When the Whales Came (1989)

The greatest movie ever made..!

Good idea lost in the noise

Excellent, smart action film.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This one sneaked up on me a Thursday afternoon and the Fox Movie Channel tossed it in. God bless 'em for that. Hope they repeat it soon. (They have that tendency).This film about life on a remote, barren English island during WWI (it is by no means a war flick) is, in words of one, MAGNIFICENT. The direction, superb photography, excellent music (unobtrusive, unlike too many of today's noisy movies) and the acting all combined to choke you up, or bring tears to your eyes, depending on your level of emotion.This well told, beautiful tale has the big plus of some fine, fine performers, particularly the youngsters Helen Pearce and Max Rennie. For whatever ungodly reason neither of these two achieved any kind of fame. Young Max only made one other movie, "Hard Road," while Helen did nothing else.Both youngsters received the Young Artists Award, an honorary but justified recognition.Paul Scofield and Helen Mirren the entire cast were heavily responsible for the success of this G-rated movie.The accents were not too heavy so, no problem in understanding. It was a tad slow at first, but that is nit-picking. Overall, it can be rated as one of the best movies of its kind hell, any kind ever made.

When the Whales Came, based upon Michael Morpurgo's charming story, is a beautiful well-meaning film, that I do think is worthy of a lot more praise than it is given. The cinematography and scenery were gorgeous, and so was the enchanting music score. The part when the villagers drive the Narwhal into the sea was such a poignant moment. The script was fine and so was the direction and the acting. The two children are believable, and Helen Mirren and David Suchet, two exceptional actors give fine support. Though the real kudos have to go to Paul Scofield, who was fantastic, and to Jeremy Kemp as Mr Wellbeloved, who wasn't only warm and loving towards the children, but it was also an altogether sensitive portrayal. My only minor complaint with the movie was the pace, it was a tad slow, but overall this film is beautiful. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This is a superb film, designed for the entire family. A fascinating script, first-rate acting, glorious scenery (shot on location in remote islands off of England), and memorable music help make this film a classic. It is set in 1914, and World War One plays a role in the story. But the time is basically irrelevant; the place is not. The story is about a legendary curse, a man who survived it, and an opportunity to lift it, focusing on the destruction and preservation of an extremely rare form of whale.At its conclusion, I asked my wife, "How could a film like this be made today?" I still don't know. But let us give thanks that we still have enough imagination and basic decency to film a fairy tale with messages that are eternal. It remains an incredible artistic scandal that a movie of this quality has not appeared on DVD.

On a remote, desolate island off the British coast, a community lives a hand to mouth existence, celebrating when passing yachts come to grief so they can scavenge the wood. They celebrate more when a pod of narwhales are beached, knowing they can eat in style for weeks. As the islanders ready themselves to butcher the whales, an elderly hermit appears to warn of danger if the whales are harmed, remembering an earlier time when the slaughter of a pod of stranded whales was followed by disaster.Good performances all round, led by Paul Scofield and Helen Mirren. This is certainly not a film to get your adrenalin going but "When the Whales Came" is worthy of a viewing; for the acting, the scenery and the whales.