this movie has Chris Hemsworth, in between "Avengers" movies, and a lot of computer-generated sea life. It uses a lot of fancy lures, but it never hooks you
the lure of this "Sea" feels secondhand, like listening to someone tell a good story. It's a tentative, half-realized tale that ultimately suffers from a significant identity crisis
it's a strategy that doesn't always pay off. The dramatic scenes are a touch overcooked, and there are moments when it feels like a particularly high-end school play
it is missing some of the urgency and danger of the Nathaniel Philbrick bestseller it's adapted from. It's light on personality and spark, which is a bit of a problem for a white-knuckle whaling tale
"In the Heart of the Sea" works as top-notch entertainment thanks to its literary sensibility (it's based on Nathaniel Philbrick's nonfiction book) and a strong emotional undercurrent
"In the Heart of the Sea" isn't a great movie -- outside of the beautiful presentation and great action scenes, there's nothing magical or overly inspirational here