_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

Netflix has had many original animated films on their platforms, and the majority of them haven’t been that memorable. There have been standouts because the animation was on another level, but the stories weren’t that captivating. The Sea Beast is truly meant to be watched on the big screen because of the grand scale of the sea. It has a theatrical release and it is geared toward little adventurers who want to explore. This animated feature feels like the ultimate form of escape for everyone.

When a young girl named Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter named Jacob Holland (Karl Urban), they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters – and make history to boot. The movie instantly brings you into their world in the opening scene because of how real the ocean looked. It felt like you were in the water with them, trying to escape the clutches of one of the sea monsters. The animation is so beautiful and the way the characters were designed just made this movie so impressive. It has a very simple story, but the connection that forms between Jacob and Maisie carries the adventure.

They say never to meet your heroes, but for Maisie, it all worked out for the best. Even though Jacob was a bit reserved at first and wanted to protect her, he eventually loosened the reigns and learned to trust her. She had studied Jacob and all of his adventurers. So, in a way, she helped him believe in himself again. They both helped each other realize their full potential and that was so important for both of them in the end. The action scenes were executed quite well and there was some great camerawork in the mix. The other sea creatures were adorable and they adapted to Jacob and Maisie in the second half of the film.

The Sea Beast is a wholesome adventure film that is fun for the whole family. Not only does it teach young kids to follow their dreams, but it also teaches adults not to forget who they once were. Sometimes life takes hold of our spirit because it moves at such a fast pace and no one realizes how much time has passed. Some moments ground us and put everything back into perspective. Director Chris Williams had fun bringing this story to life because of how vibrant and lovable he made all of these characters.