Kon-Tiki

"Kon-Tiki" tells the story of the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and the adventure resulting from the decision to cross, with a raft of all-natural wood, the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia: the aim is to prove the theory that the South Americans were the first ones to step foot on this land (and not Asians, like the dominant theories say).

His idea came up due to a Polynesian legend, saying that their ancestors came from the easterly winds. To make this trip (which actually happened), Thor built a raft under the same conditions he thought existed hundreds of years ago, with all the difficulties obviously implied, and sailed together with his crew.

Under this premise, the movie, based on real events (which adds a certain amount of interest to the feat carried on), is a pretty exhilarating marine adventure that gives the audience a pleasant time and experience. The photography is one of the best qualities of this movie, used to show some beautiful images of marine life and landscapes at times.

As for the sequencing of the story, it is quite traditional but effective: the film features a prologue which tells us a little about the previous life of Thor who was always wrapped in a life of adventure, plus some personal issues in the relationship with his wife Liv (Agnes Kittelsen)... all leading him to embark on this extraordinary adventure.

Kon-Tiki is a very well-constructed and narrated film, with masterful sea scenes: some beautiful, some poetic, some others aggressive, others calm.  Between the many odysseys that these people faced on their discovery journey and some very tense moments, this is above all a film that tries to delivel the essence of this journey as realistically possible.

Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg

Writers: Petter Skavlan, Allan Scott (script consultant)

Stars: Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Gustaf Skarsgård