At 4,300 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Thor Hurdahl, a young Norwegian explorer, broke through all things to find a real path. In 1937, while traveling to the Marquesas Islands, Thor Heyerdahl discovered a strange mystery, far from a suggestion from other contemporary scholars at that time.
"Kon-Tiki" is awesome in the true sense of the word: You sit in awe of the bravery, audacity, stupidity and natural power on display. Ah, to imagine and dream. And to go forth.
Considering we all know the outcome, the levels of tension remain impressive, while an atmosphere of melancholy tempers even the most triumphant moments.
The characters don't register as much more than genre archetypes, but that doesn't spoil the fun, since the filmmakers re-create the journey in such vivid detail.
Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg certainly seize the opportunity to deliver a spirited high seas adventure, taking some creative liberties along the way, but remaining true to the spirit of the times and the participants.
The wacky, amateurish derring-do of the six-man crew, led by the lanky, floppy haired Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen as the ethnographer Heyerdahl, is astounding.
While requiring little effort to get immersed in this tale, such is the strength of this compelling story - if there is one thing to take away from proceedings, it's that it is worth catching this in its original, more authentic form.
