Netflix, through its animation studio, Netflix Animation, has now re-released an animated film through The Sea Beast. This fantasy film is directed by Chris Williams, who has been involved in producing Walt Disney Studios animated films, such as Big Heroes Six, Moana, and Frozen. This 2-hour film features the voices of Karl Urban, Jared Harris, Dan Steven, and Zaris-Angel Hator. After the success of Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood last year, what else does Netflix have to offer to compete with its big animated rivals?
In a land in of nowhere, the giant sea monsters have clashed with humans for hundreds of years. The kingdom sent its best hunter to kill the monsters. One is Captain Crow (Haris) with his subordinates and young successor, Jacob (Urban). The captain’s goal was the red monster, the strongest of all. A little girl named Maisie (Hator) stowed onto the ship, and the captain couldn’t help but accept her. Before long, a fight with the red monster was inevitable. At one moment, Jacob and Maisie, who entered the belly of the beast, were brought to the island where they came from. Over time, Jacob and Maisie realized that it was the red beast intended to help them, and all the prejudice against the monsters was one extensive propaganda.
For the big story, The Sea Beast is reminiscent of the story of How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and Smallfoot (2018). Your Dragon presents the eternal feud between dragons vs. humans, which has a very touching drama story. Smallfoot has an intelligent story about monster propaganda about humankind. The Sea Beast, even though it doesn’t have the complexity and depth of Train Your Dragon or Smallfoot, can tell an exciting story with a dominant setting in the ocean.
Maisie is a crucial character who balances her story through her warm chemistry with the monster. Meanwhile, the charismatic Captain Crow becomes the antagonist who steals our attention throughout the film. Jacob stood between the two of them. This cross between light and dark sides is what makes the story interesting. The touching climax scene became the best segment of the film.
Even though the concept and idea are in familiar territory, The Sea Beast has a unique, touching monster story; it’s just that its visual achievements can be an obstacle to competing with quality films made by big studios. Although not bad, the visual side of the animation is the weak point of this film, which feels inferior compared to films produced by Pixar Studios, Walt Disney Animation, and Dreamworks Animation. Judging from the filmmaker’s experience, it is only natural that his animation style tends to the films by Walt Disney Animation. If it is fixed up immediately, Netflix animated films will compete strongly in prestigious events such as the Academy Awards. It’s just a matter of time.
