We all have seen movies where monsters roaming in the sea are hunted down and killed. The monsters are bad creatures that cross paths with big-hearted sailors, but rarely has a movie been made, where the underwater creatures are depicted as anything but villains.

The Sea Beast is a family animated film, which projects the beasts in a good light while taking the viewer on an underwater adventure. The rivalry between the pirates and the monsters, the role of the monarch and the helplessness of the creatures make the movie more interesting.

Set in an era when terrifying beasts roam the sea, the story revolves around an orphan Maisie Brumble. She wants to emulate her parents who died on an expedition that ended in failure. Maisie likes stories about hunters and adores the crew of a ship called ‘Inevitable’. When the ship arrives in her town, she manages to escape to the high sea and joins legendary sailor Jacob Holland and one-eyed Captain Crow to capture the monster they plan to hunt.

Jacob Holland, voiced by Karl Urban, is a celebrated beast-slayer, yet he is soft on the inside. Teenage actress Zaris-Angel Hator is behind Maisie’s character while veteran Jared Harris provides the voice for the ruthless Captain Crow.

Urban and Hator create magic on screen and emit father/daughter vibes from their adventure, where they are nearly eaten by a monster, left marooned on an island, and even chased by horrible creatures. The Sea Beast has shades of Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick, where Captain Ahab wants to kill the animal for a reason, the thrill of Jaws and The Meg, while in some parts reminds of Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon.

The action scenes make you feel as if you are on the ship, but the cheeky lines mustered by Maisie are classy. “You can be a hero and still be wrong”, is on the top of it. Maisie is a rebel and the character shows us that whatever young minds want to get, can be achieved, in any way. For young minds, exploring is the key rather than reading what is published in books.

The movie is directed by Academy Award-winning director Chris Williams, who was also behind hit movies like Big Hero 6 and Moana. The sea effect and the presence of monsters is an altogether different experience. The background score by Mark Mancina takes the viewers into the world of Moana and Planes, which are still considered among his best works.

The Sea Beast is an enthralling movie that shows the world who the real monster had been.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 23rd, 2022