The Sea Beast, 2022.
Directed by Chris Williams.
Featuring the voice talents of Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dan Stevens, and Kathy Burke.
SYNOPSIS:
When a young girl stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter, they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters – and make history to boot.
The Sea Beast wastes no time showing off just how stunning its computer animation is, instantly rivaling Pixar’s best (and possibly topping anything that legendary studio has ever accomplished in terms of detail). That’s also fitting since the film comes from Moana co-director Chris Williams, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he took some other technical experts with him to craft this utterly striking feature.
Fortunately, The Sea Beast has more than superb visuals going for it. The story occurs in a fascinating world where hunters use pirate ships to roam the seas and take down aquatic creatures for a bounty. It’s a compelling twist on swashbuckling that allows for multiple lengthy and elaborate battles against dangerous foes that are also intimidating in their artistic design. Typically, bodies are flying through the air, harpoons shoot from every direction, and the ship dubbed The Inevitable takes a beating and is constantly on the verge of breaking down, all as a wide array of bright colors splash over the screen. Add in some extra meticulous details at the expense of the environment (wind is frequently seen blowing characters’ clothing all over the place), and you have some genuinely breathtaking action sequences.
The story concerns Jacob (voiced by Karl Urban), heroic and functioning as a moral center for Captain Crow (voiced by Jared Harris), who sometimes lets the task at hand of killing these monsters cloud his judgment on other matters, like what to do about someone in need of rescue at the same time. Such noble decision-making has caused Captain Crow to privately admit that when his time is over, Jacob will be the new man in charge of the vessel.
It’s also worth mentioning that there is an edginess to some of the characters and dialogue despite the PG rating. When the crew returns to town from a successful hunt, they drink in a pub and sing shanties (one of the highlights of the outstanding musical score from Mark Mancina). The same goes for the action sequences, which are pretty tense through sheer exhilaration, style, and fluidity. Yes, this is family-friendly animation, but it is in no way dumbed down with juvenile humor or treats the audience like they are stupid. Simply put, it is a captivating adventure.
For Jacob, that adventure becomes a bit more annoying as a young orphan girl named Maisie (voiced by Zaris-Angel Hator, capable of eliciting an emotional response during the most crucial moments and all-around impressive) stows away on the ship. Her mind is filled with books and mythology dating back hundreds of years, filling it with the most heroic accomplishments of this monster hunting. And considering her parents lost their lives on a different vessel, the bravery holds a special place in her heart. It also doesn’t take long before she realizes the terror and freight behind taking action and fighting these beasts.
Without giving away where the story goes (which is admittedly predictable but, more importantly, cleverly executed), it should be said that while the team-up involving a child and stranded away from the rest of Jacob’s cohorts initially feels like a betrayal of this bombastic high seas chaos, the script from Neil Benjamin and Chris Williams does find something to say about the way history is written, how it’s consumed, and how it is manipulated for a variety of reasons. There is also an interrogation into what defines someone’s actions as heroic. Some of these characters are not always on the right side of things, and one of the film’s most beautiful moments casually lingers on the damage that has been done for gracefully emotional impact. The Sea Beast offers up a spectacular and thoughtful journey with epic-scale action.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
