Review of In the Heart of the Sea (2015) by Andrew O — 02 Jan 2016

The true events that inspired the legenday story of Moby Dick are brought to life by Director Ron Howard in an old fashioned but thrilling adventure.

In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville's Moby Dick. But that told only half the story. "In the Heart of the Sea" reveals the encounter's harrowing aftermath, as the ship's surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down.

Chris Hemsworth leads a star studded cast as Owen Chase the ships first officer who butts heads with newly appointed ships Captain George Pollard played by Benjamin Walker as they sail into the unknown hunting Whales for their oil.

The effects on display here are excellent as the angry whale destroys the ship and continues to torment the survivors as they drift, lost at sea. Eventually the desperate survivors have to take drastic unthinkable actions to survive.

The performances too are all top notch especially Hemsworth as well as future Spider-man Tom Holland who plays the ships youngest sailor and Cillian Murphy as a seasoned Whaler.

The film has already bombed at the world wide box office and received mixed reviews. I honestly do not understand the criticism as this is a thoroughly entertaining yarn from start to finish. Recommended.