Some amazing shots unfortunately does not compensate this film for being slow moving and ultimately quite depressing. I do realize this is based on fact and it must have been depressing for those involved. From an entertainment perspective, it simply is not entertaining. Jumping back and forth in time also kills the suspense. Being a box office flop despite all the big names, i'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way...

This is a slightly embellished story of the whaling ship Essex which was sunk by a Sperm Whale in 1820. This story was the inspiration for Melville's "Moby Dick." In the film Melville (Ben Whishaw) interviews the adult Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson) who spends his time in a bottle and is reluctant to tell his tale of woe. However his fourth wife (Michelle Fairley) convinces him because of their pecuniary predicament. Thomas was a 14 year old "Greenhorn" (Tom Holland) at the time and tells the story as a conflict between the privileged captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker) and a disgruntle first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) who was promised his own ship. As Pollard remarks, "Some are born to the job, some born into it." Thomas experiences his first "Nantucket sleigh ride" and gets to do all the dirty jobs.If you know the story they encounter a "demon" whale who hunts and haunts them.The story was well done and well acted if slightly inaccurate. Both Chase and Nickerson wrote accounts of the story and Melville used Chase's account for his inspiration. The interview appears to be fiction. There is a late emotional scene involving the Captain's cousin that wasn't quite accurate, but the results were the same.Good sea drama and half decent action flick.

Inspired by true events, Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea" is a literate, often exciting tale that is at once historical and informative, exciting and action filled, grueling and tragic. Charles Leavitt's well-written screenplay was based on a book by Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, which purports to show the events that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. In the middle of the 19th century, the young Melville travels to Nantucket and seeks out the last survivor of the whaling ship Essex, which disappeared thirty years earlier with much controversy. After some persuasion and with enough cash, Melville, played by Ben Wishaw, convinces Brendan Gleeson as Tom Nickerson to relate the shocking story, which Nickerson has not even shared with his wife, played by Michelle Fairley. The film's acting honors go to the seasoned trio featured in the Melville-Nickerson scenes, which flash back to the story of the Essex as Gleeson relates the events.The actual tale of the Essex begins with Owen Chase, a strapping young seaman, who aspires to be captain of a whaler and has been promised a captaincy by the local shipowners. However, he is forced to accept first-mate status under an inexperienced captain, who has family connections. Chris Hemsworth certainly looks the part of Chase, a role that would have suited the young Sterling Hayden. Hemsworth's heroic looks, which at times resemble the youthful Nick Nolte, are perhaps too California-surfer to be convincing as a rugged seafarer. However, while he does have physical presence, a better actor could have deepened the characterization. The same comments apply to Benjamin Walker, who plays Chase's nemesis, Captain George Pollard, an untested captain who steers his ship and men carelessly into peril. Meanwhile, Cillian Murphy as Matthew Joy and Tom Holland as the young version of Nickerson provide able support among Pollard's crew.Set to a beautiful score by Roque Baños, the film features exciting whale-hunting scenes, a fierce storm at sea, and a harrowing tale of survival. However, "In the Heart of the Sea" illustrates the importance of a strong lead even in a film rich with special effects and action at sea. Without Russell Crowe, "Master and Commander" would not have succeeded as it did; with actors of Crowe's caliber in the roles of Chase and Pollard, the film could have been a titanic clash of wills set against the forces of nature in the guise of a monstrous whale. However, even with its flaws, "In the Heart of the Sea" is fine entertainment, despite its failure to attain the heights to which director Howard aspired.

This movie is both educational and well done. It made me look into the real story that inspired Melville's Moby Dick. It has good production value and tells a compelling story that keeps you watching. It may take some liberties with the historical facts, but is for the most part true to what is known of the real story. The characters are not shallow, but live through plausible emotions. Ron Howard directs his actors, and the whole production with his usual highly competent skills; he may not be a genius of the 7th art, but he will be remembered as an important director of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Overall, I am glad to have seen it and followed up on reading about the historical accounts behind the movie. I was very pleasantly surprised.