This was a good movie with a good message. It's geared for a younger/family audience but that's not a bad thing. The movie has a point at the end of it and that's better than most movies these days. Worth watching in my opinion.

Gunner Boone is a boy living in the Pacific North West; his mother is suffering from leukaemia and he would do anything to save her. His family is fairly new to the town and it isn't long before he hears the legend of 'The Water Man'; an old miner who gained immortality after discovering a strange stone just before a flood washed away the town... now he is rumoured to spend his time searching the forests for his lost wife. Gunner hear a girl named Jo telling a story of how she crossed paths with the Water Man and has the scar to prove it. She offers to take Gunner to him, for a price. They head into the forest together and soon Gunner's father realises he is missing; the sense of urgency increases when a forest fire is reported.

I thought this film was a real delight. The central theme of a boy's desperate hope to help his mother and his father's search for him is heart-warming without ever feeling mawkish. The story moves at a good pace; early on we are introduced to Gunner and his family, the legend of The Water Man and to Jo; this nicely sets things up for the adventure when Gunner and Jo head into the Forest; here they encounter some dangers which are likely to put the viewer slightly on edge even though we know it is unlikely that anything really bad will happen. Without going into spoilers I know some viewers are likely to be somewhat disappointed at how the story finishes; personally I really liked it. The cast does an impressive job; notably Lonnie Chavis and Amiah Miller as Gunner and Jo and Rosario Dawson and David Oyelowo as his mother and father. Some reviewers have commented on how good it is to have a family film with a black lead; I certainly don't disagree but think it is perhaps more important that race is never an issue in the film. It is important that some films address the subject of racism but it is just as important that there are films where a characters race doesn't matter for the story. The film's setting is fairly stunning thanks to the forest and impressive landscapes. As well as doing a fine job acting David Oyelowo impresses in his directorial debut. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting a good family film with some adventure.

In the small town of Pine Mills, Oregon, there is a local legend about a mysterious figure called The Water Man. Gunner Boone is obsessed with death and draws his comic book. His father Amos (David Oyelowo) is often absent and is struggling to reconnect with Gunner. His mom Mary (Rosario Dawson) is sick and his parents are trying to keep it from him. Jim Bussey (Alfred Molina) tells him about The Water Man who may have discovered immortality. He goes searching with help from blue-haired girl Jo who tells stories to little kids for money.

This is David Oyelowo trying his hand at directing. It's fine. It's not anything special but I'm not going to trash it either. It reminds me of Forest Whitaker who also dabbles in directing. There is always the possibility of improvement and I look forward to it. I find this film a little flat. The action scenes need some more kinetic energy. The climax is a little bit anti-climatic. The story is relatively straight forward with the gentlest of twists and turns. All in all, this is professional work for Oyelowo's first effort.