Review: The Finest Hours

Disney presents one of the greatest rescue stories ever told. THE FINEST HOURS a heroic action-thriller based on the extraordinary true story of of the greatest small-boat rescue in Coast Guard history. Starring Chris Pine (the “Star Trek” films), Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee Casey Affleck (“Interstellar”), Ben Foster (“3:10 to Yuma”) and Eric Bana (“Lone Survivor”), “THE FINEST HOURS” makes its in-home debut packaged with a host of bonus features about the making of the movie and the remarkable true-life events that inspired it. It storms home on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere May 24th.

I was lucky enough to check out this movie a few days before it’s release and boy, am I glad I watched it. I had planned to go see it in theaters with my husband, but with two little kids date nights are few and far between, and it just never worked out. My husband was in the U.S. Navy for years and so any movie that has to do with the military on the ocean, well, it is a must see for him. Throw in the fact that this film is based on a true story – one that he knows everything about – about a famous U.S. Coast Guard rescue, well, we knew we were going to be picking it up once released. The other night we got the girls settled in to bed and popped it in.

I want to start off by saying that the cast is great – Chris Pine and Casey Affleck really stole the show for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love Ben Foster and Eric Bana as well, but those two just really drove the movie home for me. I enjoyed the love story aspect of the movie as well as the action. Being from Massachusetts, I thought the accents were pretty great too – sometimes actors butcher them, but they were done well! This is a great date night movie, but maybe a little too intense for younger kids. I definitely will not be showing it to my 3 and 4 year old anytime soon. In my opinion, it is a good family movie for children 10 and up. There is action, love, and history in this film and I recommend checking it out – even if you know the story.

Synopsis
This heroic action-thriller is based on the extraordinary true story of the greatest small-boat rescue in Coast Guard history. In 1952, a massive winter storm strikes off the coast of Cape Cod, ripping a T-2 oil tanker in half and trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly sinking stern. When word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard, four men led by Captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) set out in a 12-seat boat on a daring mission to rescue the stranded men, braving freezing cold, 60-foot waves and hurricane-force winds, and guided by Webber’s vow that “We all live, or we all die.” Packed with thrilling, larger-than-life action and anchored in a belief in the strength of the human spirit, The Finest Hours is a triumph.

BONUS FEATURES*:

Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, Digital SD, Disney Movies Anywhere

• AGAINST ALL ODDS: THE BERNIE WEBBER STORY – Visit the quaint and close-knit town of Chatham, and experience the events surrounding the most heroic Coast Guard rescue ever through the eyes of the people who witnessed them.
• BROTHERHOOD – Cast members reflect on the bonds they forged during the shoot.
• TWO CREWS – Chris Pine and Casey Affleck share insights into Bernie Webber and Ray Sybert, men who led their respective crews against all odds.
• WHAT IS YOUR FINEST HOUR? – A Coast Guard member recounts an incredible rescue.
• THE FINEST INSPIRATION: THE U.S. COAST GUARD Meet the people who put their lives on the line for others.
• DELETED SCENES:
  • A Desperate Idea
  • The Story of How They Met

DVD

• BROTHERHOOD
• THE FINEST INSPIRATION: THE U.S. COAST GUARD

*Bonus Features may vary by retailer

The Finest Hours comes to Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, & Disney Movies Anywhere May 24th.

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Website: Movies.Disney.com/The-Finest-Hours
Hashtag: #TheFinestHours

Tessa Smith

Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.

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