The Finest Hours
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: January 29, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
21
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
78
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovJan 27, 2016
Carter Burwell’s score is particularly thunderous, mirroring the onscreen action, and the 3-D really is – for once – superb, making for a rather breathtaking two hours. Well done. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorFeb 14, 2016
There’s nothing subtle about The Finest Hours, but much that is satisfying. Read full review
75
ObserverRex ReedFeb 1, 2016
For the most part, this is a film with a pulse that wastes no time—a highly invigorating crowd pleaser that does nothing momentous but packs a big entertainment wallop doing it. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJan 28, 2016
One would be hard-pressed to consider The Perfect Storm “triumphant” or “uplifting” but both terms could be used to describe The Finest Hours. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanJan 28, 2016
From the first gentle meeting of its hero and heroine to the last line of dialogue, The Finest Hours executes all the traditional moves beautifully. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJan 28, 2016
What happens is important, but more important is how it happens and whom it happens to. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJan 28, 2016
The script embraces certain character archetypes wholeheartedly (pig-headed crew mate; ramrod-stiff officer) and not always successfully. Yet the tone, the mood of the picture, with its desaturated color palette, maintains the right atmosphere. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 27, 2016
An adventure drama with sea legs, a story of heroism steeped in period detail, played with sympathy and stoicism by people who respect such old fashioned virtues. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranJan 28, 2016
This tale of nautical derring-do has several things going for it to counteract the inherent obviousness of the material. These include a director who knows his way around this kind of material, special effects work that makes the peril fearfully alive, and a pip of a true story of what is considered as daring a rescue mission as the U.S. Coast Guard ever attempted. Read full review
70
ScreenCrushMatt SingerJan 27, 2016
If The Finest Hours is light on surprises it’s still heavy on suspense, as the script by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson treats each new obstacle in Bernie and Ray’s paths as a new brainteasing puzzle with an impossible solution. Read full review
67
ConsequenceBlake GobleJan 29, 2016
The Finest Hours is exactly that. Fine, while embracing its studio aesthetic and morally true heroism. Read full review
67
The PlaylistNick SchagerJan 26, 2016
An old-fashioned tale of heroism in the face of insurmountable odds, The Finest Hours is never less than aggressively hokey and manipulatively sentimental — and, in the end, better off for it. Read full review
63
New York PostLou LumenickJan 28, 2016
The true story behind a Coast Guard rescue depicted in Disney’s The Finest Hours is amazing enough that it didn’t require corny romantic embellishments that threaten to capsize everything. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJan 28, 2016
Somewhere in here, there’s a pretty decent movie. The Finest Hours is probably the best of a bad bunch of recent releases. But it’s a shame that this terrific story’s engines keep flooding in the face of wave after wave of narrative inertia. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy BurrJan 28, 2016
It’s a movie made for the kind of audiences who feel that movies aren’t made for them anymore — you know who you are. If you go, you might want to bring a raincoat. Read full review
63
Rolling StonePeter TraversJan 28, 2016
On the waves, The Finest Hours finally finds its sea legs and delivers an old-school adventure based on a heroic deliverance that deserves its day in the sun. Read full review
63
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenJan 28, 2016
The storm effects are first-rate, immersive all the way. The tale-telling ability of director Craig Gillespie is frustratingly inconsistent. Read full review
62
The VergeTasha RobinsonJan 29, 2016
This isn't just an action film; it's a multi-pronged assault on the heartstrings, with plenty of wide-eyed, apple-cheeked Norman Rockwell Americana saturating the pounding digital waves. Read full review
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