Kon-Tiki opens today in the Washington, D.C. area, exclusively at the Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema.
The Norwegian film is based on the true story of Thor Heyerdahl, an adventurous ethnographer who set out - literally - to prove Polynesia was settled by South American natives. Believing they used a raft, Heyerdahl attempted to duplicate their journey in 1947.
Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg bring a Scandinavian simplicity and straightforwardness to the adventure - too simple, at times.
After an opening that gives you a sense of Heyerdahl's lifelong tendency to take risks, and maybe enjoy the attention that results, the movie races over 20 years into the future. One gets the sense that significant parts of this film ended up on the cutting-room floor.
There is little metaphor or symbolic imagery. Heyerdahl often has a eureka moment based not on his research, but on convenient, offhand remarks by other characters. While an effective plot device, it reduces the complexity of the protagonist.
And it's hard to sympathize with Heyerdahl, in this portrayal. Why is a married father leaving his family to sail on a "suicide" mission?
Taking a raft on the high seas - with a crew including an engineer-refrigerator salesman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Conan O'Brien sidekick Andy Richter - brings predictable results. What could possibly go wrong? What you might imagine often does in this movie. Filmgoers with shark phobias would be wise to skip this story.
The cast does a competent, effective job, and the natural scenery is spectacular. This won't end up on your personal Top 10 list. But you can be sure it will end up on a lot of high school and college course required-viewing lists.
If you enjoy adventures on the high-seas or historical films, Kon-Tiki is definitely worth your time. But the lack of depth will leave fans of directors like Christopher Nolan and Guillermo del Toro with little to debate afterward.
Rating: ***
PG-13
118 minutes
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