The Sea Beast: Karl Urban headlines Netflix’s distracting Moana mash-up on the high seas

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The Sea Beast (PG, 119 minutes) Directed by Chris Williams ***

Rescued from the sea as a young man, Jacob Holland (Karl Urban) has devoted his life to hunting sea monsters.

A fixture among the crew of the Inevitable, guided by the ironclad determination of his mentor Captain Crow (Jared Harris), he has fought and rid the oceans of some of the most horrific things imaginable – for King and Country.

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One creature, however, has continually evaded the capture: the Red Bluster. But after 30 years of waiting for revenge for the scars he left behind from their last encounter, Crow believes he’s finally got it in his sights. Unfortunately, his pursuit is interrupted by another ship in dire need.

Jim Nicklebones is attacked by a Brickleback and “the code” requires Crow and assistance from the company. A fierce battle ensues, with the Inevitable taking victory only through a miraculous throw from Holland and Crow’s willingness to get close to his foe. Success comes at a price, though – the mizzen is in splinters and First Mate Sarah Sharpe (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) doesn’t like “the look of the mainsail”. Somewhat reluctantly, a rather broken Crow heads home.

The news there isn’t much better, though. Furious that the Red Bluster is still alive, the King (Jim Carter) announces that money is being raised for fighters like Crow: the Royal Navy, led by Admiral Hornagold (Dan Stevens), now entrusted with sea monster duties.

Convinced that such men and their ships are ill-equipped to face the horrors of the deep, Crow and Holland convince the royal family to give them another chance – if you fail and they will allow the Inevitable to become dismantled.

However, the pair are unaware that they have an extra one on board when they leave the next morning. An adventurous orphan – Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator) – is desperate to experience her parents’ life on the high seas and taste the excitement she’s read about in the Inevitable crew’s written exploits. However, all her studies have not prepared her for what lies ahead and the difficult decision she will have to make – one that will irreparably change her life – and perspective.

With its thick animation, rather one-dimensional characters and fairly predictable plot, The Sea Beast has little to recommend at first. Inevitable isn’t just the name of the central ship, it’s the overall feeling you’ll have with the story, as it charts a jagged course that incorporates elements of Nim’s Island, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Godzilla movies, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise and Moana (there’s even a cuddly creature that you’d swear is a slightly more salty version of Disney’s alien Stitch).

And yet, despite its over-promotion, serious tone (this spends much of its last third railing against empire-building and false stories masquerading as “history”) and lack of nuance, I found myself drawn to the adventures of Holland, Maisie and company.

As with The Boys, Urban’s accent floats around a bit, but he makes for a sympathetic and exciting lead, while Kiwi viewers should also listen to Tales of Nai Nai, Fresh Eggs and Mulan star Xana Tang as Lea the Lookout.

Director and co-writer Chris Williams, whose previous credits include the aforementioned Moana, as well as Big Hero 6, Bolt and The Emperor’s New Groove, ensures that the pace and chatter never slacks, even if his story seems about 15 minutes too long. .

The conceit might be a little ramshackle, the plot a little leaky, but like a mild distraction in the depths of the winter school holidays, it’ll keep your crew from getting too scurvy – at least for a few hours.

The Sea Beast is now streaming on Netflix.