Modern Melville

MOBY DICK-2010-In this modern update of the Herman Melville classic Barry Bostwick is the scarred maimed whale obsessed Captain Ahab, the renegade commander of a super nuclear submarine that happens to be called The Peqoud. Coincidently his first mate is named Starbuck. The revenge driven Captain is hunting the "white whale" of legend now a gigantic (CGI) monster who eats other whales .

He "commandeers" a biologist (Renee O'Connor who was on the TV series ARK at the time) and her assistant (Derrick Scott) to help in his quest. Unfortunately the Navy thinks Ahab is responsible for all the destruction Moby is causing and sends another Captain (Matt Lagan) to stop him.

In a way this is an admirable attempt to modernize the story and Bostwick is good in the lead but it's just another made for video "giant creature" movie that usually debuts on the SyFy channel (which this did). The crazed badly executed climax takes place on a small island where Ahab (with a weird mechanical harpoon) confronts his nemesis (the whale actually comes on land for one attack!) and nearly everyone dies.

Director Trey Stokes did visual effects for movies like ROBO COP 2, STARSHIP TROOPERS and THE POLAR EXPRESS. This was made by The Asylum, a movie company that known for making other quickie " modern updates". Thanks to Tony.

And thanks for reading!