Mee-shee The Water Giant parents guide

Mee-shee The Water Giant Parent Guide

Overall B

While on a boring business trip with his dad, Mac Cambell (Daniel Magder) decides to explore the possible existence of the community's local legend about a lake monster named Mee-Shee. What he finds forever changes his lonely life and his strained relationship with his father (Bruce Greenwood).

Release date June 27, 2005

Violence C
Sexual Content A
Profanity B
Substance Use A

Why is Mee-shee The Water Giant rated PG? The MPAA rated Mee-shee The Water Giant PG for some violence, peril and mild language

Run Time: 95 minutes

Parent Movie Review

From the Loch Ness monster of Scotland to Ogopogo of Lake Okanagan in British Columbia, stories have surfaced about sighting strange sea creatures. Whether fact or fiction, the idea of illusive aquatic animals has obviously captured the imagination of the creative team behind Mee-Shee: The Water Giant.

Set in a remote corner of Canada, the residents of the northern community are happy to indulge the Indian myth about a Water Giant, nicknamed Mee-Shee, as long as it brings in a few tourist dollars. Not many of them actually believe in the beast’s existence, and the handful that does are described as a little crazy.

But it’s not the native folklore that attracts ten-year-old Mac Cambell (Daniel Magder) to the small town. Nor is this isolated destination his first vacation choice. The truth is, he’s only there because his father (Bruce Greenwood) got a last minute call about a work crisis and had to bail out of their original plans to holiday in Florida. Although allowed to accompany his Dad on the business trip, the boy feels little consolation as he watches the workaholic dive into the job of recovering a valuable piece of equipment lost at the bottom of the lake. With time to kill and little supervision, the neglected child decides to test the validity of the local legend.

As Mac explores the shoreline searching for evidence, Mr. Cambell climbs into a mini-submarine to comb the crevasses of the lakebed looking for the missing machinery. Meanwhile, a pair of mysterious men with mysterious motives uncrates their own underwater craft. All three groups are completely submerged in their seemingly independent quests, until one rather large specter swims across their paths.

For a film that enjoyed only limited theatrical exposure, Mee-Shee: The Water Giant offers great production values, convincing computer graphics and beautiful cinematography. Aimed at an audience roughly the same age as the main character, the plot involves some violence, villains and moments of peril likely to frighten small viewers.

However, the story also includes positive messages about environmental issues and the importance of families. It may be just the kettle of fish for those old enough to want adventure (such as exploding aircraft, spectacular crashes, hand-to-hand confrontations and expeditions into the unknown), but still young enough to embrace the script’s magical premise.

Starring Bruce Greenwood, Daniel Magder. Running time: 95 minutes. Theatrical release June 27, 2005. Updated

Mee-shee The Water Giant
Rating & Content Info

Why is Mee-shee The Water Giant rated PG? Mee-shee The Water Giant is rated PG by the MPAA for some violence, peril and mild language

This heart-warming story about a boy looking for companionship, and a workaholic father discovering the importance of spending time with his son, contains some unexpected violence, such as explosions, vehicle crashes, hand-to-hand combat, weapon use and forces of nature (some deaths are implied). Moments of peril are also included. Mild language, terms of deity used as expletives, name-calling and a vengeful attitude constitute the only other content issues.

Page last updated

Mee-shee The Water Giant Parents' Guide

Did you enjoy the beautiful Canadian scenery in this movie? If so, you might be surprised to learn the film was actually shot in New Zealand. How do filmmakers use their own bag of illusions to bring a story to life? What other tricks of the trade can you identify that were used in this production?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Mee-shee The Water Giant movie is July 24, 2006. Here are some details…

If you didn’t catch Mee-Shee: The Water Giant at your local theater, then the DVD release is your chance to see this big fish story. The movie is recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1, with English subtitles.

Related home video titles:

Another child befriends a creature no adult believes exists in the movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. One of the biggest fish tales ever recorded gets a crisp re-telling in Jonah: A Veggie Tales movie.