Directed by:
Ron HowardScreenplay:
Charles LeavittCinematography:
Anthony Dod MantleComposer:
Roque BañosCast:
Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Jordi Mollà, Tom Holland, Charlotte Riley, Joseph Mawle, Edward Ashley (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth proportions with an almost human sense of vengeance. This real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick', but Melville's book only told half the store. Experience the harrowing aftermath as the pummelled crew battle storms, starvation and despair and the men are forced to do the unthinkable in order to survive. Ron Howard direct this astonishing true story based on the best-selling book by Nathaniel Philbrick. Chris Hemsworth stars as the vessels veteran first mate and Benjamin Walker is the ship's less-than-experienced captain. (Roadshow Entertainment)
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Reviews (13)
Ron Howard doesn’t make bad movies. But sometimes he just misses the mark. The few scenes at the table where the story begins and ends are more powerful than the cruise itself. The plot that plays out on the ship proceeds by presenting the individual characters in an unoriginal way and putting them in predictable conflicts. Moreover, Howard
doesn’t make the most of their roles in the story and, first and foremost, he does not quite know what he wants to say
with this film. There are several themes, but none of them serves as the driving force of the film. We’ve got a conflict
between the captain and the first officer, the pursuit of wealth culminating in a tragedy, and reflections on how far you
can go to save your own life. But it is all just routinely suggested and does not drive the story forward. The most
controversial element of the film is the killing of the animals, which is supposed to turn our characters into heroes
fulfilling their great roles so that they can return home to their families. The time for such stories has long since passed.
The movie is pleasant to watch, especially for female viewers. But it’s not the riveting spectacle we expected from Howard. All of the elements that appeal to the audience were already shown in the action-packed trailer and the work with the characters, which would have given it some sort of dramatic arc, is too weak.
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Personally, I really like visually spectacular films that take place at sea (e.g. Titanic and Life of Pi), so I was really looking forward to In the Heart of the Sea and I am definitely not disappointed. The film effectively blends two timelines to form a nice and consistent whole. What was actually behind the birth of one of America's most famous novels? Where does truth end and fiction begin? The film doesn't lack both decent technical execution and a well-chosen cast, plus it all stands on a good premise. In short, a film that is definitely worth seeing in the cinema to properly enjoy all the aforementioned qualities.
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It's beautiful to look at. Neither the excessive digitalisation, nor the insistent knowledge that this is artificial soundstage spectacle of the purest kind prevented me from getting carried away by the dynamic visual design, which Howard has been doing well for a long time. I also didn't mind the retrospective with frequent cuts to the narrator, on the contrary, it added a welcome dose of humanity and believability to the story. What bothered me, however, was the script, or rather most of it, which, instead of focusing on one strong theme that with peripheral secondary motifs, jumps furiously between completely different perspectives, thus fragmenting the story into several rather harshly connected intellectual episodes. It shifts between a testimony about the corrupt whaling business of the 19th century, a psychological battle between two dominant crew members, a mythical adventure against a formidable enemy, and a physically painful survival drama, but in the end, it cuts corners everywhere and is nothing more than a routine Hollywood recitation of an ambitious multi-layered story that looks beautiful on the big screen but would not have caught on at festivals for even a slightly discerning audience. 65%
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A classic adventure voyage, filmed with enthusiasm. You have to fall in love with In the Heart of the Sea, otherwise you will be bothered by the green screens and the insufficient depth of some characters. The main trio is excellently cast, the characters are written very well and you will have no problem experiencing trouble with a big white whale. No shortage of action, but Howard is best in details and crushing situations. Baños’ music is stylish and catchy. Call me Ishmael.
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Ron Howard makes great movies and average movies, and this one falls into the second category. I was particularly struck by how uninteresting the ocean scenes were and how they lacked atmosphere, as these were supposed to be the main attraction. Either they were blatantly digital, so much so that the special effects were reminiscent of a rear projection, and they were also uncomfortably strangely colored, or the characters were supposed to recite dramatic replicas during them, but instead they spewed out of their mouths phrases heard hundred times over. And I just waited for what would come next and how or when it would end. Another negative is the casting of Benjamin Walker, who was not good enough for the role of captain and who Chris Hemsworth was much better than without even trying, and the fact that the great Cillian Murphy got only a supporting role. A pity.
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