In the Heart of the Sea

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw, Cillian Murphy, Benjamin Walker, Michelle Fairley, Tom Holland, Paul Anderson, Frank Dillane, Edward Ashley, Sam Keeley
Directed by: Ron Howard
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A whaling ship is attacked by a whale and the survivors must fight to stay alive after abandoning their ship.

Review:

Tim: I was looking forward to In the Heart of the Sea. I've read "Moby Dick", and was intrigued to learn about the real-life story that inspired it. Plus, the movie is directed by Ron Howard and boasts a strong cast. All the elements were here for a really incredible film. Unfortunately, the total is less than the sum of its parts. This is a good movie- there's too much talent here to allow anything less to happen. Unfortunately, there's just nothing special or memorable about this film.

As often happens, the story is hampered somewhat by the reality of the events. I just wanted to see more. The film is a bit anticlimactic. There's no moment that really hits you. It's interesting to see what happens to the crew, but there was no wow, no spark. It was a perfectly acceptable story that was told fairly well. It never made me want to sit up or inch to the edge of my seat. I was never bored throughout the 2 hours, 2 minutes run time- that is a big positive for Howard. Unfortunately, I never even approached becoming enthralled. The movie did enough to keep my attention, but not one thing more.

The cast is really good, which certainly helps. I love Brendan Gleeson in anything, so his presence certainly makes things better. Ben Whishaw is proving to be a talent to watch. I enjoyed his performance as Herman Melville. He brings this great sense of intellect to his roles. I liked the younger cast, including Tom Holland (who is very good) and Frank Dillane (who's good). The lead is played by Chris Hemsworth. I suppose he was fine in the lead role. I'm torn, because he is such an incredible Thor. Unfortunately, in most of his other films, he just leaves something to be desired. I don't believe he is a great actor. He certainly looks the part, but his performance never connected on an emotional level. I never really cared for his character. Hemsworth never did one thing as an actor that made my ears perk up or my eyes want to follow him. I can't help but think this movie needed a great actor in the lead role, not a slightly above average one. That does hurt the movie a bit. Luckily, there's enough talent in the cast to mitigate this some.

I thought the visuals were okay, but that's not quite good enough. There were too many moments that felt obviously computer generated. I never really believed I was watching the whale. It was fine, it didn't overly detract from the film, but this was an area that should have added to the quality of the movie and that simply doesn't happen.

At one point, it looked like In the Heart of the Sea could be among the better films of 2015. It came out at the end of the year and featured a boatload of talent. It looked like an exciting, fun action adventure movie. The film we got was good, but thousands of miles away from where it could have been. If I was making a list of the best movies of 2015, this one would be way down the list. So, while Howard is talented enough to ensure this is a solid movie, it is not anywhere near his best. When you are really, really talented, even a good movie like this can ultimately be disappointing. Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World