Spoilers get seasick in the bathtub.

Animation has been gaining track to give fantasy stories a new light. More often they allow old subgenres and story tropes a subversive coating that feels fresh. The obvious comparisons are Disney and Pixar, and although it does keep its material family friendly, it also manages to bring some nuance to its characters. There is a little rebellious anti-establishment sentiment conveyed here that firmly sets it apart.

(Credit: Netflix)

The Sea Beast (2022) is directed by Chris Williams who wrote the screenplay with Nell Benjamin. The crew of the Inevitable are famed hunters of sea monsters, led by Captain Crow (Jared Harris), first mate Sarah Sharpe (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and heroic Jacob Holland (Karl Urban) having several kills under his belt. Jacob is their most outstanding hunter, personally selected by Captain Crow to take over for him after they run one last mission for the Crown: the capture of the Red Bluster – the most infamous and cunning sea beast of them all. For Jacob, nothing seems to stand on his way until the appearance of a little young orphan girl named Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator), a would-be hunter eager to join in.

There is no secret that the rather unanimous cry to expunge the seas of all monsters has a dark undertone to it, and soon enough the Inevitable has a go at the Bluster to almost end up a wreck. In the commotion, Jacob and Maisie end up lost at sea and find themselves rescued by the most unlikely of allies: the Red Bluster herself. The old ways will be challenged and the books and stories that Maisie has read and that Jacob has believed in all their lives are suddenly no more than fairy tales.

It works in several levels. I can appreciate the world building and the lore created even as Maisie’s and Jacob’s world is suddenly turned upside down. First of all, I love the way that the crew of the Inevitable comes close to behaving like a real crew, with orders sounding very close to what a tall ship that relies on sails needs to move around, turn and fight. The story itself, after the obvious reveal, falls into the usual “a child will guide them” and of course goes for a morality lesson. Obviously this is not the real world, so everything is well that ends well, but there was a potential there for more grey outcome. One in which the world is not saved in one day.

Recommended with reservations. I loved the characters, especially the hunter crew of the Inevitable and the difficult choices they have to make. Like all family features, it goes for the morality lesson angle and unavoidably relies on a ton of cuteness but it does contain a few more grown up characters that are engaging enough to care. The outcome is predictable, but still fits the story. Worth a watch if you must share the screen time with a younger audience.

That will do for now.