Netflix has a new successful film in its hands. The fact that it’s an animated film should teach the streamer a crucial lesson. Before its July 8 release, Chris Williams’ swashbuckling CGI adventure movie The Sea Beast, whose credits include Frozen II (story artist), Moana (writer), and Big Hero 6 (director), has received positive reviews from critics.
Although a little bloated, The Sea Beast is a charming, riotous animated adventure that is perfect for summertime family entertainment. The Netflix Animation production addresses well-known issues. However, the subtle genre is the mashup of pirates vs. sea monsters. Some well-done action scenes help create a lighthearted story about acceptance and forgiveness.
What will you see here?
Cast & Characters
The Sea Beast is set in a world where such animals exist, and civilization has responded by forming monster hunters to seek them down and kill them at sea. The fanciful beasts inspired it that decorated the 16th and 17th-century nautical charts.
The well-known Jacob Holland (Karl Urban), Captain Crow’s (Jared Harris) crew of the Inevitable, is one such hunter. Jacob embarks on an adventurous journey into unexplored seas, though, when little Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator) stows on his ship for their most recent mission.
Storyline
Generation after generation, a group of monster hunters, would kill or drive these creatures back into the water to harvest their horns. Thus, the stories of these hunters serving as the first line of defense have taken on legendary status. Captain Crow (Jared Harris) and his seasoned crew on the Inevitable are among the most renowned figures in children’s literature because they have defeated countless monsters and preserved humanity’s dominance over the sea. Jacob Holland, Crow’s apparent heir and right-hand man, is Maisie Brumble’s (Hator) idol (Urban). One beast, the Red Bluster, the White Whale to Crow’s vengeance-fueled Ahab, continues to defy the Inevitable. Maisie stows away aboard Crow and the crew’s next expedition to destroy the sea monster.
The movie’s throbbing heart is the romance between Maisie and Jacob, whose rocky beginnings eventually lead to an unusual connection. Like Maisie, Jacob is an orphan. As shown in the opening sequence, Crow discovers him in the water following a monster assault before taking him in. When he becomes a family member to the crew of the Inevitable, so does he to Maisie as they set out on a journey to discover the marine creatures outside of the Crown-approved narrative books.
Specialty
The nautical set pieces are what give this endeavor seaworthiness. The crew of the Inevitable swing over the side of the ship to fire harpoons at a beast in a stunning display of military choreography. A battle of kaiju-scale between the Red Bluster and a Purple Crustacean is underway. Considering that most of the activity happens adrift, Williams uses all of his skills in computer-generated animation to accurately capture the background elements and textures, such as how water responds in the presence of monsters or how the ropes on a ship respond to the wind. To capture all the beauty, the camera flies about.
Ideology
The topic seems especially relevant since right-wing politicians and conservative activists have stepped up their attempts in many states to restrict children’s access to certain library books and prevent teaching specific subjects and historical periods in schools.
Williams, unhappy to see these issues becoming increasingly important when “The Sea Beast” was being made, stated, “It’s vital who’s in charge of the narrative and who gets to declare what the truth is in our history.”
Williams continued, “As an artist, you always hope in some little way that you can offer people a framework for thinking about these. Even if the movie is ultimately designed to be an entertaining action-adventure extravaganza.” Your sincere hope is that you can influence something.
Action
After a titanic battle with the Red Bluster, Jacob and Maisie find themselves stuck on an island together and struggling for life. The combat sequences are also pretty thrilling. If the girl-mentor interaction in the most recent “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series left you feeling unimpressed, “The Sea Beast” presents a much more fascinating version of that interplay. That is primarily due to Maisie’s convincingly priceless conversation. The ending also has a good message (a spoiler). It balances being both traditional and contemporary.
The monsters themselves are exaggeratedly comical while being the scale of Godzilla and possessing Godzilla’s devastating capability. Although saying this might sound foolish given that it’s a cartoon, it’s an exciting decision given how painstakingly detailed and accurate everything else is. It’s not a critique. However, it ensures that the creatures won’t instantly provide the younger viewers nightmares. It seems like a reasonable exchange.
What is the source of The Sea Beast?
Moby-Dick
The Sea Beast is the first adaptation of Herman Melville’s 1851 book Moby-Dick, which tells the tale of a great white whale hunter who is driven to madness.
Conclusion
The beastie set pieces in The Sea Beast, which are on par with those in an action movie, are particularly spectacular. Although they are a few family-friendly jokes, they took them seriously and had real tension. They are inventive, epic in scope, and feature imaginative storytelling.
The film is essentially How to Train Your Dragon with aquatic creatures, so the set pieces give it its distinctive edge. We’re not saying that combination isn’t successful, especially with a little swashbuckling added in. However, it helps to have something else going on while the rest of the movie follows the expected course.
The Sea Beast is, without a doubt, a trip worth doing. The whole family will love this aesthetically stunning and engaging journey with a well-told message.
