In The Heart Of The Sea review: “How blockbusters should be made”

In The Heart Of The Sea review: A gripping, visually stunning adventure which has everything required of the perfect winter blockbuster.

In The Heart Of The Sea is perhaps the last big movie of 2015. The blockbuster in waiting is adapted from the book by Nathaniel Philbrick with Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond/ Warcraft) scripting and veteran helmer Ron Howard (Rush) directing.

Watch the final trailer for In The Heart Of The Sea : In The Heart Of The Sea review continues below

The film is a grand, big-budget epic that tells the store of the true journey of the The Essex, a ship that faced an epic battle against the seas of the Pacific, and a huge sperm whale. It was the story that would inspire the book Moby Dick, and front and centre in this very ambitious movie is a superb cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Brendan Gleeson and Ben Whishaw as the author Herman Melville, who would go on to write the classic novel.

Shot back in 2013, the film was originally set for release in March of this year, but Warner Bros. decided back in January to push the release to December. Usually a delay of six months would be a very bad sign for a film of this scale, but Warners are choosing to release the film in a period we’ve come to know as ‘awards season,’ and that can only be a good thing. Warner’s confidence in this ambitious film is not unfounded, as Ron Howard has constructed a film that is not only hugely enjoyable, but big on technical achievement, and while the film may not be banging on voters doors over the coming weeks in the main categories, expect to see nods for the glorious effects, sound and the photography. It is beyond fantastic.

Ron Howard and his cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, who he worked with on his last film Rush, have worked wonders with the visuals here. The film looks like a painting that has come to life with magnificent pastel coloured vistas of the sea, glorious close-ups that are often quite random (though effective), Go-Pro-like shots where the camera is mounted to moving objects, and constant sea-splattered frames as The Essex does battle with the ocean and that pesky sperm whale.

Chris Hemsworth channels a mixture of Indiana Jones, Han Solo and Garrett Hedlund’s Hook from Pan, but is perfectly fine as our leading man, first-mate Owen Chase. He carries the movie as matinee idol mixed with hard-assed John Wayne-esque drawl which is perfect when playing opposite the solid Benjamin Walker as sea-wary Captain George Pollard. Also featuring in this predominantly male cast is the always reliable Cillian Murphy as second-mate Matthew Joy, and Tom Holland lurking in the shadows as young seaman Tom Nickerson watching Hemsworth from a far as to how one should lead, no doubt prepping for his Marvel-ous future ahead of him.

30 years in the future from the main story, Gleeson’s Nickerson retells the tale of The Essex to Whishaw’s Melville, two strong performances from the seasoned actors, both coming from big autumn movies in Suffragette and SPECTRE respectively. Gleeson’s Nickerson recalls the dark days shipwrecked, shining as an actor that is required to describe in detail the gory sacrifices the sea men all had to make on the opens seas, at the same time saving Howard from having to display such horrors and securing that all important 12A rating.

In The Heart Of The Sea is everything that you want from a film of its kind. The cast and their acting is top-notch, and the action constantly captivating. The film, while a touch over-long, is visually stunning, relentlessly gripping throughout and with a truly remarkable story at its heart.

In The Heart Of The Sea review by Paul Heath, December 2015.

In The Heart Of The Sea is released in the US on December 11th, and in the UK on Boxing Day, December 26th.