A touch overrated, but not a bad film by any means

Rating: Null/10 (11 February 2015)

I don't think this film would have gotten as much hype if it hadn't happened to hit the 3D wave at precisely the right time. Because, while it's a gorgeous movie, and one of the best 3D experiences to date, its story doesn't match its visual splendor.
The setting is definitely imaginative. A young man, survivor of a sunken ship, is stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger of all things. Together they must face the horror, beauty and mystery of wide open sea to reach solid land once again. I just don't think they do everything they could have done with such a premise. It's outlandish enough that you can pretty much kiss any sense of realism goodbye. And to its credit, the film doesn't try to take itself too seriously, and the unreliable narrator the film utilizes only adds to this while neatly explaining all the weird aspects of the story. Yet most of the time is spent following the main character around on the boat as he tries to not get eaten alive by the tiger. That's interesting, sure, but not really Oscar-worthy, if you ask me.
Had they done something more out there, it would have kept me entertained far better. Now there are some things they encounter at the sea that are very cool to look and and also imaginative enough to arouse my interest. I say some, because more often than not it's one or the another. Either it's absolutely gorgeous or it's interesting on an idea level. It should be both more often than not.
In the end that means I think this is a good film. Not great, but good. It's definitely worth a watch and I can see why so many people enjoyed it as much as they did. Alas, without easy access to 3D experience, it doesn't have that rewatch potential a great movie needs to have.