Ever since it was announced that Steven Spielberg was going to turn Michael Morpurgo's novel War Horse into a film, anticipation has been building. How will the story that has been such a huge success on the stage transfer to the big screen? 

Graphic war scenes

Joey's journey, from a farm in Devon to the battlefields of the Somme, makes for an enthralling story and it stays true to the original tale. Plenty of the aspects that made the stageplay a hit are present in the film version - the touching relationship between farm boy Albert Narracott and his horse Joey, the mischievous goose, the portrayal of rural life in Devon versus the sights and scenes of the First World War, and the harrowing reminders of the role horses played in the conflict. 

The latter theme, in fact, becomes even more shocking on the silver screen - few viewers will fail to be distressed by the sight of horses charging towards German machine guns, or the piles of equine bodies strewn across battlefields. 

Perhaps the best known scene of all - when Joey breaks loose and gallops across No Man's Land - has been turned into a cinematic masterpiece. You cannot help but be swept along on the horse's incredibly dangerous journey past tanks, along trenches and across the war-torn landscape, only to be halted when he runs into a barbed wire fence, a moment that will make anyone wince, horse lover or not.

Equine actors

A total of 14 equine actors played the equine star 'Joey' in the film, and in the main they do a very good job in doing so - and the bond between Joey and Albert is generally well conveyed. However, anyone who knows horses well might find it strange to seem them portrayed on screen as constantly moving, barging, neighing and rearing - Joey is as likely to be waving his forelegs in the air while standing quietly in the stable as he is when confronted with a tank on the battlefield.

The film is pitched as 'family friendly', but several of the war scenes might upset younger viewers, while the overall tone of the movie is more reminiscent of the sweetness of E.T. than the trauma of Saving Private Ryan, which could frustrate older members of the audience.

With beautiful scenes of Devon landscapes, an unforgettable storyline, moments of humour amid the horror, and a stellar cast including Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Peter Mullan, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Kebbell and newcomer Jeremy Irvine as Albert, the film is definitely worth watching. It just remains to be seen whether that will be enough for the film to have the same international resonance as the stageplay.

War Horse opens in cinemas across the country on January 13 2012. For more about the movie, watch H&C's Rudall's Round Up, 5.30pm on 4 January