The Sea Beast is a 2022 computer-animated adventure film directed by Chris Williams, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nell Benjamin and produced with Jed Schlanger.[1][2] The film stars the voices of Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. It tells the story of a young girl who falls in with a group of hunters who have hunted sea monsters including one elusive sea monster.
| The Sea Beast | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Chris Williams |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Chris Williams |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Edited by | Joyce Arrastia |
| Music by | Mark Mancina |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 119 minutes |
| Countries | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
The film began a limited theatrical release on June 24, 2022, before debuting on Netflix on July 8. It received positive reviews from critics.
Plot
For hundreds of years, sea monsters have surfaced to wreak havoc against mankind. In response, sailors venture outward on their ships to hunt the beasts across the ocean, the most famous of these being the crew of "The Inevitable"; led by the legendary Captain Crow, his first mate Sarah Sharpe, and his adopted son Jacob Holland. They are financially backed by the King and Queen of The Crown, who have established a distinguished society dubbed Three Bridges. After being nearly killed during a hunt, Crow tells Jacob that he will make him captain once they kill a female beast known as the Red Bluster that took his eye.
The crew returns to Three Bridges to collect payment for their latest catch, but are told by the King and Queen that they will soon be replaced by a naval vessel named "The Imperator", headed by Admiral Hornagold, who will carry on the hunting of sea beasts in their place. Jacob proposes that his crew be given one more chance to kill the Red Bluster to continue hunting beasts in their name should they succeed, which the King and Queen accept.
After they depart, the crew discovers that an orphan girl named Maisie Brumble has stowed away on the ship to join them, having been inspired to do so by her late parents who died during a hunt. The Inevitable finds and attacks the Red Bluster. Against Crow's orders, Jacob hesitantly allows Maisie to cut a rope connecting the ship to the Bluster, which saves the crew, but lets the Bluster escape and throws Jacob and Maisie into the sea. Angered, Crow holds both of them at gunpoint and demands Jacob bring Maisie to him before the Bluster emerges from the depths and swallows Maisie and Jacob whole.
The Bluster takes Jacob and Maisie to an isolated island populated by several other beasts. Maisie discovers that the Bluster is not malicious and befriends the beast, naming her Red. Maisie begins to believe that the monsters are really just misunderstood creatures, which Jacob denies. She also befriends a smaller creature she names Blue. After Red saves them from a large crab beast, Jacob and Maisie convince her to take them to Rum Pepper island, so they can secure a ship to return to Three Bridges.
Believing Jacob to be dead, Crow slips into vengeful obsession over his desire to kill Red. He seeks out an elderly merchant named Gwen Batterbie, who gives Crow a poison powerful enough to kill Red and a massive harpoon. While on Red's back, Jacob and Maisie bond with the creature and each other. Jacob slowly grows to support Maisie's belief of the beasts being innocent and comes to renounce his ways as a hunter. They reach Rum Pepper Island but discover that the Imperator and Hornagold are stationed there. Red attacks the vessel, which rains hail fire at the beast with cannons, one of them wounding Maisie. Before the beast can kill Hornagold after she destroys the Imperator, Jacob momentarily stops her from doing so. Red spots the Inevitable and attacks, but is shot with the poison-tipped harpoon and nearly dies, with Crow keeping her alive long enough to bring her to The Crown as a trophy.
Maisie is nursed back to health, but then imprisoned in her room aboard the Inevitable as it arrives at Three Bridges with Red in tow. Blue frees Maisie, and upon noticing that The Crown's sigil is featured in all the books about sea beasts and their hunters, she realizes that they are propaganda created by The Crown to extend their rule, and the creatures were only acting in self-defense. In front of a large gathering of civilians, Crow prepares to publicly execute Red before being stopped by Jacob. Crow and Jacob fight, while Maisie and Sharpe, who begins to believe Maisie's worldview of the beasts as well, free Red from her binds. Maisie and Jacob convince Red to spare Crow, and they subsequently expose The Crown for their deceptions. The kingdom renounces its beliefs about the beasts, including Crow.
With Red and the other sea beasts left alone, Maisie, Blue, and Jacob begin their new lives together as a family.
Voice cast
- Karl Urban as Jacob Holland, a known sea monster hunter
- Zaris-Angel Hator as Maisie Brumble, an orphan who falls in with Jacob and had parents that were sea monster hunters that were killed in action
- Jared Harris as Captain James Crow, the captain of a famous sea beast hunting vessel and Jacob's father figure
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Sarah Sharpe, Crow's loyal first mate
- Jim Carter as the King
- Doon Mackichan as the Queen
- Dan Stevens as Admiral Eric Hornagold, the commander of a rival sea beast hunting vessel
- Kathy Burke as Gwen Batterbie, a toxicologist who Crow knows
- Helen Sadler as:
- Ms. Beth Merino, Crow's boatswain
- The orphanage matron
- A cart driver
- Shannon Chan-Kent as Fen
- Max Mittelman as a young sailor
- Benjamin Plessala as Child #1
- Somali Rose as Child #2
- Kaya McLean as Child #3
- Davis Pak as:
- Child #4
- A village boy
- Xana Tang as Lea, Crow's lookout
- Alex Wyndham as:
- Sailor #1
- Sailor #2
- Villager
- Brian T. Delaney as Jim Nicklebones, a ship captain whose ship was attacked by a sea monster
- Ian Mercer as Old Nick, the oldest member of Crow's crew
- Paul Chowdhry as a surgeon who is part of Crow's crew
- Raija Baroudi as a general that works for the King and the Queen
- Emily O'Brien as:
- Villager #1
- Villager #2
- David S. Lee as a sergeant that works for the King and the Queen
Production
On November 5, 2018, Netflix announced that Chris Williams will write and direct the animated movie Jacob and the Sea Beast.[1] On November 7, 2020, the film was retitled to The Sea Beast.[3]
Animation services were provided by Sony Pictures Imageworks in Vancouver.[4]
Mark Mancina composed the film's score.[5][6] Mancina also produced an original song called "Captain Crow" a sea shanty depicting the character written by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe.
Release
In March 2022, Netflix announced its premiere date for July 8, 2022.[7] The film was released in select AMC, Cinemark, Regal, Cineplex Entertainment and other theaters on June 24, 2022, before its Netflix debut.[8][9]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 98 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "An original animated tale that's often as daring as its characters, The Sea Beast sends audiences on a voyage well worth taking"[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating favorable reviews.[11]
References
- ^ a b Lang, Brent (November 5, 2018). "Netflix Backs 'Jacob and the Sea Beast' From 'Big Hero 6' Director Chris Williams (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (March 30, 2022). "Netflix Debuts First Trailer For 'The Sea Beast'". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ "The Sea Beast". Netflix. November 7, 2020. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ "The Sea Beast". Sony Pictures Imageworks. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "Mark Mancina Scoring Chris Williams' Netflix Animated Film 'The Sea Beast'". Film Music Reporter. November 24, 2021. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Busch, Jenna (March 30, 2022). "The Sea Beast Trailer: True Adventure Begins In The Latest Netflix Animated Film". Slash Film. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ "Netflix's 'The Sea Beast' Rises from the Depths with Teaser, Cast & Date Reveal". Animation Magazine. March 30, 2022. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ Konrad, Jeremy (June 7, 2022). "The Sea Beast Trailer & Poster Debut On Netflix Geeked Week". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (June 22, 2022). "The Sea Beast review – feisty stowaway hunts monsters in lavish fantasy epic". The Guardian. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ "The Sea Beast". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Sea Beast". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
