We all have our little quirks when it comes to our personal likes and dislikes. For me, I don't like the circus for some reason. Don't ask me why, because I don't know. Part of me simply doesn't find them very entertaining, and (I realize that they chose this) I think that part of me feels sorry for the circus families who spend so much of their lives on the road. Whatever, the case, I'm not fond of circuses, be they in real life or in movies. Thus, I went into Water for Elephants with a bit of trepidation, as the movie was going to have to work extra hard to win me over, or, to put it another way, to entice me into the big top.

Taking place in 1931, Water for Elephants introduces us to Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson), a young who is in his final year of veterinary school at Cornell University. However, tragedy strikes and Jacob finds himself penniless and on his own. At the Great Depression is in full bloom, Jacob decides to head for the city to find work, and thus hops what he thinks is a freight train. However, it turns out that it is a traveling circus train, and he’s welcomed into the fold by Camel (Jim Norton), who quickly finds Jacob a job. Jacob is fascinated by the exotic animals in the show, and when he’s taken to see the owner of the circus, August (Christoph Waltz), he exaggerates a bit about his college degree and is quickly given the job of show veterinarian. Jacob meets Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), August’s wife and the star attraction who performs with her trained horses, and is immediately attracted to her. When attendance begins to sag, August sees a new opportunity and purchases an elephant to use in the show, intending for Marlena to learn how to ride it. As Jacob and Marlena work together training the elephant, a love begins to blossom.

Water for Elephants is based on a novel by Sara Gruen. I don't know if the book falls into the chick-lit category, but I do know that it's one of those serious looking books which is placed at the front of the bookstore...and I always walk past. Armed with this knowledge (and again, my dislike of the circus), I had certain expectations about the movie. When it was done, Water for Elephants had surprised me in many ways.

There is often a lot happening in Water for Elephants, as the circus world is a busy and bustling one, but the movie is always able to maintain focus on the main characters. The story also always remains relatively simple. I'm not sure how detailed the novel was (it would have to go into greater depth than the film, right?), but the movie has clearly picked the major themes of the book and shines a spotlight on them. The story is told through Jacob's eyes and we watch him discover this new world of the circus and we see how becomes entranced by Marlena. These two characters are well-drawn, but the most detail comes from August. While he's essentially the villain of the piece, we see a man who loves his wife, but is always a shrewd businessman who will do anything to keep the circus afloat. The acting is very good all-around here. Witherspoon has really dialed back her usual perkiness to play someone who is both excited by her job, yet tired from traveling. Marlena is very serious and somewhat frightened of August. Pattinson sheds his Edward Cullen cockiness/brooding to play a man who is not only new to the circus, but new to the outside world as well. Waltz brings class and charm to a role which could have been very slimy.

Despite these attributes which I didn't see coming, Water for Elephants still has some problems. Again, the movie could have been very melodramatic or shrill, but it maintains a quiet grace. However, this does lead to some languid pacing a times. As we sometimes see with books based on novels, characters and ideas are introduced which don't go anywhere. For example, Camel only seems to show up when it's convenient to the story. There is a huge plothole concerning the elephant which is, well, big enough to drive an elephant through. The main problem with Water for Elephants is that despite the circus setting, you're going to feel like this is a very familiar story, as the two young lovers try to succeed despite the fact that the odds are against them.

No, Water for Elephants isn't a great movie, but it was far better than I expected it to be, and in a case like this, that is high praise.

Water for Elephants made me wonder why a female elephant was called a bull on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 28 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source material. The image has a nice crispness which allows for good depth, most noticeably when we can see long-shots of the midway. The colors look very good, and the image is never overly dark or bright. There are several dark nighttime scenes, but we can always make out what is happening. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 4.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The track provides good stereo effects which are nicely detailed. The surround sound effects showcase the various sounds of the circus, and we are placed in the action. The growls of the big cats provide notable subwoofer effects.

The Water for Elephants Blu-ray Disc contains an assortment of extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Francis Lawrence and Writer Richadr Lagravenese. "Raising the Tent" (16 minutes) examines the production design of the movie. Through comments from Production Designer Jack Fisk and Director Lawrence, we learn about the amount of work which went into accurately re-creating the look of a circus from 1931. The piece also looks at the detailed period costumes. "Secrets of the Big Top" (12 minutes) is mini-documentary which teaches us about the history of the circus in America, using archive stills and clips from the movie. We get behind-the-scenes footage of the elephant and learn about how she was brought to the film in "The Star Attraction" (9 minutes). "The Traveling Show - Page to Screen" (9 minutes) is an interview with Author Sara Gruen, who talks about the origin of the novel and the research which went into the book. There is then a discussion of the writing of the screenplay. "Robert Pattinson Spotlight" (4 minutes) is a brief interview with the actor and a look at his character. "Working Without a Net: The Visual Effects of Water for Elephants" is a 23-minute reel which shows example after example of how CG effects were used to create period backgrounds and minute details like plumes of smoke or power-lines. "Feature Performer Reese Witherspoon" (3 minutes) shows how the actress prepared for the film. The final extra is the THEATRICAL TRAILER for the film.