Grade: D+

“The Finest Hours” is a Disney film based upon the true story of the 1952 harrowing rescue of the crew of the SS Pendleton, which was split in half during a massive storm just off the coast of Cape Cod. This has been widely considered the most heroic small boat rescue in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The film’s protagonist is Bernie Webber, played by the ever charismatic Chris Pine of the most recent series of Star Trek films. Webber is a courageous coast guardsmen who devises a plan to rescue the 30 plus stranded sailors on the splintered ship.

Unfortunately for moviegoers, the strong acting from Pine, Holliday Grainger who plays Webber’s fiancee Miriam, and Casey Affleck as a main crew member of the Pendleton saves the film from being terribly predictable.

Despite the characters being in dangerous, life-threatening situations, there is never really a sense that the characters will actually be harmed. Each time that a character says that something is too dangerous to try or do, they always seem to defy all odds and accomplish what was said to be impossible, or at least very hard.

The special effects are amazing and it is a big reason why this film isn’t a complete trainwreck. When the cameras capture the storm, you really get a feel for what a really bad eastern seaboard blizzard is like.

The romantic aspect between Webber and Miriam lacks real chemistry on screen. Their emotions aren’t convincing enough to make the relationship seem real. The whole thing feels forced and the filmmakers either should have recast Webber or Miriam’s character; the more logical choice being to recast Miriam as she isn’t the protagonist and Pine fits the role as Webber very well.

To top it all off, the film could have been cut down by about a half an hour and still tell the same story. By the end, the whole thing felt monotonous.

The only reason that someone should go and watch this film is if they happen to be fans of one or more of the actors, otherwise don’t bother.