The Sea Beast

Certificate: PG

Voices of: Karl Urban, Dan Stevens, Jared Harris, Zaris-Angel Hator

Release date: 2022

4 out of 5

4

A rip-roaring animated sea adventure from Netflix, The Sea Beast smartly mixes humour, action and adventure with a worthy moral heart.

At a time when sea beasts roam the seas, there is a group of hero monster hunters who track them down and none is more celebrated than bouffant-haired Jacob Holland (Urban). His latest adventure, to hunt a feared red creature of the oceans, is complicated, however, when idealistic young Maisie Brumble (Hator) stows away on his ship.

Colourfully animated, nicely paced and packed with fun vocal performances – Urban is perfect as Holland, and there is nice support from Jared Harris as his legendary sea captain boss and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as a feisty first mate – this features the obligatory cute creature (a cuddly little thing named Blue) alongside swashbuckling action sequences, some genuinely (for little ones) scary bits and a clever story that touches on the importance of standing up for what you believe in and being willing to change your views without ever feeling preachy.

Kids will love it, and adults along for the ride will have tons of fun, too.

Is The Sea Beast suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...

This movie may be a little too scary for the under-6s.

There are scenes in which Holland and Maisie are in danger, and very young viewers may be frightened when they are capsized, chased by sea creatures and, erm, swallowed by one. Each perilous adventure is swiftly resolved, however.

 

If you like this, why not try: