help," ‘'Hugo," ‘'Midnight in Paris," ‘'Moneyball," ‘'The Tree of Life," ‘'War Horse. " 2. Actor: Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"; George Clooney, "The Descendants"; Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"; Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"; Brad Pitt, "Moneyball. " 3. Actress: Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"; Viola Davis, "The Help"; Rooney...

10 and older The Adventures of Tintin (PG).   Kids 10 and older shouldn't have much trouble following the adventures of tireless redheaded reporter Tintin and his loyal terrier, Snowy, as they chase after evildoers in this animated extravaganza. Tintin, the character who first appeared in graphic novels in 1929, buys an antique model ship and discovers a bit of parchment in it that makes him the target of a bad guy named Ivanovich Sakharine. After he's kidnapped by Sakharine, Tintin meets a drunken ship's...

This movie opens Christmas Day. 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 (which has already been adapted for a hit Broadway play). As much an homage to cinema at its most old-school theatrical as it is a meditation on the absurdity of war, Spielberg's lush epic spares nothing by way of action, melodrama, historical sweep or unapologetic...

The 65th annual Tony Awards were held Sunday at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. As expected the irreverent comic musical ‘The Book of Mormon' raked in the most trophies, nine in total. As Peter Marks reported : "The Book of Mormon" inscribed its own chapter of Broadway history Sunday night, winning the Tony Award for best musical as well as eight others — a formidable harvest for the irreverent songfest by "South Park's" Matt Stone...

10 and older The Adventures of Tintin (PG).   Kids 10 and older shouldn't have much trouble following the adventures of tireless redheaded reporter Tintin and his loyal terrier, Snowy, as they chase after evildoers in this animated extravaganza. Tintin, the character who first appeared in graphic novels in 1929, buys an antique model ship and discovers a bit of parchment in it that makes him the target of a bad guy named Ivanovich Sakharine. In tracking Sakharine, Tintin meets a drunken ship's captain named Haddock who,...

Long live the war horse — and I am not referring strictly to the astounding equine mechanics occurring nightly at Lincoln Center. (In, er, the moving British import "War Horse. ") Three benchmark performances by actors with varied and richly fortified stage pedigrees are giving theatergoers fresh fodder for future reverie. They are the leads in productions as tonally different as weddings are from wakes. And yet, the spells they cast are all in a similarly thrilling vein, the sort...