Epic true story in ‘The Heart of the Sea’ sunk by sloppy editing, special effects

Posted on December 18, 2015

By MARK VIOLA

Although it was considered a financial failure during its author’s life, Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” has become one of the famous and celebrated American novels of all time. I’m sure even if you haven’t read the book, you are at least familiar with the tale of Captain Ahab and his quest for revenge against the white whale.

ne of the inspirations for Melville’s 1951 novel was the true story of the Essex, a whaling ship sunk by an enraged whale in 1820 more than 2,000 miles of the South American coast. The tale of the sinking and the crew’s fight for survival while stranded at sea for months sounds like a story ripe with potential for a big screen adaptation.

Enter director Ron Howard (“Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind”), who helms “In the Heart of the Sea,” which sets sail to tell the story with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) in the lead role and a screenplay from Charles Leavitt (“Blood Diamond,” “K-PAX”).

Howard is an accomplished director and the cast is talented and gives solid performances, but subpar special effects and downright horrible editing during the infrequent action scenes sap just about all of the enjoyment to be found in this tale of survival. Adding to the problems is the story itself, which is spread across a nearly 18-month time span peppered with exciting moments of high tension but it never seems to flow correctly.

I do want to say the overall story is compelling enough to warrant a viewing and I could have gotten over its flaws, but the special effects and editing problems are nearly fatal when it comes to enjoying the experience.

The film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and peril, brief startling violence and thematic material.

(This is a abbreviated version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.