Movie Review: In The Heart Of The Sea (PG13)
Chris Hemsworth exchanges his hammer for a harpoon.
That's about all you can expect from him in this tale that is said to have inspired author Herman Melville's masterpiece, Moby-Dick.
Hemsworth plays Owen Chase, the first mate aboard the whaling ship Essex, which is smashed by a sperm whale the crew was hunting in 1820.
Director Ron Howard tries to cram in too much material, resulting in bite-sized exposition.
There's the tension between the experienced Chase and rookie captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), the action when the men chase the whales, and a whole segment on how the survivors deal with being strandedand resorting to cannibalism.
The film has a lot of potential, but Howard gives too much responsibility to Hemsworth, who fails to bring out the heart of the story.
Rating: 3/5
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