Chatverock Takes itself way too seriously

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

najib-02749 HOW ON EARTH DID THIS MOVIE BECOME A FLOP??Only USD$25 million in the US and less than US$100 million worldwide?This movie needs to be celebrated and deserves far better credit. It's a tale of survival, grudge, jealousy. fear and agony. And the director managed to showcase the glory of Moby Dick and reality of the London oil business in the 1800s.Pros: 1) Story 2) Casting 3) VFX 4) Background ScoreCons: 1) Maybe Too Political?? 2) Whale has minimal screen time

Edgar Soberon Torchia Not a good movie. But the story of the young impressed me deeply: the young Thomas Nickerson, who survived to tell the story; and Henry Coffin, the faithful relative of Captain Pollard. Two strong characters, genuine, vulnerable, emotional. One fearful and humble; the other, an arrogant climber. The rest of the characters are stereotypes, buried under macho posing, cheap melodrama by courtesy of the female characters (how unfair, with all those weeping, boring hunks), gallons of unbearable music and tons of special effects.Apart from Nickerson and Coffin, I have to give credit to the powerful sinking sequence of the Essex, an effective evocation of people aboard a boat being hit by a giant sea creature.

Leofwine_draca IN THE HEART OF THE SEA is an energetic and old-fashioned high seas adventure directed by Ron Howard and based on the same true story that inspired Herman Melville to write MOBY DICK. Unfortunately this leads to an extensive framing narrative involving Brendan Gleeson's salty old sea-dog and Ben Whishaw playing Melville, seeking material for his next novel. At times the narrative will be in the heart of the action before jumping back to the present, but they should have dropped this flabby extension of the running time all together to focus on the main story. It's the usual tale of survival at sea against the odds, with a battle against an abnormally large whale making up the heart of the narrative. Unfortunately, Howard gets obsessed with CGI here and at times the film is nothing more than a series of shots of actors against a green screen interacting with CGI. Still, the human drama is quite engrossing, and the cast is surprisingly good; Hemsworth flexs his acting chops unshackled from THOR, while Cillian Murphy, Joseph Mawle, Tom Holland and Frank Dillane all get their moments to shine.

dglink Inspired by true events, Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea" is a literate, often exciting tale that is at once historical and informative, exciting and action filled, grueling and tragic. Charles Leavitt's well-written screenplay was based on a book by Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, which purports to show the events that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. In the middle of the 19th century, the young Melville travels to Nantucket and seeks out the last survivor of the whaling ship Essex, which disappeared thirty years earlier with much controversy. After some persuasion and with enough cash, Melville, played by Ben Wishaw, convinces Brendan Gleeson as Tom Nickerson to relate the shocking story, which Nickerson has not even shared with his wife, played by Michelle Fairley. The film's acting honors go to the seasoned trio featured in the Melville-Nickerson scenes, which flash back to the story of the Essex as Gleeson relates the events.The actual tale of the Essex begins with Owen Chase, a strapping young seaman, who aspires to be captain of a whaler and has been promised a captaincy by the local shipowners. However, he is forced to accept first-mate status under an inexperienced captain, who has family connections. Chris Hemsworth certainly looks the part of Chase, a role that would have suited the young Sterling Hayden. Hemsworth's heroic looks, which at times resemble the youthful Nick Nolte, are perhaps too California-surfer to be convincing as a rugged seafarer. However, while he does have physical presence, a better actor could have deepened the characterization. The same comments apply to Benjamin Walker, who plays Chase's nemesis, Captain George Pollard, an untested captain who steers his ship and men carelessly into peril. Meanwhile, Cillian Murphy as Matthew Joy and Tom Holland as the young version of Nickerson provide able support among Pollard's crew.Set to a beautiful score by Roque Baños, the film features exciting whale-hunting scenes, a fierce storm at sea, and a harrowing tale of survival. However, "In the Heart of the Sea" illustrates the importance of a strong lead even in a film rich with special effects and action at sea. Without Russell Crowe, "Master and Commander" would not have succeeded as it did; with actors of Crowe's caliber in the roles of Chase and Pollard, the film could have been a titanic clash of wills set against the forces of nature in the guise of a monstrous whale. However, even with its flaws, "In the Heart of the Sea" is fine entertainment, despite its failure to attain the heights to which director Howard aspired.