Top 10 Things You Missed in The Sea Beast
#10: The Voices
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This lively whale of a tale follows a crew of monster hunters and a wiley young stowaway who helps change the lives of both beasts and men. The stellar voice cast slip into their roles as adventurers with natural and resonating potency. That could be because some of them have experience in the world of fantasy folklore. Karl Urban, also Éomer from “The Lord of the Rings,” plays leading man Jacob. Villainous Admiral Hornagold is Dan Stevens, formerly the titular “Beast” to Disney’s live action “Beauty.” Most notable is Jared Harris, voice of the tormented Captain Cook. Harris also portrayed ship commander Francis Crozier (cro-jjjur) on AMC’s series, “The Terror.” It seems nautical dramatism flows through his veins…or at least his Adam’s apple.
#9: Maisie’s Accent
The aforementioned “wiley stowaway” is Maisie Brumble, a fiery young sprite who grew up with bedtime stories of seafaring explorers. If you listen to her closely, you might catch that her accent isn’t quite the same as some of the adults. There’s some “me-parents” and “me-selves,” uniquely accented “O’s” and double negatives that are typical of a London cockney accent. Maisie is an orphan, and the nuance in her speech reinforces this by suggesting a working-class, lesser-educated background. You may have noticed welcomed diversity in gender and ethnicity among the cast, but you probably missed hearing slight dialectic variations like this one. Everyone talks a little differently from each other. It’s attention to details like this that really helps to flesh out some convincing characters.
#8: A King Kong & Kaiju Kare Package
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With “The Sea Beast,” director Chris Williams wanted to make an epic like the ones that inspired him. “King Kong” and “Clash of the Titans,” both stories involving legendary behemoths, were among them. Williams’ love for these myths shines through in one particular sequence, when sea beast “Red” battles a giant man-eating crab. The battle plays like a mighty tussle between the Kong or Godzilla and an unforgettable kaiju enemy. There’s emotional depth here too, as Red is protecting our heros much the same way the famous ape defended Fay Wray in 1933. Red is also a deeply misunderstood colossus, and the humans that come to understand this form the backbone of the movie’s heartfelt story. It’s great art born from movies that made us.
#7: Costuming
Doesn’t Jacob look dashing in that battle-worn sailor outfit? You might not think about costuming in an animated feature, but it’s just as crucial to establishing atmosphere as it is in any major blockbuster or a theatrical period piece. Your eyes may gloss over details like jewelry made from monster teeth, the unique shape of Captain Crow’s hat, or protective spiked helmets worn by some mariners. If any garb seems recognizable, that’s because award-winning costume designer Michele Clapton oversaw the clothing design. Her credits include television’s “Sense and Sensibility,” “The Crown,” and a Costume Designer’s Guild Award for “Game of Thrones.” Just look at photos of Jacob next to a raggedy Jorah Mormont, and you’ll never be able to unsee it.
#6: Inspiration From Disney
Any animated film usually owes something to the legacy of Disney. “The Sea Beast” seems no exception, as multiple faces seem dreamed from creatures of the mouse house. An adorable blue quadruped that looks like Stitch? Check. Glowing jellyfish and fanged angler fish like those of “Finding Nemo?” Check. An easily missed deep cut might be the design of Captain Crow himself, who bears striking resemblance to the underappreciated John Silver from “Treasure Planet.” You can even catch some design similarities to “Pirates of the Caribbean,” with the movement of the Prickleback’s tentacles and the gaping mouth of a gargantuan crustacean. We’re sure our easter egg microscopes overlooked some other Disney footprints. What did we miss?
#5: Authentic Depiction of Sailing
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Landlubbers like us felt encompassed by the sense of realism that perpetuates “The Sea Beast.” One reason why might be the effort that filmmakers put in to ensure that the depiction of sailing was as true-to-life as possible. Animators worked from models to perfect elements like sail movement, rope behavior and rigging equipment all appeared as they would on an actual vessel. Big moments like sailors hanging from the boat’s side, to little ones like Jacob wrapping his scarred hand, all mimic genuine practices of maritime laborers. Ropes in particular (like wet hair) are surprisingly tricky to animate, and it took six months of PowerPoint presentations for them to get it right. If you’re on the high seas, having Netflix Animation onboard might come in handy.
#4: You’re ALWAYS on the Water!
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On the subject of sailing, did you notice just how often we’re on the water in this movie? About two-thirds of the scenes in “The Sea Beast” take place on the open ocean. This is atypical, as keeping motion pictures constantly afloat comes with some issues. The Netflix team created a new pivot mechanic, called “The Buoy System” that simulated ocean ebb and flow. They worked with professional sailing consultants and meticulously outlined character facial expressions to harpoon the sensation of being continuously adrift. You’re not likely to think about the painstaking process of illustrating so much story-at-sea, but that just means Netfllix and Imageworks did their job right. Is that a spot of seasickness we feel…?
#3: Literary References
If you happened to catch any nods to classic literature, you probably made your high school English teacher proud. “The Sea Beast” shares a somewhat outright skeleton with Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” You’ve got the one-eyed captain, the sea monster, and the pegged leg. Take a second gander at Captain Crow’s bookshelf, and you’ll spot titles like “The Tempest,” “Paradise Lost,” and “The Leviathan.” Coolest of all might be the oversized shell that Jarod and Maisie take shelter inside. Scholars of Hugh Lofting’s “Dr. Dolittle” book series might remember the mythic giant pink snail that the imaginary globetrotter was in pursuit of. Perhaps the snail trail just ended up in a different work of fiction…that’s what happens when Eddie Murphy takes over your intellectual property.
#2: The “Moana” Beginnings
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We’ve mentioned writer/director Chris Williams a lot, but where exactly did he come from? Williams is a veteran animator with co-directing experience on “Big Hero 6” and a number of impressive story credits. Most significantly, he worked on a little hit called “Moana.” Once you know that, you might detect some parallels between the two features. The playful dynamic and arc of camaraderie between Jacob and Maisie seems to echo that of Maui and Moana. The oceanic setting and internal struggles with identity and destiny are also similar. And don’t forget the lovable, dimwitted nonhuman sidekicks. Williams struck azure gold with “Moana,” and he’s borrowed that experience for “The Sea Beast.” We can’t wait to see what he does next.
#1: Criticism of History
At the movie’s climax, Maisie learns that the war between monsters and men has resulted from lies told by leaders and some disastrous misunderstandings. While the suggestion to question leadership may be overt, it’s easy to forget the strongest source of the conflict: written history. Maisie grew up reading stories of fallen heroes and devilish sea monsters. As she questions the accuracy of the tales, she realizes that the truth is anything but gospel. Inquisitive minds in “The Sea Beast” come to doubt historical teachings that were once considered infallible. Criticizing the past can be as scary as uncharted waters, but perhaps the film is urging us to do so in our own present day. That’s a lesson we might not want to miss.
