Chris Pine leads the way in a maritime rescue drama that sails through on its sweetness.
An unpretentious Disney drama about a real-life 1950s rescue mission by the US Coast Guard sails in well charted waters.
This is rousing, well-crafted fare. Its naïve idealism is quaint, its plotting entirely predictable; but it still has a surprising emotional kick.
The rescue itself packs an emotional punch but everything else about The Finest Hours feels a little dull and corny.
A strong cast and impressive action sequences can’t find subtleties or surprises to enliven a rote period disaster movie. It hits the right points, but mechanically.
Blame the clunkiness of its old-fashioned script and a slew of performances hemmed in by the film’s idealised conception of life in the 1950s.
This 50s-set rescue mission is kept afloat by sturdy effects and even sturdier morals.
General release. Check local listings for show times.