Spielberg's War Horse may not be a smash hit but it is a must watch

Steven Spielberg's War Horse is a sentimental well-told film, which must not be missed.

In the last quarter of Steven Spielberg's epic film War Horse, there is a truly adrenaline pumping scene, which shows a horse freeing itself from captivity in a war field and running for freedom. As the horse falls after a brave effort, you may realise that it is not just your heart that has been working overtime, your eyes too are rooting for the horse -- and what the heck, they are moist.

The fall is followed by a dramatic scene when a British and a German soldier join hands to rescue the horse entangled in a barbed wire.

The words tearjerker and old-fashioned acquire dignity in War Horse, director Steven Spielberg's slow moving (but engrossing), grand drama of the bond between two young people and a horse. With a cast of talented but not household names, War Horse may not be a smash hit but it is a pulsating film that will appeal to audiences worldwide.

In between the slow-moving emotional scenes, Spielberg stages graphic war scenes edited with vigor. Reviewers, including those who thought the film was too sentimental, have hailed Spielberg's battle scenes.

The movie, which is running now in North America and is soon to open worldwide, started slowly on Christmas day grossing about $7 million but the word of mouth was so strong that it galloped past $50 million in six days, indicating it could be an average hit.

The World War I film set in England and France narrates the story of Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) and his horse, Joey. Albert's debt-ridden father (Peter Mullan) buys a horse at an auction, Albert falls in love with it, and gently uses it to till the land but he cannot stop the horse from being sold to Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) on the eve of the war. The captain promises to look after the horse and return it to Albert after the war but Albert is not convinced.

He decides to enlist so he can find his horse and keep him safe. His mission isn't easy. Albert is not the only one who bonds with the horse. A dramatic side story in war-torn France adds to the tension and sadness.

If you are not afraid to cry and do not wince at gory war scenes, and if you accept basic human goodness, and think that miracles can happen, you just cannot miss War Horse.