In the Heart of the Sea

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Blu B It's alright all around. It's a pretty standard stuff honestly for a sea faring adventure. Chris Hemsworth isn't bad and for sure the best thing. The other crew members are all pretty forgettable, don't have much character, and thus it really doesn't resonate when they die off. The all sort of blend in and that's saying a lot given Murphy and Holland are in this. The music is pretty forgettable too and at best just your standard adventure stuff. Not really catchy but not terrible. The cinematography is the biggest problem. It ain't that good man. This is overloaded with way too much CGI in it and it's so noticeable. Than other times it's dark, dull, and lifeless. The whale is fully CGI too. There's nothing really tangible in any of the sea action scenes and it's really noticeable because most of this movie is on water. Everything else is ok though. It makes sense and is pretty standard lost at sea type of stuff. It feels like though when we hit those key beats of a story like this we bounce around to pointless interactions with the side crew that doesn't really add up to anything and drags things out. If you take any of those things out nothing much changes. This needed a much more tangible production, better direction, and better side characters. Just stick with Moby Dick and skip this. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/12/25 Full Review Kayleigh B My husband and I watch this one on a whim the other night and thoroughly enjoyed it. So many movies these days reuse ideas and setting over and over, so it was refreshing to see something I've never seen before. I've never thought about the whaling industry in the 1800s, but was fascinated by that world and the people for whom it was reality. The movie took on some really dark themes without being overly heavy, which I really appreciated. I'm shocked by the negative reviews, but can only think it's because people were expecting Moby Dick. This movie is not about Moby Dick. It's the real-life story of the whaling ship that was sunk by a whale and the fight for survival that ensued. I thought the acting and visuals were both stellar. Loved it. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/03/25 Full Review abraham l Amazing movie! Love the story and the effects ! Totally worth it Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/01/25 Full Review K I Started off well, but kept descending into darkness. A totally unpleasant experience to watch. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/25 Full Review John C Have been reading Moby-Dick and Melville and that era of writers; and while I never saw this when it opened I passed because it looked too Hollywood. So when I finally decided to watch it to complement the reading, I confirmed I was right. For one, all the star-power involved and the at-times over-emotive American acting. Nantucket looks like a set, actors look just got in from the makeup trailer. The lighting at times looks fake, and of course they had to use a lot of CGI to simulate whale-hunting. That being said, it does at times bring you into the grip of the action - some scenes do feel realistic and I imagine viewing on a big screen would be entertaining. At 2 hours it isn't going to claim much of your life. While there is some character crisis in the movie, they aren't explored enough; it can be difficult to pull off with multiple characters, so what are we supposed to identify with? The Nickerson character as old man drinking the rest of his life away, reflecting on his wide-eyed greenhorn boyish self? Or the manly Owen Chase? His is the man leaving family behind trope, doing what he knows; circumstances lead him into some spiritual questioning of their trade, but it isn't too deep. You can almost guess the next line of dialogue or story beat. The poster with the great whale eye pretty much says what it's about for the theater-goer; and so didn't generate so much interest. An action film about whale-hunting. A limited series with photography that feels more realistic and gritty (Master and Commander set the bar for this genre), and perhaps an actor with some gravitas and writing that can deliver something more than typical class struggle melodrama, could deliver what this story and era deserves. Melville's novel about Whaling is complex and multi-layered and explores almost every corner of history, society, America, character, psychology, legend, and narration. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/03/25 Full Review Fred U I encountered the movie on Netflix by chance. It looked good as advertised and had some well-known actors, so we went ahead and watched it, really not knowing what to expect or what the movie is about. More often than not these days, that turns into a few hours wasted on a movie not worth watching. This one was, however, and so much so! The visuals are fantastic. Old Nantucket, the boat, the whales, the sea: it all looks remarkably real. The life at sea and its challenges for these men was vividly brought to life. The movie first focuses on the tension between the captain and first mate, then on the encounter of the dreadful whale, and finally the survival ( and non-survival ) story after that. I was gripped by the movie, the story telling and the characters from beginning to end. Afterwards, I read up on the real life events shown. I have no idea why people seem to be so down on the movie. Perhaps my advantage was that I really didn’t know what was to unfold. Anyways, fantastic movie, and a surprise find that evening. Go watch it! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/25 Full Review Read all reviews

In the Heart of the Sea

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