The robust family adventure “The Sea Beast”, which premieres today on Netflix, is one of the biggest cinematic surprises of the year so far. Funny, clever and sneakily deep, it has elements that will be familiar to families everywhere. There's a bit of "Moana," a "Pirates of the Caribbean" backdrop, a "How to Train Your Dragon" thread, and even a few nods to the Kaiju movies in this fun animated flick that features some actual movies instead. in only bright colors to catch the attention of young children. The action scenes have been carefully constructed and considered, but it's the script that will surprise you with topics worth discussing with the kids when it's over. "You can be a hero and still be wrong" isn't exactly a new theme in adventure fiction, but it feels like a bigger one in today's world, and it's nice to see a family-friendly fantasy movie that doesn't. . speak contemptuously to children. Animated films that have endured throughout history rely on children to follow complex plots and themes. It's great to see that kind of confidence resurface in a movie that never forgets to be entertaining, too.
Chris Williams (who co-directed "Big Hero 6" and "Moana") makes his confident solo debut with a script he co-wrote with Nell Benjamin that subverts classic maritime adventure mythology. After a brief prologue that introduces us to Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) as she flees her orphanage in search of greater adventure, Williams and his team star in a breathtaking sea battle between two monster-hunting ships and a massive monster-hunting ship. beast. Immediately, there's a sense that the craft here is high as the sequence unfolds with the swooping tentacles of a Kraken-esque beast and the ships trying to take it down. “The Sea Beast” takes place in the midst of a great war between monsters and men, the latter financed by a King (Jim Carter) and Queen (Doon Mackichan) who clearly don't care about putting people in danger, but never mind. they would risk. your own safety.
Director: Chris Williams
Writers: Chris Williams, Nell Benjamin, Mattson Tomlin
Stars: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris
The other hero of this tale is Jacob Holland (Karl Urban, who finds a likable and vulnerable heroism in his voice work), who grew up on a hunting ship called the Inevitable, led by the ruthless Captain Crow (Jared Harris). The Ahab of this story, Raven, represents the hunter of the old guard, someone who has been doing this for so long that he is obsessed with hunting down the creature that took his eye, no matter the cost. When Maisie hides on her boat while they hunt the sea beast, a red giant known as Bluster, everything changes. Through a series of action-driven events, Maisie and Jacob discover that everything they've been told about the battle between man and monster has been a myth.
To be fair, "The Sea Beast" takes too long to build up steam, and there's a tighter 100-minute version of this film within its two-hour runtime. She wanted to tweak it in a few places, and she wishes the worldbuilding was a bit stronger. Some of the locations also feel slim in design, though if all the time and budget went into the beautifully rendered monsters, that's understandable.
Most of all, and this is rare in American animation today, I admired the script for "The Sea Beast," one that weaves those obvious influences mentioned above into something refreshingly daring. This film takes narrative risks in the sense that it is a monster hunting film that is ultimately against violence. It's the kind of thing good parents look for, as it entertains and sparks conversation. And it's a hopeful sign that Netflix could start to become a more prominent voice in original animation. As long as they're willing to make movies as rich as "The Sea Beast."
Watch The Sea Beast 2022 Trailer
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