The Finest Hours is a thrilling disaster film about one of the most daring rescue missions in American Coast Guard history. In 1952 two cargo ships were split in half by a deadly storm off the coast of New England, and while the crew of one of the ships struggled to keep afloat a rescue team fought against impossibly odds to get to them. Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana lead the cast and give solid performances. And the special effects are incredibly good, creating some amazing scenes of the cargo ship’s destruction and the rescue ship’s fight to climb the ocean waves. But the writing is rather weak, and doesn’t really develop the characters very well. Still, The Finest Hours is a fascinating story about the strength of the human spirit to persevere and overcome adversity.
As a fact based documentary movie 8/10, as a catastrophic movie 6/10. Acting was a little rigid.
The Finest Hours, Disney’s (yes) old-school recreation of “the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Rescue” starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck who portray the generations ingenuity and sensibilities as they are thrown into the usual genre tropes of unwavering disaster and relief.
The film is a parallel story of daring from Pine’s straight-shooting, small-town Coast Guard coxswain, Bernie Webber, and Affleck’s tanker engineer, Raymond Sybert, separately thrust into roles of authority amidst overwhelming danger. Although a man of few words, Affleck, makes his character the most interesting on screen.
The main premise of the story is on a February night, not one, but two oil tankers have been sheared in two. Most rescue teams have gone to one ship, when news of the seconds reaches Pendleton. The Chatham Coastguards new station boss Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana), orders Webber and a small crew into the storm on what is described the local fisherman as a suicide mission, but Webber, with something to prove to his past sets out.
The tanker sliced in two, and with little hope of survival, Sybert has become the captain of sorts to the surviving crew; although many are not keen to follow his orders. Like Webber, he is an outsider, his home is his ship. In one of the most interesting scenes Sybert responds to a shipmate who dismisses him for being a lonely man with no family, after saving his life, responds with the simple “I’ve got a life just the same as you”. Syberts side of the story is a series of ingenious ideas to help buy as much as time for someone, whoever might be out there, to rescue the him and the crew.
Most of the remaining story follows Webber battling through the storm, but the visuals are far from impressive, large waves in just a sea of blackness, but perhaps this is all you have of evidence of a storm at sea? The 3D adds further unnecessary darkness, and no real depth.
The film is a nice touch to the story and certainly an enjoyable watch, if only to wonder what could be next for Webber, and what brilliant idea Sybert might come up with next.
A solid 8/10 and a recommendation to see in 2D only.
Watched this movie four times now! Enjoyed every time. Great story great acting great effects. A must watch in my opinion!
Story wholesale and wonderful portrayal
As a true story movie it deserves 8/10; otherwise, I'd never give him more than 5/10
As mentioned in another comment, although the Chris Pine crew are supposedly sent to their death, there's no real tension as you know they're going to come back unscathed because it's a Disney movie featuring sailors that never swear. Some spectacular visuals of an angry open sea–the highlights of the movie as far as I'm concerned–but our heroes have nothing to fear aboard the sturdiest, most physics-defying lifeboat ever seen on live action film. Clearly the source material was not exciting enough and needed some embellishment... yet the movie still lacks spice. I would dunk on Casey Affleck's subpar acting but his lines didn't really deserve better.
Good. Nothing more than that, but nothing less either.
'The Finest Hours' is a little bit too on the nose in parts, I felt like some of the cast were overacting here and there - especially Casey Affleck (Ray), not that he is bad though. Chris Pine is enjoyable in the lead role. Pacing is iffy, but the effects are excellent - from the ships to the water scenes, impressive! The (true) story, meanwhile, is as hearty as you'd expect.
Worth watching.
Old fashioned movie benefits from excellent special effects. Its a stirring true story well told.
If you substract the annoying love side story (btw - she actually is a good actress, just go see the Borgias. The role is just blatantly unimportant. Close to an insult, really) that does nothing but lengthen an otherwise probably not long enough story on its own, take out some of the unrealistic aspects (some were named in other comments - one being a girl sitting in nothing but a dress in a 50-era car in icy winds and snow), what's left is a visually stunning movie with some great performances - notably all the scenes on the Pendleton. Casey Affleck puts down one hell of a performance. Chris Pine is not bad at all, but nothing out of the ordinary.
To put it short: leave the remote in your hand, skip the scenes with the girl, and you've got a pretty decent movie.
Entertaining enough movie, based on real life, of a coast guard officer who rescues the whole surviving crew of an oil tanker using only a small boat in the middle of a large sea storm. What impressed me most about it was that I saw no jumping around by the cameramen while filming. In contrast to other nameless director who cannot hire steady cameramen, the director of this film includes very little (if any) shaky cam effects, despite bringing a turbulent sea to the screen. Yet, cinematography awards go to the nameless director who makes me throw up every time I try to watch his films. Obviously the critics have forgotten what good cinematography looks like.
This is a Disney movie and it shows from start to finish. There is no real sense of drama or urgency, I never felt that any of the characters were ever in peril. Disney familiy friendly concept doesn´t work on a story that is supposed to be heart gripping drama. Yes, the movie looks really good I´ll give it that. But they should label it "no common sense was used in the making of this movie"
They are on the ocean in a drifting stern with winds up to 60 mp/h, the waves are several meters high, yet they are standing firmly planted on a deck that is just slightly moving and outside it seems that only a slight breeze is going on that doesn´t even disturb their hair. No one really seems to get injured everyone is only having mild bruises, if any, I believe there was one broken arm, that´s all. And a girl sitting in her crashed car for hours in what is supposed to be a snow storm with only her dress on and she isn´t effected at all by the cold. There are several more examples of that kind but I guess you get my point.
I know a movie is make-believe, but please give the audience some credit.
Disney has made, and I´m sure will continue to do, great movies that fit them very nicely. But this isn´t one of them.
This was pretty spectacular to look at in IMAX 3D. I fear it'd lose it's potency on a smaller screen.
Thrilling though. And Holliday Grainger is very lovely.
the actress is awful because the character lacks of personality and importance. The lead character seems stupid as everyone else. just liked the story of the petroler with casey affleck
Fantastic movie, really tense, great story and horrifying open sea visuals.
GOOD movie!! Really like 'true' stories; and the actors were also tops!!
#ShiftvW8
What a fantastic movie. And horrifying... Nothing scares me more than open sea.
What a great movie. Well portrayed. Daring rescue at its greatest. #ShiftvW8
All around great movie. Well portrayed. Daring rescue at its greatest. #ShiftvW8
What a fantastic movie great story and performances especially Chris Pine..
Amazing story and perfectly recreated!
Shout by sunscreenBlockedParent2016-05-15T22:54:17Z
Pure shite if your not currently Disney-age and lack all common sense.
The lead actress, why is she even in the movie?
No one really ever gets cold, that's truly fascinating!