In the Heart of the Sea: Movie Review

Ron Howard’s “In the Heart of the Sea” is based on the best selling book by Nathaniel Philbrick. What you may not know going in, is that the story is less about the giant whale and more about the crew of the Essex struggle to survive after the attack. Unfortunately, “In the Heart of the Sea” is a tediously dull and visually unimpressive would-be blockbuster.

Set in the winter of 1820, the New England Essex whaling ship went out to sea to collect whale oil. Even though Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) had been promised a promotion to captain his own ship, he winds up being the first mate to George Pollard (Benjamin Walker). The two men are at odds from the beginning of the voyage, which leads to a nearly crippling run-in with a massive storm. However, that storm is nothing in comparison to being attacked by a mammoth sized whale. The sea creature that inspired Moby-Dick rips apart the Essex, leaving the handful of survivors stranded at sea with very little food and water.

Despite sporting a skilled director plus a solid cast which also includes Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleason, and Tom Holland, “In the Heart of the Sea” feels absolutely lifeless. The action scenes lack thrills, especially the initial attack by the whale. Another problem for me was that I found it hard to root for men who were butchering whales for oil. I am no vegetarian so I know that animals are slaughtered for many different purposes (food, clothing, etc). However when a giant whale attacks a ship that is hunting and killing other whales, you kind of have to root for the whale, right?

With a huge selection of great films in theaters this Holiday season, there is no shortage of options. “In the Heart of the Sea” shouldn’t be one of them.

By: Marc Ferman