The Finest Hours [2016]

Produced by Disney, The Finest Hours is an epic rescue movie about one of the most daring rescue missions in history. This is a classic commercial blockbuster, intended both for a bit older kids and adults. There are also a few more things that you can expect: phenomenal special effects, great actors and scenes, and finally that grandiose vibe that you get only from big movies like this. With a budget of over $80 million they really went all-in with the effects and cast. However, there were a couple of problems too…

I know that this is a movie based on a true story and that they had to follow certain rules, but that doesn’t mean that the pacing has to be this strange. At times the movie is really slow, without a sense that something is actually happening. And at times the action gets too frenetic, especially with the water scenes, probably to compensate for all that dullness on the coast. Speaking of which, if you like this sort of aquatic setting, you can check out our Subversive Rabbit selection of water movies. 

Working for the Coast Guard is no easy job, and Bernie Webber knows that all too well. You never know whether you will come home from a rescue mission or not. Some things we cannot choose, and this time Bernie’s heart made the choice. He has fallen in love with a local girl Miriam Pentinen and the two of them want to get married. However, there’s a storm brewing…

The Finest Hours had a great premise but in the end, it’s just too damn melodramatic. It’s like it’s intended for people who are precisely 67 years old, and everybody else can go fuck themselves. The acting was also a bit wooden, especially from Pine and Affleck. Foster, Bana, McTavish, and the rest of the crew were great, but these two main characters really brought the atmosphere down. Still, one thing stays absolutely phenomenal: the true story. I also have to admit that there were a couple of very effective “mother of god” moments. If you want to know more about the real events, I recommend you start here: SS Pendleton. 

This is something that you can call upon during those stretched-out scenes that seem to go on forever. It feels like one of those movies that are going to be on the TV all the time in the next 30-40 years and I will close with that. Scratch that, I will close with that fucking “power outage” scene. In the past few months, I have seen some lame-ass scenes but this one is just too damn yucky. If you want to watch something similar to The Finest Hours, I recommend you check out The Perfect Storm, also based on true events. And while In the Heart of the Sea does take place in the past it is still a pretty good movie about the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in 1820.

Director: Craig Gillespie

Writers: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Casey Sherman, Michael J. Tougias

Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, Graham McTavish

Fun Facts: Ben Foster claimed that the role was the most physically demanding of his career. Mostly because of the amount of time working in cold water.

Rating:

IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2025690/