I though I knew what this magical animation was about for about 15 minutes. Moby Dick wannabe I guessed. Was I ever wrong! Many references to jingoism, biased history, economics, and even one to the Galleons of the Spanish Armada. Charming film. unimaginably good animation. Made in British Columbia and Quebec.
I would recommend it for a number of reasons:
The animation is often awe inspiring. The wood grains during internal shots are almost unreal.
The handling of the tall ship is just as described in books like the Hornblower series. Unusual in modern movies.
It's not a love story.
It ends happily.
Some humour, but not enough not to hide the serious themes.
The bad guys get their comeuppance.
It's free if you have Netflix. Best on a big TV screen.
Perceptive viewers will note even more parallels and themes. The film can provoke debate I'd think.
It can be watched simply as a fun, feelgood movie.
The film began a limited theatrical release on June 24, 2022, before debuting on Netflix on July 8. It received positive reviews from critics and became the most-successful Netflix original animated film, with 165 million hours viewed over its first five months of release. The film earned several nominations, including Best Animated Feature at the 95th Academy Awards. A sequel is in development.
Did I hear right, Buster? You're paying for a streaming service? Or are you one of those shared accounts that Netflix hates? We gave up Netflix the last time they cranked up the price. It just didn't seem worth it anymore. They do have some good content but we ended up liking Disney+ more.
Anyway, sounds like an interesting movie. If it ends up on another streaming service or we go back to Netflix, *shudder*, I'll make a note to check it out.
"Did I hear right, Buster? You're paying for a streaming service?"
No. I do not have any streaming services.
Ah, okay. I thought you were saying you watched it on Netflix.