In the Heart of the Sea

I went into the cinema expecting something fairly decent. Something that would at the very least, satisfy. I I was more wrong than I thought. It was better than satisfactory. It was brilliant. The Effects are the best of the year, and Chris Hemsworths Acting is top notch. Ron Howard has always been a great director, and I did enjoy a beautiful mind and Apollo 13, but this film has to be one of the greatest of the year. The film is very emotional at times, and the storyline is very well thought out. Definitely deserves an Oscar for best visual effects, and hopefully it will bag some more Oscars on the way.

The movie is best viewed on the big screen, as it possibly wouldn't have the same effect on a TV. Get into the cinemas before it's too late.

I am a huge fan of Moby Dick. I've taught it as a novel; I've read it several times. Its artistry is beyond measure. Herman Melville certainly knew his stuff when it came to whaling and the sea. Apparently, Melville gained his inspiration from a particular whaling voyage that produced fodder for his imagination. This film takes the fictional Melville back to the time where he heard the story of the white whale. If one looks at the book as the allegory it is, we put the stamp of whiteness and all the implications of the color (or lack of it) that it implies. This movie takes any artistry out of the story. Ahab lost his leg and pursues the elusive cetacean in the ultimate act of revenge. Here, a bunch of guys get in over their heads. They had an overzealous captain who simply was out for the commercial value of the animal. When the whale destroys the ship (they do give him supernatural powers) part of the crew is in whaleboats, trying to get someplace safe. Terrible things happen, including cannablism, and some manage to hold off their fates till they are rescued. But there is something dull about the pacing of the story. We aren't made privy to much of what goes on among them. There are the obligatory sacrifices that are not new to this genre. It's a decent movie, but a better script and some more personal depth would have helped.

Based on the story that inspired Moby Dick, its novelist, Herman Melville seeks out the survivor of the Whaling ship Essex to have him tell the tale of the white whale they encountered.

I heard In the heart of the Sea was not action packed enough. It sounded like the best and only action sequences could be found in the trailer, but that was not the case at all. I found it pretty jammed packed with big adventure. From director Ron Howard showing us how to sail a ship, to the epic standoff between man and the world's largest mammal. They even get into how a whale is hunted and then gutted for oil, which won't make any PETA supporters happy.

I would say the real issue is that since they are advertising the movie as the story that inspired Moby Dick, you would expect more whale than we actually got. The survivor telling the tale, Thomas Nickerson (played by Brendan Gleeson as an old man and Tom Holland as a Young one) began his story by telling us it was about the Captain and his first officer (played by Chris Hemsworth), and for the most part the movie was about how these two different men, from different social classes operate a ship.

What I was most impressed with is that it was worth the IMAX 3D ticket. In the Heart of the Sea has so many fantastic visuals, and not just the eye candy that is Chris Hemsworth who was made to look quite heroic in the picture (or maybe I just could not get his image of Thor out of my head). A lot of the imagery was grim to give a realistic look at what it was like to be a sailor in the 1800s, it was brilliant cinematography.

And the story that was told was very complete. I think I learned far too much about the political process and corruption of the whaling industry, back in the day, which is interesting, but does have the story lingering longer than you would expect.

Overall, I'm impressed with the second effort Ron Howard and Chris Hemmisworth team up for after Rush.

I must confess I truly don't understand these "professional" film critics who get paid to pick apart movies. This is an epic story and made more interesting knowing there is truth within the fiction. Can we just sit down and enjoy a movie for the entertainment value? I did not see anywhere in this film where the actors failed to give you the full feeling of the character they were portraying.

I have never seen a movie yet that Ron Howard failed to move the audience and this is no exception. Rent the DVD from Redbox or pay the $3.99 to Prime Video and don't be dissuaded by those pseudo-professional film critics who are no better than meteorologists who get the weather report wrong half the time.

After seeing the reviews, I wasn't sure if it was worth 2 hours. Much better than expected. I think the critics ratings were hugely unfair. This is a quality film. If you like seafaring adventure with a good cast, you'll like this.