The Sea Beast

Within a crowded landscape of animated comedies defaulting to hyperactivity over narrative coherence, filling every frame with chaos while presumably targeting children with short-attention spans, hopefully The Sea Beast will have its place.

Charming if uneven, this visually polished seafaring saga from director Chris Williams (Big Hero 6) is a stirring adventure with humor and heart.

Amid the mayhem and spectacle of the obligatory action set pieces, the film finds a quiet poignancy in its more intimate character-driven moments, seamlessly blending classic monster-movie influences with a progressive contemporary spin.

The story is set in a fantasy world of sea monsters and their human hunters. One such hero is Jacob (voiced by Karl Urban), whose latest challenge involves an elusive dragon-like creature with the power to wipe out a boat in a single swipe.

A precocious young orphan named Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) is Jacob’s biggest fan, having lost both of her parents to dangerous ocean predators. Eager to follow in their courageous footsteps, she stows away on Jacob’s ship, which belongs to the embattled Captain Crow (Jared Harris), whose recent failures have drawn the ire of the monarchy who hired him.

Almost instantly, rambunctious motormouth Maisie irritates the normally unflappable Jacob. “The monsters I can handle, but that one, she’ll be the death of me,” he laments. Eventually, of course, they must attempt to find common ground as secrets are revealed and their mission becomes more perilous.

Youngsters, especially preteen girls, will likely connect with the spunky protagonist’s sense of curiosity and mischief. After all, it’s geared more toward kids than adults, who might find the plot too simplistic and broadly silly, not to mention thematically familiar as compared to other recent animated adventures.

Although the periphery characters lack depth, Maisie provides an anchor to bring emotional grounding to a fantasy buoyed by pirate mythology and menacing creatures of the deep. She’s neither too cute nor cloying, rather projecting an agreeable mix of resilience and vulnerability.

Boasting colorful and crisply detailed animation, The Sea Beast delivers an underlying message of marine conservation and coexistence without turning heavy-handed. Along the way, it features enough twists and thrills to make a splash.

Rated PG, 119 minutes.