Bob Hoskins does his best to liven up a really mild adventure film, inspired by the true story of Captain Jack, a rebellious Whitby sea captain obsesed by his predecessor Captain Scoresby, who sailed to the Arctic in the 18th century. Jack sets sail on the same voyage in an unseaworthy boat, assembling an oddball crew, including two elderly sisters (Anna Massey, Gemma Jones), a henpecked holidaymaker (David Troughton), an Aussie hiker (Peter McDonald) and an amorous stowaway (Sadie Frost). In hot pursuit are the navy, NATO and the rat pack of the press. Given the story and cast, you'd expect this yarn to be more exciting than it is, but the film chucks away many of its opportunites in slack pacing, shaky scripting (by the normally fine Jack Rosenthal), unsubtle score and lowish production values. It seems small and cramped rather than epic, destined for its proper place - the small screen.