2010: Moby Dick Review

Written by Stu Cooper



2010: Moby Dick (2010)
Starring: Barry Bostwick, Renee O'Connor

One thing I wanted to do with this blog was shine the review light on some films out there that may not be in your local theaters. The film I’m reviewing today is really what I consider a modern day Asylum monster gem. The film is “2010: Moby Dick”, and yes it is a modern day adaptation of the Herman Melville classic novel. I’m sure most of you film fans are familiar with the now notorious ASYLUM production company and the monster films that they premiere on Syfy on a regular basis. You either love these films for what they are, or absolutely hate them. I would consider myself a fan, simply because I realize these films are operating on a limited budget and are really appealing to the monster movie audience that may enjoy films like Godzilla, King Kong, Orca, Anaconda, and all those other giant creature features. So once you get past the fact that the CGI may not be Lord of the Rings equivalent, and the actors will most likely be relative unknowns with limited theatrical presence, then these films are very enjoyable!



The film loosely, and I mean LOOSELY follows the story of Moby Dick written by Herman Melville. In this version Moby Dick is 400 feet long (he is absurdly large on film, dwarfing the biggest Submarine on screen) and Captain Ahab is a sub-marine captain who survived an encounter with the beast at a younger age. In his first encounter with the whale, he loses his leg, just like the original Captain Ahab. That is really where the similarities end between the two tales.

The story picks up several years after the first attack where Captain Ahab now has control of the most powerful submarine on the planet, armed with several nuclear missiles! Ahab is the only one who still believes in Moby Dick’s existence, but he does not let that stop him from using the submarine (and the arsenal) to blow up half the ocean looking for the white whale! Captain Ahab is played by Barry Bostwick (Spin City, Rocky Horror) and he actually does a spectacular job given the cheesy surroundings. Bostwick treats the film as if it was an Oscar nominee and puts a lot of heart and emotion into the character. This actually serves as a saving grace for the film. There is a particular moment where Ahab is giving a monologue to a fellow crewmember explaining his desperation and feelings towards the whale and it really made me care about the character and the outcome. The other main character is Dr. Michelle Herman (Herman, get it? Har Har) and she is played by Renee O’ Connor. Renee tries her hardest to make her character feel significant but it still has a certain cheese that is impossible to ignore. She is brought aboard the sub-marine to assist the Captain in finding the whale because she is apparently a whale specialist. Together the two use their brains to track down and hunt the whale. This path ultimately leads to some brutal results and a continued chase. The final confrontation leaves a little to be desired but it has to be seen to be believed. There is a one on one showdown between Ahab and Moby Dick that tops any kind of CGI Monster/Actor interaction I’ve ever seen. It will definitely leave you scratching your head.



I would recommend this film to those who enjoy monster movies, period. If you enjoy giant creature features and like the Roger Corman/Asylum style, then you will not be disappointed. Just take the film with a grain of salt, set your expectations low, and you will be pleased. If you want to check out a serious Moby Dick film I would recommend the adaptation with Patrick Stewart playing Ahab. That was quite the epic film, But if you just want to munch on popcorn and turn your brain off, this should do the job.

2 out of 5