True Spirit

The true story is remarkable, awe inspiring to think a 16 year old would want to sail solo around the globe let alone have enough about them to actually do it.

Unfortunately the film goes down the sickly route. Ridiculous cringe worthy moments that really didn't need to be added. The story didn't need it, but the Director couldn't help themselves. At its worst it was like a soap opera episode and the music Director shouldn't be allowed anywhere near music, shocking is too polite a word for that.

Also some of the extra characters were so cliche as to be almost rude. They literally put an African lady dancing when she was watching on video, only surprised the Scottish woman wasn't pissed.

Anyway after all that the acting by the lead characters was fine and the story itself is so amazing it was still enjoyable. Just could have been so much better if handled with a bit more sophistication.

I'm going to find the book and read that.

Just finished watching this excellent movie. It's based on a true story, so there won't be any spoilers here. It's the story of Jessica Watsonl who's always dreamed of sailing around the world by herself. She's on a quest to be the younger person to do so.

As you'd expect, she certainly has her share of obstacles. But she shows the true grit needed to complete such an adventure. The film goes from her at sea, to flashbacks of her growing up and all the things that led to this amazing adventure.

I thought the acting was absolutely spot on. The photography and special effects were tremendous as well. And it's full of breathtaking action scenes that make you feel you're on board with her. There's one absolutely gorgeous scene when she's caught in a dead-air zone. She stares at the night sky just full of stars with the David Bowie's "Star Man" quietly playing. It's quite haunting.

If you're looking for a great film the whole family will enjoy, don't miss this one! But be sure to have some tissues handy. There are a couple of emotional scenes where even this jaded film reviewer puddled up a bit.

The adventure is amazing, the book is a 7/10 (read it last year) and the movie is very disappointing.

As said, the main actress was more concerned with looking pretty and smiling, the music was awful, the soap opera vibe was everywhere, there was almost no real tension with all the situation...

Some parts are not in the book, were created to romanticize some scenes.

The best part of the movie is the ending with some real scenes of Jess arriving home.

Overall, I feel that the adventure itself was not explored as it should be. The loneliness, the sailing, the danger, her routine...

It was more like a teenager "you can do what you want" movie than an adventure movie.

I tried to get my kids to watch this, hoping the inspirational story line would give them ideas beyond sitting and playing games on the iPad. But I failed so I watched this myself. It follows the true story of 16 year old Jessica Watson attempting to fulfil a (let's face it) very short, life long dream of being the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The film delivers, albeit in a bit of a lightweight way. The danger elements were few but done well. The sea does look scary at points, but I wanted a little more edge of the seat stuff. But this is aimed at the 10-16 crowd, so perfect in that respect.

The film is almost 2 hours long, but it takes a long time for the world journey to actually start and the pacing of the film from that point is a bit too quick. Half way round The world in the blink of an eye. It is a true story and I can't believe it was all plain sailing (excuse the pun) for that half of the journey. It would have been nice to have a few more elements of danger and drama.

It's always great to see Anna Paquin, but young Teagan Croft was excellent as the young protagonist sailor. I originally thought she was a bit too wide eyed and perfect teeth for the role, but at the end of the film you do see footage of the real Jessica Watson on the original boat and they are actually very similar in looks, so good casting in that respect.

If you can get your kids to watch this, I would highly recommend!

A biographical movie about Jessica Watson, who became the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the world alone in 2009. The film, which stars Teagan Croft and is directed by Sarah Spillane, details Watson's journey and the support she received from her family and manager.

Despite criticism from the media and government officials, Watson persevered and completed her journey, overcoming multiple storms and windless stasis. The film showcases the beautiful sailing sequences and pays homage to Watson's determination, making her a symbol of the "can-do spirit."

However, the film has its flaws. The screenplay tends to disrupt the dramatic momentum, and the perky, clean-scrubbed tone makes the film feel like a Disney Channel movie. The film also oversimplifies the story, focusing solely on vindicating Watson and her family and coach, while ignoring the messiness of real life.

Overall, "True Spirit" is a suitable movie for younger audiences, but for those looking for a more nuanced and thorough account of Watson's journey, her memoir and the 2010 documentary "210 Days" are recommended.