Call me Murf, no scratch that, call me Ishmael ! This version of Money Dick, and save your penis jokes for later, is quite good! I'd remembered at Newman we pulled apart all the characters and analyzed them to death! Ishmael in the bible, meant every man was for him, and every man was against him. Sounds like you and me! I think the reason most people enjoyed this awesome book was they could relate to all the characters plight and sorrows and hopes! You'll be pleased to know Ethan Hawke does a spectacular job at acting as the main protagonist ! Have fun with this three part movie, and as always, read the tome too! Pax, Murf

Fine television rendition about Herman Neville novel with enjoyable interpretations from all-star-cast . In this extremely loose adaptation of Melville's classic novel, Ahab is revealed initially not as a bitter and revengeful madman . This oceans saga features the sole survivor of a lost whaling ship who relates the tale of a white whale and the captain Ahab's obsession with desires for vendetta upon the greatest animal . It starts in New Bedford , Massachussets, where arrives a novice named Ishmael (Charlie Cox) who signs aboard the whaling ship Pequod and befriends a Polynesian native , harpooner Queequeg (Raoul Trujillo). He meets Elijah (Billy Boyd) , Stubb (Eddie Marsan) , Starbuck (Ethan Hawke) and captain Ahab (Gregory Peck) who has a self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale , Moby Dick . Ahab consecrates his life to hunt it full of hating and vengeance . Soon enough Ishmael aware about the great white whale who claimed the captain's leg and Ahab's determination to seek avenge on the beast that crippled and scarred him , no matter what the cost to himself , his crew or ship .

Yet another take on of Melville's classic battle of wills story . The picture is a fine television adaptation of the famous novel well scripted/adapted and ably realized . Moby Dick is an attractive tale of life on the high seas, and in particular on board a whale schooner named 'Pequod' . This impressive adaptation based on Herman Melville's 1851 classic novel is vividly brought to screen . The interactions between Ahab, Michigan & Stubb is reminiscent of captain Vere, Billy Budd & Master-at-arms John Claggart, the main characters of Billy Budd, another novel written by Moby-Dick's author, Herman Melville , and it results to be one of the most thrilling and moving see sagas ever written . Suspense and tension of the ocean is completely captured , including enduring images as the storm with the 'fire of Saint Telmo' . Climatic final battle is an overwhelming piece of cinema as you are likely to watch . Nigel Williams wrote a screenplay that was partially faith to the novel and filmmaker Mike Binder stamping this movie with epic images and thought-provoking dialogs . Enjoyable recounting , including quite a few moments that click make this top-of-the-range movie more than watchable . The FX experts created a great whale made by means of ordinary computer generator . Top-notch main and secondary cast realize extraordinary performances . William Hurt is nice as well as Ethan Hawke and Charlie Cox . Phenomenal support cast as Eddie Marsan as Stubb , Gillian Anderson as Elizabeth , Billy Boyd as Elijah , Raoul Trujillo as Queequeg and Stephen McHattie as Rachel Captain . Cameraman Richard Greatrex's appropriate color cinematography splendidly conveys the bleaker qualities of the chase . Exciting and thrilling musical score by Richard Mitchell. The motion picture was professionally directed by Mike Binder , though with no originality . He's a nice director working usually for television as ¨Moby Dick¨, ¨Sea wolf¨ ,¨Lorna Doone¨ and occasionally for cinema as ¨A good woman¨, ¨To kill a king¨ and o ¨Butterfly on a wheel¨ his best movie.

Other renditions about this famous novel are the followings : 1930 rendition by Lloyd Bacon with John Barrymore, this is the first production of "Moby Dick" to have a leading female character , Joan Blondell . Moby Dick (1959) by John Huston , an over-the-top rendition of Herman Melville's high seas saga with a sensational Gregory Peck as unforgettable captain Ahab . It's remade in 1998 TV series by Franc Roddan with Patrick Stewart ,Henry Thomas , Bill Hunter and Gregory Peck who takes on the character of Jonah-and-the-whale sermonizing Father Mapple who in classic adaptation was vividly played by Orson Welles . Furthermore , recent lousy rendition full of computer generator FX starred by Barry Bostwick and Renee O'Connor .

Having never read Moby Dick (it's on my list),my viewing of this 3-hour mini-series was not influenced by preconceptions.

The story is simple - what should be a simple commercial whaling expedition is diverted to disaster when Ahab, the captain of the whaling ship, enforces his determination to hunt down the gigantic white whale which previously defeated his attempts to kill it and, in so doing, took his leg.

William Hurt plays Ahab with what can only be described as gusto. Most of the crew members are solid. The production values appear fine, and the effects aren't bad.

As a simple adventure story with a subtext about obsession, it was a little overlong.