Every now and then you watch a movie that reminds you of why you love movies in the first place. You are taken back to a time when movies felt fresh and showed you something that you have never seen on the screen before. You walk away, on in this case stop the movie after the credits and say to yourself “I want to watch that again!” This may seem like I am overselling The Sea Beast but this movie deserves to be seen and also deserves to be seen on a big screen. (You hear me, Netflix!)

The Sea Beast is a great movie about family, belonging, and the dangers of letting anger take control of your emotions. While this may seem like a heavy subject for an animated movie, it is exactly the right topic for families to see now. The Sea Beast tells three stories that are all connected by the themes previously listed.

In the beginning, we meet Jacob Holland, voiced by Karl Urban, who is stranded at sea and rescued by Captain Crow who becomes a surrogate father to him. Captain Crow is well known for his ship, The Inevitable, which hunts down the sea beast that are terrifying the seas. He teaches Jacob all about taking down sea beasts and prepares him to take over as captain of the ship one day.

The movie also introduces us to Maise, voiced by Zaris-Angel Hator, who comes from a family of hunters and wants to follow in their footsteps. Maise is such a great character to see on the screen. She is not only strong-willed but is also so caring that she teaches Jacob something new about the sea beast. Maise is the heart of this movie and she shows us that not all things heroes do are for a good reason.

Captain Crow is on the hunt for the Red Bluster. The Red Bluster is the Moby Dick to Captain Crow’s Ahab. The Captain is so overcome with anger and the thirst for revenge that he would do anything and everything to take down the Red Bluster. Captain Crow’s journey is one that parents can relate to. He wants to do what is best for Jacob but inevitably loses sight of what is important.

The Sea Beast is a spectacle that needs to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. The monsters are designed in such a way that you want to see more of them. We get little peaks at some of the monsters but never get to see the full scope of them. I sure hope an art book comes out with the art of this film.

On a side note, the movie did remind me of an older video game called Shadow of the Colossus, where the main character was hunting down these Colossus and killing them in hopes of saving someone. As the game progresses, he discovers that what he thinks is the right thing to do may not be the right thing to do. A line that matches this parallel between the game and the movie is said by Maise when she states “maybe you can be a hero and still do the wrong thing”.

We were lucky to attend a roundtable with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Williams and the voice of Maise, Zaris-Angel Hator. Questions were asked about the designs of the sea beast, the name of the ship, and the many different themes in the movie. Watch the shorter version of the roundtable below and watch the full interview here.

Watch the full interview here.

Final Thoughts: The Sea Beast is a great adventure movie that brings back feelings of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clash of the Titans. Seeing the characters learn about the sea beasts and also learn about themselves shows that people can change. This movie was meant for the big screen!

Kid-Friendly: The topic of the ships attacking and taking down the different sea beasts may be too much for younger children. The film would bring up great conversations about who really is a hero and why heroes can be flawed. There are a few scenes of the shipmates drinking beers and celebrating their return from a voyage.

Violence: The hunting of the sea beasts and a visit to a “witch” may be a little too much for younger kids. We are shown the aftermath of the hunter’s attacks on the sea beasts by seeing all of the spears on the beast’s back. It is great that they show us both sides of being a hunter and beast dynamic.

Check out this fun activity guide for your viewing of The Sea Beast.

In an era when terrifying beasts roamed the seas, monster hunters were celebrated heroes – and none were more beloved than the great Jacob Holland.  But when young Maisie Brumble stows away on his fabled ship, he’s saddled with an unexpected ally.  Together they embark on an epic journey into uncharted waters and make history.  From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Williams (Moana, Big Hero Six, Bolt), THE SEA BEAST takes us to where the map ends, and the true adventure begins.