The Finest Hours

"It's easy to be wary of The Finest Hours – it gives off the whiff of an earnest, manipulative, straight-arrow film, the likes of which could only be released by Disney. It is all those things, but if you're willing to hold your cynicism at bay, it's also an often stirring, highly enjoyable tale of courage in the face of insurmountable odds."

"A perfectly entertaining, sometimes quite well-crafted disaster drama that nonetheless retreats from the memory almost as soon as the credits roll."

"Never departs from a tried-and-true formula, but that's one of its quaint charms."

"This unpretentious drama knows its way."

"Before scoffers scoff, realize that this tale of nautical derring-do has several things going for it to counteract the inherent obviousness of the material."

"The pieces don’t fuse so much as fit together, and much of the action feels instructive rather than immersive."

"An intermittently affecting, sanded-edge adventure that feels as if it trundled off the studio production line back when Eisenhower was in office."

"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."